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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
10 of the best Caribbean islands to visit
With hundreds of Caribbean islands to choose from, it can be daunting to decide on a destination in this sun-splashed region. The good news: It's hard to go wrong in a turquoise paradise. But each spot offers something a little different. Here are 10 of the best choices for a variety of travel…
— CNN
Why your next vacation should be in Colombia
El Dorado International Airport in Bogota is the main airport and offers the most frequent service from the United States. International passengers can also fly into Medellin, Cartagena, Pereira and Cali but will likely have to connect in Bogota. For domestic travel, you can fly, drive or catch a bus, but there are no trains. Road conditions are adequate in the major…
— The Washington Post
Tours and Activities
Teen Climber Survives 500-foot Fall Down Oregon Mountain (Video)
A teen mountain climber miraculously survived a 500-foot fall from a snowy Oregon mountain this week. The adventurous 16-year-old was out with friends when he fell from the Pearly Gates area of the state’s Mount Hood, which is just below the final section to get to the summit, according to CNN and the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. He was visiting…
— Travel+Leisure
10 of the best vegan-friendly restaurants in London
This bijou Middle Eastern restaurant has only been up and running a few months, but the bright, airy and plant-filled space has already established itself as an unpretentious east London favourite for vegans. It’s the sort of food that’s so brimming with exciting flavours and textures that you’d be hard pushed to miss meat. Chef Helen Graham’s credentials include…
— The Guardian
The New Tour In Botswana For Conscious Travelers
Although many headlines in 2019 decried travel for the impacts of over-tourism and its contributions to climate change, one of the main benefits of travel has gone less heralded: its economic benefits to local people, particularly in relation to protected areas. For example, Namibia, the first African country to write conservation into its constitution in…
— Forbes
Cruise
Celebrity Cruises Raises Daily Cruise Gratuity
Starting January 6, 2020 passengers sailing on Celebrity cruise ships will be required to pay $1 more per person, per day, for gratuities. The new per person daily amount (added automatically to passengers' bills if not prepaid) will be $15.50 (up from $14.50) per person, per day, for standard accommodations; $16 (up from $15) for Concierge Class and…
— CruiseCritic.com
Cruise ship tour: New Carnival Panorama cruises to Mexico with water park, top-notch dining, more
The first brand new Carnival cruise ship to debut on the West Coast in 20 years, the Carnival Panorama was christened in Long Beach on Dec. 11 by Godmother Vanna White. The Panorama is the third ship in Carnival’s 135,000-gross ton, 4,008-guest Vista Class, joining the nearly identical Carnival Vista of 2016 and the Carnival Horizon of 2018. Like its sister…
— USA Today
Transportation
The world's most punctual airline revealed
Aviation punctuality reports are a bit like buses; you wait all year for one then two appear at once. On Thursday, travel data analyst Cirium released its annual On-Time Performance Review, naming Russian flag carrier Aeroflot the world's most on-time global mainline airline and Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport the world's most punctual airport. Then…
— CNN
Man Who Threw Coins Into Plane Engine for Good Luck Fined $17,200
A passenger who threw coins into the engine of his plane before a flight was ordered to pay a $17,200 fine to make up for the damage. The passenger, 28-year-old Lu Chao, was flying for the first time in February 2019 onboard Lucky Air from Anqing Tianzhushan Airport in eastern China. As he was boarding the flight, he threw a few coins into the engine of…
— Travel+Leisure
Southwest's One-Day Sale Has Flights as Low as $39
If "travel more" was on your list of 2020 New Year's resolutions, Southwest Airlines' latest sale is here to help. With deals as low as $39 one way, Southwest's New Year's sale only lasts through 11:59 p.m. PT January 2, so if there were ever a time to throw caution to the wind and book a last-minute trip, this is it. The deals are valid for flights booked two weeks…
— Conde Nast Traveler
Lodging
Meisters Hotel Irma
This South Tyrolean hotel, run by the Meisters family for nearly a century, offers exceptional hospitality, a fabulous spa with indoor and outdoor pools, luxuriant gardens set against a mountain backdrop, and rooms that range from cosy singles to a safari tent and a romantic treehouse suite. This South Tyrolean hotel, run by the Meisters family for nearly a century,…
— Telegraph (London)
Best Places To Stay In Palawan
