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Editor’s Note — TRO wants to remind its Travelgram readers the articles presented here are meant to assist you in remaining informed and prepared to discuss travel news of the day with clients.
Destinations
Cuba travel restrictions: What you need to know
Travel to Cuba got more difficult -- and more confusing -- this week for Americans and travelers under US jurisdiction. The announcement by the Trump administration Tuesday banning cruise ship operations from the United States to Cuba and eliminating "people-to-people" educational travel for Americans jolted the travel industry and put a wrench in many…
— CNN
The riskiest vacation hotspots in the Caribbean, ranked
The US State Department's public travel advisories let Americans know what countries are safe to travel to, and which ones they should be wary of. With at least five Americans reported dead in the Dominican Republic in the last three months, it's worth checking these alerts before going on your Caribbean next vacation. The State Department uses four levels of travel…
— Business Insider
Jerusalem's Old City now accessible for wheelchair users
Jerusalem's Old City is many things: sacred to three major faiths, a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- and now, wheelchair accessible. After a decade of work that involved multiple private and public organizations in Israel, the city unveiled a comprehensive effort to make the Old City's narrow alleyways and steep inclines more friendly to visitors and locals…
— CNN
Tours and Activities
She Combined Her Love Of Travel And Yoga To Support Girls' Education Around The World
Jordan Ashley was 25-years-old when she first envisioned the concept for Souljourn Yoga, the nonprofit she founded to support girls’ education in developing nations. Her epiphany occurred in a yoga class, of course. She’d just returned to New York City after living abroad in Southeast Asia, and was struck by the lack of community she felt in the studio.…
— Forbes
1,000-year-old mystery surrounds ancient city
Shrouded in thick rainforest and centuries of mystery, the ancient Mayan city of Tikal is one of the greatest overlooked sites of antiquity in the West. We've all heard of Machu Picchu, but the scale and preservation of Tikal, located in the lowland tropical forest of eastern Guatemala, dwarfs the famed Incan ruins in Peru. Some of Tikal's skyscraping temples, which…
— CNN
Cruise
Norwegian once saw big promise in Cuba. Now the U.S. ban forced it to cancel cruises
Two years ago, the Norwegian Sky was Norwegian Cruise Line’s first ship to sail to Cuba. On Tuesday, the Sky was one of the last ships to leave Havana, and the company has since canceled all its fall Cuba sailings after the U.S. ban was announced earlier this week. "Sailing into the Havana Harbor today, we were welcomed by the Cuban people with open arms…
— LA Times
Disney's 2 largest ships to keep sailing from Port Canaveral through end of 2020
Disney Cruise Line's fall 2020 schedule is out, and it shows the cruise line's two biggest ships will remain based at Port Canaveral during that time. The 4,000-passenger Disney Fantasy will sail Caribbean and Bahamian itineraries ranging from three to eight nights. Its sister ship, the 4,000-passenger Disney Dream, will sail three- and four-night Bahamian cruises…
— Florida Today
Transportation
Travel problems persist at Los Angeles International Airport after power outage
Travel problems have persisted at Los Angeles International Airport following a power outage that darkened the entire facility and caused flight diversions, delays and cancellations. Terminal 1 handles Southwest Airlines Co. flights and was cleared early Thursday after officials decided departing passengers needed to be rescreened. An airport tweet says the action…
— USA Today
I Was a Flight Attendant During the Golden Age of Travel
In May 1967, a month before graduating from college, I still didn’t know what I wanted to do. The airlines were just starting to fly jets and needed to expand their stewardess base, and a boyfriend from New York suggested I consider it—that way, I could get out of the Midwest mindset. He was right. We had it all. We saw the world. We went from being small-town girls…
— Conde Nast Traveler
Lodging
How Waldorf Astoria Is Pacing The High-End Travel Race
Paris can make quite the argument for being the world’s sports capital right now. The French Open is in the midst of another unforgettable run. The FIFA Women’s World Cup runs across the City of Light and eight other France destinations from June 7 to July 7. And the 24 Hours of Le Mans, one of racing’s most grueling events, takes place on June 15 and 16 in a town…
— Forbes
Elite Island Resorts Launches One of the Industry’s Most Robust New Travel Agent Rewards Programs
Elite Island Resorts announced the launch of its new and improved Travel Agents Reward Program, taking travel agent commissions, rewards and incentives to new heights. “Elite’s travel agent business is up over 100% since we launched our ‘We Love Travel Agents' campaign in early 2018,” said Sherrie Ault, Director of Sales. “Travel agents are an integral part…
— Yahoo Finance
Other and Odd
From Flying to Heights, How to Tackle the Most Common Travel Fears
