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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
Quarantined Conditions in Wuhan Likened to 'Wartime' Scenario As Death Toll In China Surpasses 500
As the death toll from coronavirus has reached over 560 in China, the city of Wuhan is on lock down and has become a chilling place, as the origin location of the outbreak combats the virus. With transportation links shut down, a senior Chinese official ordered authorities in Wuhan to gather all those infected with the virus and place them in isolation or quarantine. “During these wartime conditions, there must be…
— Travel+Leisure
A Road Trip Through Taiwan's Hot Springs and Tea Plantations
With a toot of its horn and a metallic screech, the Alishan Forest Railway rumbles out of Chiayi, a midsize city in southern Taiwan. As the humid jumble of roaring motorcycles and bubble-tea shops vanishes behind me, knotted electrical wires make way for betel nut plantations and clotheslines in small-town backyards that straddle railroad tracks first built for loggers. The train, a popular attraction that…
— Conde Nast Traveler
Tours and Activities
Four Curated Vacations for Post-Oscar Travel
There’s never been a better time to visit the Happiest Place on Earth. Star Wars: Galaxy Edge, featuring the Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride, recently opened. The Magic Happens parade is slated to kick off on Feb. 28, and festivals such as Lunar New Year and Disney California Adventure Food and Wine Festival are in full swing. Three hotels are situated within the Disneyland Resort —…
— Variety
A post office in the middle of the Atlantic
Marooned in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, roughly 1,500km west of Lisbon, Portugal’s Azores Islands are among the world’s most remote destinations. But thanks to their steaming natural hot springs, three Unesco biosphere reserves and world-class whale watching, these far-flung islands are experiencing a tourism boom – the nine-island archipelago received almost two million visitors in 2019. One…
— BBC
Disney Springs: City Works restaurant opens with sports, beer, twisted American menu
City Works Eatery & Pour House, a restaurant serving American classics, craft beers and a side of sports action, is now open at Disney Springs. The restaurant’s debut Thursday represents the latest spark of activity on the West Side of the entertainment complex. “On the West Side, everything is new,” said Matt Simon, Walt Disney World’s vice president for Disney Springs. City Works is in the same building…
— Orlando Sentinel
Cruise
Valentine’s Day Gift Guide: The Most Romantic Cruises To Book
Is there anything more romantic than being at sea? You can test this theory out by booking yourself a scenic Valentine’s Day cruise with your loved one. With those last-minute deals on cruises now at an all-time high, now might be the best time to be spontaneous—you’ll get the most bang for your buck. Plus, since Valentine’s Day falls on a Wednesday this year, it may be worth delaying festivities until…
— Forbes
Norwegian Cancels First Post-Refurb Norwegian Spirit Cruise
Norwegian Cruise Line's 40-day, $100 million refurbishment of Norwegian Spirit has been delayed due to labor strikes in France, necessitating the cancellation of its first scheduled post-dry dock sailing. According to a statement sent to a Cruise Critic writer who was scheduled to be on this first sailing, "Due to the extended labor strikes in France over the past two weeks, coupled with our desire to…
— CruiseCritic.com
Transportation
10 of the best rural rail lines in Europe
You’d usually only find an S-bahn network (commuter train) in a big metropolis in Germany, but just outside Freiburg im Breisgau in the Black Forest, a small S-bahn network connects the medieval towns of the Kaiserstuhl hills. The S-bahn grid across the Kaiserstuhl runs in a circle, with stops in Riegel, home to malty Riegeler Landbier helles beer, and Breisach, a hilltop town with views across the Rhine…
— The Guardian
'A crash was going to happen': Two accidents at same airport raise questions about flight safety
The hard landings of two planes by the same airline at the same Istanbul airport in the space of a single month have raised questions about aviation safety in Europe’s largest city, a major transit hub for much of Eurasia. On Wednesday, a Pegasus airlines flight arriving at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airport slipped off the wet runway on landing, smashed into a wall, split into three pieces and burst into flames, killing…
— The Independent
Lodging
Magnum Opus: Dubai’s Hottest New Luxury Hotel, ME Dubai, Opens March 1
