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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
Saint Martin Is Making a Comeback After Hurricane Irma
Saint Martin, the half-Dutch, half-French gem of the Leeward Islands, has been a popular vacation destination for Americans since the 1950s. Tragedy struck in September 2017, however, when the Category 5 Hurricane Irma raged over the island for a full eight hours. This was one of the worst-hit islands, and it’s estimated that more than 90 percent of…
— Travel+Leisure
Forbes Lists Estes Park As A Top Cheap Summer Travel Destination
Estes Park just made a Forbes list of best budget-friendly summer vacation spots this year. The magazine says the Colorado mountain town is a great place for families to travel together if they’re looking for a high country getaway. “Perched 7,500 feet above sea level, just 90 miles northwest of Denver, this charming mountain town features…
— CBS Denver
Tours and Activities
The 10 Best Places for Celebrating the Fourth of July, According to Yelp
And just like that — it’s time to plan your Fourth of July getaway. Memorial Day is behind us, and summer holidays are booking up fast. In fact, there’s a chance that that destination you were counting on is already at maximum capacity for Independence Day. With last-minute planners in mind, Yelp has compiled a list of 10 destinations around the…
— Travel+Leisure
Traveling with a furry friend? Check out these pet-friendly road trips across the U.S.
Travel with pets is a growing trend. Our four-legged pals provide emotional support as well as friendship when we’re away from home. Many hotels and resorts are pet-friendly and some even offer welcome amenities, dog-sitting services and gourmet canine cuisine. Some properties have a nightly or one-time charge, but chains like Kimpton Hotels…
— USA Today
WorldPride: New York's best LGBTQ art, heritage and party venues
As New York gets ready to celebrate WorldPride on 26 June and 50 years since the Stonewall uprising, locals pick cultural spaces, tours and nightlife that embody the city’s queer spirit. The Metropolitan Museum is marking Stonewall 50 with a gay-related theme for its annual gala and the exhibit Camp: Notes on Fashion (free with museum ticket; adult…
— The Guardian
Cruise
Cruise ships ‘seized by Russian authorities’, putting hundreds of holidays at risk
The once-in-a-lifetime holidays of hundreds of travellers are in jeopardy after Russian authorities seized two ships from a Canada-based cruise company. One Ocean Expeditions (OOE) had leased the MV Akademik Ioffe and the MV Akademik Sergey from Russia since 2011 and 2012. The vessels each carried fewer than 100 passengers and were used for…
— Telegraph (London)
River Queen riverboat cruises coming to Nitro
As a joint fundraising effort, the Nitro Historic Commission and the St. Albans Historical Society are bringing the River Queen riverboat from BB Riverboats of Cincinnati to Nitro, for a buffet cruise and a sightseer cruise on Sunday, June 30. Nitro Historic Commission Board member Jennifer Hensley said this will mark the second occasion the riverboat…
— Charleston Gazette-Mail
Transportation
Quiet supersonic passenger airplane unveiled
It's still at the conceptual stage, but a brand new supersonic airplane design unveiled this week by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics could be the clearest indication yet that we're on the brink of a new golden age of super-fast air travel. The Quiet Supersonic Technology Airliner, a sleek twin-engined jet plane that will carry up to 40 passengers at speeds of…
— CNN
How This New Extra Long-range Plane by Airbus Could Change How You Travel
Airbus officially launched its new A321XLR aircraft this week at the Paris Air Show. The plane's fuel efficiency is especially impressive: Airbus says the aircraft will have 15-percent longer ranger than the current A321LR (and bear in mind that “LR” already stands for long range). The new extra-long-range aircraft will be capable of flying distances up to…
— Travel+Leisure
Lodging
Can Airbnb transform adventure travel?
