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Monday February 17, 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

7 reasons why South Korea is an amazing destination for families
There's a specific sociological reason why the children's facilities throughout South Korea are so spectacular, making it a top destination for those traveling with kids. At 1.05 children per woman, South Korea has the lowest birth rate in the world. No expense is spared and often the majority of expendable income and vacation time of the entire extended family is spent on the one child. This "pocket-8" culture --…

Why Visit Clermont-Ferrand In Central France
Though riddled with history, enduring stone architecture and energized university students, the city of Clermont-Ferrand is also a practical, urban setting circled by factories and retail outlets. Yet the inner city is an excellent, vibrant location in the center of France to visit for a weekend—and the surrounding countryside includes lush green, gorgeous peaks. There are several daily flights from Orly or Charles de…

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Tours and Activities

Baltimore's celebration of working-class glamour
For two days in June, Baltimore’s quaint neighbourhood of Hampden is invaded by “Hons”, who are armed with beehives, feather boas and cat-eye glasses bedazzled with rhinestones. To non-Baltimorean eyes, this parade of tens of thousands of women and men decked out in their finest pastel swing skirts, cheap wigs and garish makeup is perplexing, but locals know the figure of the Hon well. HonFest is a street…

The bear necessities in Alaska
Through the droplets on the binoculars, some distance away, two unidentifiable creatures appear to be wading across the tidal creek. Deer? Wolf? Moose? A faraway brown bear and cub, in fact. We watch as the maple-brown carnivores lumber straight for our group, swallowing up the space between us. Their determined pace hints at a head-on meeting. The tone of our guide, Peter Robertson, suggests all we need to…

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Cruise

American woman, 83, tests positive for coronavirus after disembarking Holland America ship
A passenger who disembarked Holland America's MS Westerdam has been diagnosed with coronavirus in Malaysia. According to Holland America Line, an 83-year-old American woman who departed from Westerdam on Friday later reported feeling ill at the airport in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and tested positive for coronavirus. The passenger is in stable condition at a hospital in Malaysia, according to a…

Diamond Princess Passengers Cleared to Disembark for Rest of Coronavirus Quarantine Period; U.S. and Several Other Countries to Repatriate Passengers
Seventy more people (the highest single-day total) tested positive for coronavirus onboard Diamond Princess on February 16, which brings the total number to 355 infected passengers. The ship is under a two-week quarantine in Yokohama, but the U.S., Australia, Canada, Italy and Hong Kong embassies have announced passengers are to be repatriated back to their respective countries. The 2,670-passenger ship,…

Cruise Line Eliminates Single Supplement Fares on 9 Cruises
Silversea Cruises, one of the finest luxury cruise lines in the world, has reduced the single supplement fare to zero on nine cruises. Valid on new bookings made between 14 February and 28 February, 2020, guests traveling solo will incur no fare supplement on a selection of voyages departing in 2020 and 2021. In addition, Silversea Cruises is offering solo travelers the opportunity to travel deeper into many…

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Transportation

Flight delayed at SFO? The Wag Brigade is on the way.
Pure joy is not something you come across often in an airport. Flights are delayed, security lines are long, and more often than not travelers are grumpy and stressed. But what if during the midst of a sullen march down a moving walkway, you met eyes with not another poor schmuck hauling an overstuffed carry-on, but instead, a fluffy golden retriever? Enter the Wag Brigade, San Francisco International…

The Evolution of the Airplane Seat
Airplane seats have changed a lot over the decades, but their evolution isn't just due to trends of the years. PJ Wilcynski, Boeing’s associate technical fellow and Payloads chief architect, has witnessed the progress of cabin architecture for over two decades and dug into the Boeing historical archives to share exclusive imagesof aircraft seats past with Travel+Leisure. The aircraft seat had a humble start as little more…

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Lodging

Travel Green: Discover Some Of The World’s Best Eco-Friendly Hotel
Low-impact travel and luxury can coexist thanks to an ever-expanding list of properties striving to respect their guest’s desire for environmentally friendly accommodation. Here’s a look at some of the world’s top sustainable hotels. Listed as one of TIME Magazine’s “World’s Greatest Places,” Camp Glenorchy takes sustainability seriously. It’s New Zealand’s first net-zero energy accommodation. The…