After a long anticipated opening, the 5-star ME Dubai is accepting bookings from March 1. The luxury hotel from Spanish group Meliá is housed in the city’s latest skyline superlative–the 311 foot (95 metre) “Opus Dubai” by late architect Zaha Hadid. With its two Herculean glass towers rising up in a cube form, the architectural marvel is is a true magnum opus of design. In the making now for eight years,…
— Forbes
This Hotel Will Plan Your Entire Vacation Around Your Zodiac Sign
If you’ve already downloaded The Pattern, Co-Star, and DailyHoroscope, check each one religiously, and know exactly which phase of the moon you were born under, then it’s time for you to visit the W Los Angeles - West Beverly Hills, too. In February, the hotel announced its new Zodiac Guide to Los Angeles package in partnership with Susan Miller, an astrology expert and founder of the cult-favorite website…
— Travel+Leisure
Other and Odd
The Best Travel Destinations in the World for Solo Travelers
Seasoned wayfarers and adventures alike know how life-changing a solo journey can be, from offering ample time for self-reflection and personal grown to providing moments of introspection and awe amidst the world’s most wild and rugged landscapes. When you’re able to travel how you want, when you want, and where you want, something magical happens. A transformational shift in perspective…
— Men's Journal
11 Things I Learned From Traveling to Places Where I Don't Speak the Language
Over the course of my short life, I've been fortunate enough to travel to many different places near and far. From spending six months in Istanbul to my many trips to Central Asia (I'm currently on number four), I've left home with a one-way ticket and a loose plan more than once. And more often than not, these trips take me to places where English is not the local language. As an American, I'm the product of…
— PopSugar
Stanley Tucci Will Host His Own Culinary Travel Show on CNN
Stanley Tucci may not be the best-known name in Hollywood (I'm not making that assumption, Saturday Night Live did a whole sketch about it). But you’ve definitely seen Stanley Tucci. Beyond The Hunger Games and The Devil Wears Prada, he has over 100 acting credits to his name. He also has some legit culinary cred: In 1996, he wrote, directed, and starred in Big Night, a movie about two brothers…
— Food & Wine
Today in History
Charles Dickens is born
The great English novelist Charles Dickens, was born on February 7, 1812. Dickens was born in Landport, Portsmouth in Hampshire, the second of eight children in a solidly middle class family. However, financial hardship befell the family and his father was sent to a debtor's prison. Dickens, at age twelve, began…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
South African Airways Moves Forward With Restructuring Plans
6 February 2020 – The joint Business Rescue Practitioners (BRPs) of South African Airways (SAA) today announced further initiatives to support the airline’s transformation into a sustainable and profitable business.
The BRPs, Les Matuson and Siviwe Dongwana, have worked closely with key stakeholders including…
— Travel Research Online
Deck Plans
Regent Takes Delivery Of Seven Seas Splendor
Seven Seas Sple ndor is 55,254 gross tons and 735 feet in length. The ships will be serviced by 551 professional crew members caring for 750 guests in 375 suites ranging from 307- to 4,443-square feet. Public spaces include five restaurants and three bars and lounges, while a $5 million curated art collection, more than 500 crystal chandeliers, and over an acre of Italian marble complement the ship’s interior.
Helmed by Captain Serena Melani, the first female captain to take charge of a brand-new ocean cruise ship, Seven Seas Splendor sails her first official voyage on February 6, 2020 from Barcelona, Spain to Miami, Florida. The ship will be christened on February 21, 2020 by her Godmother, supermodel and actress Christie Brinkley, at a ceremony at in…
— Travel Research Online
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Mike’s 1-Minute Marketing Memos
Is Your Clothes Dryer Squeaking?
 "What's that sound?
I didn't notice it yesterday?
There it goes
These were my exact words a week or two back, when my clothes dryer began squeaking for what I could best determine was for no reason what so ever. Like many people who share my upbeat attitude toward life, I knew that it would probably go away as fast as it came. I went back to living my life.
But when it started to make the same noise again the next day, I took notice…
— Travel Research Online
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