Palawan—an archipelago in the Philippines with some 1,780 islands—is magic. Its seascape is unrivaled and can be compared to the most lustrous of gemstones. While other tropical destinations only talk about turquoise and clear blue waters, the aquatic and tropical landscape in Palawan is a kaleidoscope of the most vibrant colors. Visiting its many…
— Forbes
Other and Odd
How I Travel: Henry Golding Watches Paul Newman Movies on the Plane
Henry Golding is the guy whose travel tips you want. After a childhood split between Malaysia and England, he got his first big break hosting a travel TV show. Then, of course, he starred in a little movie called Crazy Rich Asians. Now, he bounces between Singapore and Los Angeles, and is about to film in Japan. His peripatetic life has been so intriguing that…
— Conde Nast Traveler
10 Resolutions for an Epic New Year of Travel
It’s that time of year again when people swear off alcohol, get gym memberships, declare their intention to lose weight, go veggie or vow to stop tossing away their hard-earned money like rubbish. At least until the end of January. But let’s make 2020 a little different. Let’s find some resolutions that are ridiculously easy to stick to, because, unlike eating…
— Yahoo! Finance
Today in History
The March of Dimes
In the early part of the 20th century, polio either killed or paralyzed thousands of Americans. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, himself a victim, founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis on January 3, 1938. Better known as the March of Dimes, the Foundation raised…
— Travel Research Online
Agent Perspectives
Inspirational Floral Extravaganzas for Green Fingered Clients
by Paull Tickner
Friday January 03, 2020
Happy New Year!
If 2, 4 or 6 of your clients are planning to visit the UK this year, let’s talk about an itinerary that can be customised to meet their interests, time frame and budget. Being the home to some of the world’s finest Flower Shows, these internationally renowned horticultural extravaganzas make a very good focal point for tours that also include visits to stately homes, cathedrals, literary and on-location venues, ancient pubs for lunch and interesting places for English Afternoon Tea. This collection offers some imaginative starting points for a profitable…
— Travel Research Online
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Deck Plans
How Do I Prepare For A Cruise?
There is plenty of information on our website that deals with helping you make informed decisions when it comes to booking your cruise. There isn’t as much information on what you should do after you’ve booked your cruise. The good news is that while you can do a lot to prepare for your cruise, you don’t have to. Most of it is already taken care of for you.
Waiting to take a cruise is one of the hardest things for me to do. I am not a patient person by any means, and going on vacation is much more exciting than most of the things I anticipate in my daily life. So what do I do during the time leading up to my cruise? A…
— Travel Research Online
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Mike’s 1-Minute Marketing Memos
Better vs. Different
by Mike Marchev
Friday January 03, 2020
We provide bett er service. We have been in business for 20 years. We only hire qualified personnel. We care for each and every customer. We offer the lowest price. We have great supplier relationships. We’ve traveled all over the world.
Enough already! We have heard it a hundred times from a hundred different travel “professionals” just like you. I expect you to taut your own services. I expect you to drink your own Kool-aide and believe in your own press releases.
My questions for you: “What makes you different? What do you do that others don’t or can’t do? Why should I stop what I am doing to focus on you and your…
— Travel Research Online
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
Blue-Roads Touring Co. The Small Tour Specialists in Europe, Asia, and North America
Wednesday, January 15, 2020 at 1 pm EST/10 am PST
Join us for an informative webinar about Blue-Roads Touring Co, the experts in small group travel for almost 30 years! Known for their leisurely paced itineraries through Europe, Asia and North America. Blue-Roads Touring has won the Best Coach Holiday Company-Small-at the British Travel Awards for the past 5 years in a row.
Register Now ➠
Sales Success in 30 Days or Less!
Tuesday, January 7, 2020 at 11 am EST/8 am PST
Do you want to “Get Rid of the C.R.A.P.” that is holding you back and achieve sales success in 30 days or less - with little or no added marketing expense?
You know, almost everyone in the business will tell you that the only way to succeed is marketing, marketing, and more marketing. This is great advice - but it’s not true.
Fact: You don’t get paid to market travel; you get paid to sell it.
Register Now ➠
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