The Old West Meets Old Hollywood at This Quirky-cool Hotel Inside Death Valley National Park
If you’ve never been to Death Valley, the name probably conjures up images of an unforgiving sand-strewn landscape that’s arid and lifeless. And while there are definitely parts of the 3.4 million-acre national park in central California that fit that description, it’s also home to an oasis where 80,000 gallons of water rise to the surface every day. The flooding leaves vast deposits of borax, a mineral sometimes known as…

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Other and Odd

Chinese students spend billions overseas. Coronavirus travel bans threaten that income
If it weren't for the novel coronavirus outbreak, Xu Mingxi would have been in class at a prestigious New York university this week. Instead, the 22-year-old has spent the past three weeks confined to his family's apartment in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the center of the outbreak, which is currently on lockdown to prevent the virus spreading. But even if Xu could leave home, the United States -- where he's studied…

Before and after: Closed theme-park rides that reopened as new attractions
Two new theme-park attractions are debuting inside the spaces that were the homes of long-running attractions. The wicked witch has melted, and the terminator has left the building. This spring, two new theme-park attractions are moving into spaces that housed the Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Terminator 2: 3D at Universal Studios. From the outside, there have been few visible…

Today in History

Geronimo Dies
In 1829, a Native American boy named Goyathlay was born to the Apache tribe in what was then Mexican territory, but would later be Arizona. He married and had three children. In 1851, a group of Mexican soldiers attacked his village while most of the men of the tribe were away. Goyathlay's wife and three children…

Editorial Musings

Some math that every travel professional needs to know
by John Frenaye
Monday February 17, 2020

OK, so the whole Pythagorean Theorem never played a role in your life beyond eighth grade.  Maybe you never needed to rely on Ohm’s Law beyond Physics 101. You might even have trouble balancing your checkbook at times (does anyone still do that?). But if you are in business for yourself—full or part time…home or office based, here’s some math you need to know.

Clients are hard to come by. So when you get one, be sure to hold onto them. Clients are also expensive to come by. So make sure your money is spent wisely.  Wait!  What?

Have you ever stopped to think how much it costs to get that client to walk in your door, click on your website or react to that…

  — Travel Research Online
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One-to-One Interviews

Vicki Ioannou Theophilou, Director of Business Development (The Americas), Blue-Roads Touring Co.

Over the past 30 years she has had various roles in business development in the travel industry. Throughout my career she has worked in tour operation with Air Canada Vacations, Travelbrands and TMR Holidays in Canada, along with retail management of Solways Travel and GTA Travel a seller of accommodations and transfers. Having worked in various avenues of the travel industry in Canada, she has gained valuable experience in sales, operations and marketing of travel products through both retail and wholesale clients. Vicki’s position is presently Director of Business Development, The Americas, with Blue-Roads Touring and Topdeck. This allows her to oversee key distribution partners in the Americas, developing, coordinating and implementing new strategic plans to advance existing…

  — Travel Research Online
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Publishers Corner

Critical Thinking
by Richard Earls
Sunday February 16, 2020

“Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things.” ~ Winston Churchill

Even at its best, when presented with tact and grace, criticism can be hard to take. When phrased as a complaint, criticism can be even tougher to endure. There is no doubt we have fostered a culture of complaint in our economic, political, and social system.  We have even trained people to complain as a way of getting windfalls in free services and goods.  Complain loudly enough and you get your way, we seem to be saying.

You need a response to criticism, one that demonstrates your company's no-nonsense ethic.  Here is what I suggest.…

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

Are You Asking For The Business?

I recently asked a seasoned travel professional what he thought the difference was between an average salesman and a special sales professional.

His answer was quick and shared without hesitation. He said, “Professionals ask for the business. Amateurs don’t.”

Contrary to a popular belief, asking to be of service has nothing to do with aggressive or manipulative behavior. The question is, “Do you want to sell by accident or do you want to position yourself as a leader in your…

  — Travel Research Online
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Upcoming Training Opportunities


Alaska, ShoreTrips Style!

Alaska, ShoreTrips Style!

Thursday, February 27, 2020 at 3 pm EST/12 pm PST

Join Sam, Director of Training with ShoreTrips, to learn all about his favorite destination – Alaska! It’s a narrow season but there is a lot of opportunity to earn additional commission and have happy customers at the same time.

Register Now ➠


Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations Overview

Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations Overview

Wednesday, February 19, 2020 at 1 pm EST/10 am PST

Learn what’s new and exciting at Universal Orlando Resort, along with a quick review of tickets, packages, and how to sell Universal to your clients.

Register Now ➠







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