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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
What Puerto Rico tourists need to know in wake of earthquakes
Puerto Rico nonprofit tourism organization Discover Puerto Rico is urging tourists traveling to or within the territory to check with travel providers, hotels and local businesses in the wake of a series of earthquakes that have rattled the island. A 6.4-magnitude earthquake rumbled across Puerto Rico on Tuesday, killing at least one person and knocking out power to virtually the entire…
— USA Today
The Best Solo Travel Destinations To Visit In 2020
New year, new travel opportunities! Many people take the month of January to look at the year ahead and set travel goals. One of the most powerful ways to explore a new place is to take a solo trip. From the freedom and flexibility to the stress relief and boost in self-reliance, there are endless benefits to solo travel. And there are many exciting places to make it happen. Of course,…
— HuffPost
Black Travel Vibes: Say Yes To Simple Pleasures In Vietnam
Known amongst travelers with discerning tastes for its white-sand beaches, resorts, and palm-lined southwest coast, Phu Quoc island in Vietnam is an idyllic escape for those looking to enjoy some of life’s simple pleasures. Visitors to this stunning island gem can explore its tropical jungle, bustling night markets, kayak in the bays or simply spend lazy days on the beach drinking from…
— Essence
Tours and Activities
3 billion journeys: World's biggest human migration begins in China
Lunar New Year might still be two weeks away, but China is already bracing itself for an annual homecoming of epic proportions.
Considered the largest human migration on the planet, Chunyun -- the 40-day period when Chinese people head home to celebrate the Lunar New Year Spring Festival with their families -- officially began on January 10 and will end on February 18. Lunar…
— CNN
12 of the best city museums in Europe
The collection is breathtaking – true colour photographs commissioned by the banker and philanthropist Albert Kahn in the early 20th century and taken all over the world. The idea was to create an archive of the planet, and it is considered one of the world’s most important collections of early colour photographs. The colour makes views from a hundred years ago very fresh, and…
— The Guardian
A secret pyramid consumed by the jungle
Hidden deep in Samoa’s thick jungles, along almost impassible rocky footpaths lie what archaeologists have called the South Pacific’s best-kept secret: star mounds. Around 80 of these ancient, star-shaped platforms have sat abandoned for around 300 years, and even after excavation, their significance continues to baffle experts. Now, though, archaeologists and historians…
— BBC
Cruise
Popular Yacht Charter Company Offers New Way to See Brazil’s Stunning Coastline
When it comes to vacationing in Brazil, there’s really no way to go wrong, whether you’re spending a long weekend on the sand in Rio de Janeiro, sailing up the Amazon River, or marveling at the wonders of Iguazú Falls. A number of cruise lines have upped their interest in the country, with visits to coastal cities like Rio and Salvador de Bahia. Now, the charter yacht company The Moorings…
— Travel+Leisure
Oceania Debuts Artisanal Ice Cream Onboard
Cruisers sailing with Oceania Cruises will soon have a delectable new culinary to try. The line is partnering with California-based, small-batch brand Humphry Slocombe Ice Cream to bring the company's decidedly-adult take on ice cream to Oceania's six-ship fleet in February. "Oceania Cruises is always seeking to present the widest array of unique and intriguing culinary…
— CruiseCritic.com
Transportation
Airlines are paying fewer fines. Are regulators more lenient or are airlines more law abiding?
