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Monday January 20, 2020

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

China confirms some 140 new cases of Sars-like virus ahead of peak travel season
Chinese health authorities confirmed more than 100 cases of a new Sars-like virus on Monday as the country’s peak holiday travel season begins, sparking concerns over spread of the viral strain. While the virus first emerged in the central city of Wuhan in late December, the 139 new cases reported over the weekend in China included cases from capital Beijing in the north of the…

Arson, travel and recovery - your bushfire questions
Australia is battling a bushfire crisis that has left more than two dozen people dead and burned 10 million hectares (40,000 sq miles) of land. The fires are expected to last for many weeks yet - and the recovery process will go on for many years. So is it safe to travel to Australia? Were these fires caused by criminal arson? And what can we all do to help? We answer some of…

The Best Places to Visit in Florida
Year-round sunshine, one thousand miles of beaches, and almost as many palm trees as people: what’s not to love? Florida is where the world goes on vacation. While the state eats, sleeps, and breathes tourism, deciding exactly where to visit in Florida can prove to be the hardest part. Any kind of traveler can enjoy a trip to Florida because the state has it all: theme parks for the…

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Tours and Activities

A uniquely Japanese take on nostalgia
During my childhood summers spent in Yokohama, Japan, my obaachan (grandmother) would take me on afternoon strolls through her neighbourhood and teach me the names of all the flowers we came across. The cicadas would shriek over her soft voice and the humidity would cling to my body like a second layer of skin. When we returned home, the two of us would cool off over…

10 of the best budget spa holidays in eastern Europe
For 800 years the waters around Cieplice have treated the cream of central European society as well as US ambassador (later president) John Quincy Adams. Such folk demanded frescoed dining salons, broad parks and splendid swimming pools, all of which remain. Cieplice has low-mineralized, fluoride-silicon thermal springs (up to 90C). Among the 70 treatments, the focus is…

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Cruise

Venice protests see hundreds take to water in objection to cruise ships and motorised boats
Hundreds of demonstrators took to the waters in front of St Mark’s Square in Venice on Sunday to protest the use of motor boats in and around the lagoon city. Forming a flotilla of small, traditional rowing boats, protestors urged authorities to take action against Venice’s crowded waterways while taking aim at the giant cruise ships that regularly sail close to the city. Critics say waves…

Carnival Cruise passenger airlifted 75 miles from shore, rescue 'stretched the range' of helicopter
While being airlifted from a cruise ship is never easy, this particular incident stands out. A Carnival Cruise passenger was airlifted from the ship during an operation that the Coast Guard said “stretched the range” of their rescue vehicle. Fortunately, the passenger was successfully transported to a hospital that was more than 200 miles away from his original location. The…

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Transportation

I fly at least once a month and always insist on printing out my boarding pass. Here's why you should, too.
Today, traveling by plane is a mostly paperless experience with little human interaction. We book our tickets online, check in at self-service kiosks, and download our mobile passes straight to our smartphones. But is that really the smartest way to travel? Personally, I like to take an old-school approach to air travel. I'll print my boarding pass and chat up gate agents and…

Paris Transport May Return To Normal Monday As Strike Pauses 47 Days In
There is light at the end of the tunnel of the crippling Paris transport strikes, after unions voted for a return to work Monday January 20. The bad news is: the hiatus in the strike that has paralyzed French rail and Paris public transport for over six weeks, may be short-lived. In a press release on Saturday, the UNSA-RATP–the major union representing Metro and RER drivers…

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Lodging

One of the World's Best Resorts Is Tucked Away in Bluffton, South Carolina
Travelers in search of paradise need look no further than South Carolina’s Lowcountry. Many tourists in this corner of the state drive right through Bluffton, South Carolina on their way to Hilton Head Island. But one turn off May River Road lands you in 20,000 acres of lush woodland, pristine riverfront, and a charming community that gives even the best island in the U.S. a run for…