One client was terrified of heights, so Carroll sent him hiking up a mountain in British Columbia with a man who was both a fully qualified hiking guide as well as a life coach. He helped the client move past his fears at every step. Another client “was scared of snorkeling, not because of the diving, but because he didn’t want slimy fish rubbing against him,” he says.…
— Conde Nast Traveler
This New Memory Foam Travel Pillow Has Quickly Become a Best-seller on Amazon
It’s hard to imagine that one of Amazon’s most popular travel pillows, the Trtl Pillow (amazon.com, $30), could possibly be dethroned from its legendary status — but there’s a new arrival on the retail giant’s site that’s already stealing the spotlight. The MLVOC Memory Foam Travel Pillow launched on Amazon earlier this year, and has already made it to Amazon’s…
— Yahoo
The Products I Use In-Flight to Make My Skin Just a Little Less Miserable
Airline cabins are confined cesspools of microbial creatures in giddy delirium at the sight of all those humans sinking ever-deeper into their seat cushions. The air feels fetid and stale because it is fetid and stale, any attempt to twist those plastic udders above to get some circulation only making it worse, whatever it is that spews out definitely not air. Domestic…
— New York Magazine
Today in History
The Treaty of Tordesillas
On June 7, 1494, the countries of Spain and Portugal signed the Treaty of Tordesillas, so named for the Spanish city it was created in. The treaty divided the New World of the newly discovered Americas between the two governments. The treaty only recognized any prior claims…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
Celebrate Father’s Day by Giving the Gift of Travel with Spotlight Tours from Collette
This year, celebrate Father’s Day by giving the gift of travel with Spotlight Tours from Collette. Spotlight tours are designed to immerse guests into one locale by allowing them to see more highlights of the city in a shorter amount of time. These tours have low activity level…
— Travel Research Online
Agent Perspectives
Air Shows, Antiques and Afternoon Tea In The Cotswolds
by Paull Tickner
Friday June 07, 2019
The recent anno uncements about the new ePassport gates at UK airports (see my top story) started me thinking about other ways in which you can help your clients enjoy a smoother and better start to their UK visit.
Having gained time by a quicker journey through immigration at London Heathrow, don’t squander it by joining the Monday-Friday rush hour traffic jams heading into London—only to find that their hotel rooms won’t be ready until the early afternoon. Get the trip off to a more enjoyable start by heading northwest for about an hour and use one of these suggestions as the starting point for a customised UK tour. Bear in mind that they work well as 2-3 nighters before heading elsewhere in the UK with London…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
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Mike's Morning Missives
Whiskey For My Men, And Beer For My Horses!
 Some of you might recognize this as the title of a Toby Keith song. It leads me to the first of three nuggets I would like to share with you today.
First
Titles in articles and newspaper columns do get attention. The same goes for the subject you choose to write in the Subject Box in your emails. Don’t gloss over these important areas of your marketing communications. Don’t get hokey, but definitely don’t pass over them in haste to get your message…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
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Soundings
Essential Adventures in Sydney, Australia
by ShoreTrips
Friday June 07, 2019
Surrounded by a sparkling harbor and beaches, Sydney wows year-round visitors with its world-class attractions and access to unique and natural beauty. Fortunately, travelers looking for Sydney shore excursions have plenty to choose from. Attractions like the Royal Botanical Gardens and the Opera House are nearby, while Sydney day trips to the Hunter Valley unveils some of the world’s most popular wines. The best things to do in Sydney are an easy shore excursion…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
How to Leverage Social Media to Get New Clients
Thursday, June 13, 2019 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
Each year, social media continues to experience a massive growth. More and more consumers using social media channels as their main communication channel to interact with businesses of all sizes. Join our webinar to learn how to effectively manage all your social media presence boost engagement and gain new clients.
eClincher is a leading social media management platform offering a complete solution to manage, publish, engage and analyze social media presence.
Register Now ➠
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Avid Travel With Britton Frost I am joined by Veroniek Maat, owner of Accessible Travel Netherlands. Accessible Travel Netherlands focuses on tours throughout the Netherlands for passengers who have physical disabilities. The tours offered by this group range from guided walking or rolling tours of cities to visits to amusement…