Airlines and travel agencies have been paying fewer fines for violating consumer protection rules in the last few years as flier complaints have declined. But critics fear the reduction in civil penalties signals an unwillingness by the Trump administration to crack down on rule-breakers in the industry. In the first three years of the Trump administration, the U.S. Department…
— LA Times
Airlines Allowing Passengers to Change Flights Ahead of Winter Storm
As a winter storm threatens the Chicago area, numerous airlines are encouraging their passengers to change their flight plans ahead of the inclement weather. The storm could dump heavy snow on parts of the Chicago area, while other areas will see heavy downpours and rainfall totals of four or more inches as the system moves through the area. Rapidly dropping temperatures…
— NBC 5 Chicago
Lodging
Eight Super Ski Resorts Where Cruising Reigns Supreme
There’s nothing quite like the rush skiers experience as they make their way down the mountain with the wind in their face and the snow flying off their skis on a brisk, sun-drenched day. Skiing is all about finding your own comfort level, and highly skilled skiers and riders enjoy the thrill of testing their mettle on the precipitous black diamond slopes that have moguls as big as…
— Forbes
J.K. Place Has Opened Its First Property Outside Italy
A teal velvet armchair draped with an orange cashmere blanket. Assouline art books on a Chinoiserie tea table. A Classical nude standing on a geometric colorblock carpet. Some might call it overwhelming — but at J.K. Place Paris, a just-opened hotel that infuses Left Bank eccentricity with Italian bella figura, it's entirely intentional. In the lobby, a black marble clawfoot fireplace…
— Travel+Leisure
Other and Odd
The Most Powerful Passports In The World In 2020
Your passport is your key through the doorway to the rest of the world. At least, that’s how we like to think of it – but in reality for many it’s every bit as much a barrier to global freedom. And that’s because different passports carry different powers to give you access to where you want to go. With 2020 now upon us, The Henley Passport Index has updated its Global Mobility Report…
— Forbes
From Iran to Australia, how American travelers can navigate in times of crisis
It may seem like an uncomfortable time for Americans to travel overseas. The standoff between the United States and Iran, the political unrest from Hong Kong to South America, and the raging wildfires in Australia, are just a few of the flashpoints. The stress level dialed up even more this week, as Iran attacked U.S. military bases in Iraq, and a Ukraine International Boeing 737…
— USA Today
Today in History
The London Underground
On January 10, 1863, the London Underground became the first underground rail system in the world. In 1890, the world's first electric trains began operation at the Underground. The original track ran between London's Paddington station and Farringdon station. Today, the Underground, or "Tube",…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
All New 2020 Panama Canal Cruise with Pearl Seas Cruises
GUILFORD, CT – January 07, 2020 – New for 2020, Pearl Seas Cruises announces a spectacular 7-night Panama Canal Cruise aboard the only fully stabilized small ship in the region. Beginning this December, Pearl Seas will once again offer its popular Panama Canal cruises along a newly imagined…
— Travel Research Online
Deck Plans
The Many Ways To Cruise The Danube With Avalon Waterways
The question is n’t to river cruise or not. The question is where to make your splash. Do you choose the perfect river cruise by country, by sights or by cities? When travelers choose to dip their toes in the Danube River, they choose all three. This is a river that winds and bends through 10 countries to carve a historic path that unites fairytale villages, capital cities, cliffside castles and forested slopes for picture-perfect landscapes as far as the eye can see…
— Travel Research Online
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Mike’s 1-Minute Marketing Memos
Who Is Your Real Competition?
 This may sound like an obvious question. “Anybody who sells travel.”, is probably your knee-jerk response. Other travel agencies, as well as the suppliers themselves. Some of you might even cast dispersions toward the internet. And I would quickly tell you that you would be wrong in each and every case.
Your competitors may not even be people. Your competitors may be “things.” For example: granite counters; new refrigerators; private french lessons; a personal training coach; or braces for the kids.
I like to refer to these options as “opportunity costs.” What could I do with the money, if we did not take that river cruise down to Budapest? Given the current set of circumstances, what is the most effective and prudent way to spend this…
— Travel Research Online
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
Argentina For All Seasons
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at 1 pm EST/10 am PST
Learn about Aerolineas Argentinas, the largest airline in South America. AR offers convenient connections from 37 domestic destinations in Argentina and 22 International destinations, including non-stop flights from New York’s JFK and Miami International Airport, seasonal flights from Orlando, and from Atlanta, code share flights with Delta Airlines.
Register Now ➠
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 ➠
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