Hilton Launches New Tempo Lifestyle Hotel Brand
One of the largest hotel brands in the world is expanding. Last week, Virgina-based Hilton Worldwide Holdings announced the launch of a new hotel brand called Tempo. The new chain of hotels will put wellness, sustainability and design front and center, a move that will help it align with younger travelers keen on more mindful and eco-friendly travel. This will be Hilton’s 18th…

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Other and Odd

Luxury travel: 50 wealthy tourists, eight countries ... and one giant carbon footprint
Forget cruises. The super-rich have found a new way to see the world in the luxurious style of an ocean liner but taking a fraction of the time: private jet round-the-world tours. This week, 50 members of the wealthy elite will board a privately chartered Boeing 757 to begin a 24-day guided tour of the globe, taking in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, the Galápagos islands and…

The financial perks of off-season travel: Cheaper airfare, cruises, rental cars, tours
Airfare, hotels and even some tourist attractions get pricier during the high season when swarms of travelers hit the road in record numbers. But while weather conditions might be perfect during high season, it’s the off-season that offers the best deals. From cheaper flights to empty cruises, GoBankingRates.com shows you how off-season travel lets you experience the world…

Today in History

The US Hostages are Released
On January 20, 1981, Ronald Reagan was inaugurated as the President of the United States. Minutes later, the nation of Iran released 52 hostages they had held for 444 days in captivity. In retaliation for the United States' support of the former Shah of Iran, the Revolutionary Islamic government of…

Editorial Musings

Thinking of retirement? Some points to consider before you plan your exit strategy.
by John Frenaye
Monday January 20, 2020

Recently, a friend of mine retired from the Federal government. He was 57. To me, retirement always seemed so far away; and now I realize that it could be right around the corner. Maybe. Like many of you, I do not see myself being able to kick back, sleep in, and spend my days on the couch anytime soon. But there will come a day when it is inevitable. Are you ready for it?

Another friend is going through a “forced retirement.” He owns a cigar shop and the new Federal law bumping the age to buy tobacco to 21 has given him a 35% drop in sales—he caters to the 18-21 crowd of two local colleges. He is closing his shop and the future looks…

  — Travel Research Online
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One-to-One Interviews

Peter Lobasso, General Counsel, American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA)

Peter N. Lobasso has served as ASTA’s General Counsel since 2015. A licensed attorney for over twenty years, Peter has successfully represented clients in a wide variety of litigated matters before courts and administrative agencies at both the state and federal level. Peter has also negotiated numerous multi-million-dollar transactions on behalf of businesses throughout the country. Practice areas include contracts, corporate governance, employment and labor law, intellectual property, real property, mortgage lending, and creditor side bankruptcy, among others. Peter is a member of the bars of New York, Virginia and Washington D.C. He received a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Central Florida in Orlando and earned his law degree at Touro Law Center on…

  — Travel Research Online
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Publishers Corner

Self Image
by Richard Earls
Sunday January 19, 2020

How we see ourselves and the profession of travel counseling has much to do with sales psychology. For travel agents the problem is two-fold: The first aspect concerns societal perception of the travel profession in general. The second deals with the individual travel consultant's personal self-image. Being consciously aware of the influence of these two aspects of one's personality and working to place self-image in its appropriate context is a worthwhile exercise in becoming a better travel professional.

For more than twenty years, the "demise" of the travel professional has been a part of our collective culture. In typical zero-sum game mentality, the rise of other distribution channels meant to many the inevitable fall of the travel agent. While the reality of the situation…

  — Travel Research Online
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Mike’s 1-Minute Marketing Memos

A Few Good Organizations Still Exist

There Are Still Some Good Organizations Out There: Be One!

Being a “non-auto mechanic”, I blamed it on the cold weather. Soon I caved in and determined the screeching sound coming from the engine area of my Ford Explorer might be a little more pressing than just a cool breeze rushing across the big thing next to the battery.

In addition to not having a regular medical doctor, I don't have a regular auto mechanic since "my guy" closed shop at midnight and did not leave a forwarding…

  — Travel Research Online
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Thursday, January 30, 2020 at 1 pm EST/10 am PST

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Argentina For All Seasons

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.

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