In spring of 2018, Quincey Cummings and Mitchell Andrus flew from the Bay Area to Panama to buy their new home: a 30-year-old, 46-foot sailing yacht named the Esprit. They cruised through the Panama Canal and spent a few days in Panama City prepping for the voyage ahead. Then they swung around the Azuero Peninsula and turned the bow…
— San Francisco Chronicle
Best Hotels In London
London visitors are certainly spoiled when it comes to hotels. If you want a historic Mayfair outpost or a trendy East London hangout or a West London classic, the biggest challenge will be narrowing down the options. From celebrity haunts and under-the-radar gems, to Michelin-starred chefs and bustling coffee shops, it's easy to see why the…
— Forbes
Other and Odd
6 ways to be a more sustainable traveller
Sustainable travel is one of the most talked-about ways of seeing the world right now but, as we know at Country Living, it goes far deeper than following a travel trend. With almost 4.6 billion flight passengers expected to take to the skies this year (130% more than in 2004) and 86% of the world's travellers saying they would be willing to spend time on…
— Country Living
I Never Travel Without These Reusable Bags from Baggu
The threat of climate change, combined with my recent 30th birthday, means that I pretty much walk around in a permanent state of existential dread. And so earlier this year, fueled by guilt over how frequently I board a plane, I decided to try and become a more sustainable traveler. Admittedly, I haven’t been quite as disciplined as I had hoped…
— Conde Nast Traveler
Here's How Long It Takes to Actually Relax on Vacation
According to a survey of 2,000 Americans aged 25 to 55 years old conducted for G Adventures, American travelers don’t de-stress until three days into their vacation. That makes sense, since if you spend even part of the first day traveling you're unlikely to find time to unwind, and the second day can be swallowed up by getting used to your…
— Travel+Leisure
Today in History
West Virginia Becomes a State
"Voices from the mountains are loyal and true" - those were the words of President Abraham Lincoln on this day in 1863 when West Virginia seceded not from the Union, but from Virginia. Sentiment against leaving the Union ran high in West Virginia, and by a narrow vote,…
— Travel Research Online
TRO SMITH
Simple Summer Social Tips
by Catherine Heeg
Thursday June 20, 2019
Are you trying  to stay on top of social marketing AND enjoy summer? Don’t let the beach bump your social marketing to the back burner.
Here’s two quick social marketing questions that are HOT topics in our industry, along with quick tips you can use right now to grow your marketing—while not missing out on the pleasures of…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
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Mike's Morning Missives
Hot News Flash From A Roadside Hotel Breakfast Table
 I was eating my free cup of yogurt in Lumberton, NC this week on my way north on Rt 95. Breakfast is included at the Country Inn & Suites. This was a regular stop for our annual warm weather migration up to the north country.
You might have noticed that some people talk louder than others in public, and yesterday morning proved this point. I "tuned in.” Her words struck a chord. I listened. I ate yogurt. I learned. I wanted to share this with you.
Unbeknownst to many of my readers, I capture much of my “fodder” by eavesdropping at Starbucks, airport lounges and hotel breakfast tables. That is where ‘life” happens and reality…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
An Unforgettable Journey Through Patagonia with Australis Cruises
Tuesday, July 2, 2019 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
Take a journey through the wondrous land of Patagonia with Australis Cruises. In this webinar we will be taking our attendees on a journey through this vast, oft-overlooked region in Southern Chile and Argentina. Our presenter will cover the basics of why your clients should visit Patagonia with Australis, starting with the different locations that they can visit and continuing with why our ships are uniquely equipped to take them there. Glaciers, penguins, vast fjords, and unforgettable Cape Horn are only a few reasons why Patagonia is a good choice for any traveler with an adventurous spirit. There will be a Q and A portion to cover any fine details.
Register Now ➠
Introduction to Universal Studios Hollywood™
Thursday, June 27, 2019 at 12 pm EDT/9 am PDT
BECOME AN EXPERT IN AWESOME! Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations™ is excited to announce Universal Studios Hollywood™. Please join us for this webinar to learn all about the park, packages, tickets, hotels and the ins and outs of how to sell this amazing new vacation destination!
Find a vacation full of the action-packed adventure Hollywood is known for all in one place at Universal Studios Hollywood™: a real working movie studio, a thrilling Theme Park with epic rides, shows and attraction, plus Los Angeles’ best shops, restaurants and cinemas at Universal CityWalk®.
Register Now ➠
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