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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
How to Visit Uzbekistan, A Country Undergoing a Tourism Renaissance
“Don’t forget my license plate number,” my driver said, dropping me off in front of a soaring, tile-clad mausoleum. “We all drive white cars—you’ll never find me otherwise!” The popular color seemed illogical considering the smudging gray desert winds that regularly blew through. The explanation (“It’s got something to do with a knight and his white horse”) didn’t quite satisfy, but the fairy tale comparison was apt.…
— Conde Nast Traveler
The top 25 emerging travel destinations
The top emerging destinations for 2020 have been revealed in the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards. “Emerging” destinations were defined as up-and-coming places with a year-on-year increase in positive TripAdvisor review ratings, which had also seen an increase in “saves” in travellers’ trips. The Russian province of Kaliningrad came top of the list, followed by Saranda in Albania and Beirut in Lebanon. The…
— The Independent
Tours and Activities
India's little-known Mizo tribal cuisine
Crowing roosters and pink-streaked skies suggest it’s time for early rousers to stir. But the clock shows barely 05:00 even though the light seems much too bright for a wintry morning. Less than an hour later, the entire hilltop city of Aizawl is awash in sunlight, the sudden warming of air causing clouds to scurry down to colder valleys below – a common spectacle in these hills at this time of year. This seemingly…
— BBC
Travel back in time at one of these 11 historic English pubs
Historic England is the country’s official list keeper of the most historically and architecturally significant places in England — places such as monuments, shipwrecks and battlefields. And pubs. Earlier this month, the heritage organization updated 11 English pub listings to reflect their cultural heritage and national importance, with one receiving a coveted Grade I designation. The Philharmonic Dining Rooms — a…
— CNBC
The dancing cranes of West Sweden – a bucket list wildlife spectacle
The throng stretches out on either side of me: a shifting, bickering thousands-strong multitude spread around the lakeside, jostling for space and filling the air with sound. It is a breathtaking sight, a cacophonous celebration of life on a spectacular scale. While rural south-west Sweden is the kind of place one might visit in order to avoid the crowds, it is the masses that I have come to witness: the vast…
— The Guardian
Cruise
US State Department urges citizens to reconsider cruise ship travel to Asia
In yet another blow to the troubled cruise industry, US travelers are being urged to steer clear of Asia's waters. On Monday, the State Department advised cruise ship travelers to or within Asia to reconsider their trips, saying in a statement on its website, "This is a dynamic situation and US citizens traveling by ship may be impacted by travel restrictions affecting their itineraries or ability to disembark, or may…
— CNN
Just Back From Nieuw Statendam: Holland America Does Romance
Holland America has long been known for its excellent, comprehensive itineraries and for an expertise in Alaska cruising driven by its long history offering cruises -- and land tours -- in the state. In recent year, the line has also earned a reputation for some of the best live music in the industry. But when Cruise Critic was invited to experience the line's romantic offerings, we have to admit to be caught off-guard. Sure,…
— CruiseCritic.com
Transportation
Winter Storm Watch in Chicago Prompts Airlines to Issue Flight Waivers
Major airlines are getting ahead of Chicago-area snowfall this week after the National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for Tuesday and Wednesday. With six inches of snow predicted, United, Delta, American and JetBlue are accommodating passengers' flight plans. United is issuing travel waivers for passengers scheduled to travel through the Midwest from Tuesday, Feb. 25 and Wednesday, Feb.…
— Travel+Leisure
5 Great Ways To Streamline Your Air Travel Experience
A terrific trip by air should be about delighting your senses with new and amazing experiences. It shouldn’t be about managing logistics. Tackle the details in advance, and you’ll be on your way to an enjoyable getaway that’s as hassle-free as possible. Here are five tips to add ease to your itinerary. Keeping a list of your pre-travel to-dos can be a great way to smooth your trip. Use a trip-planning app or just good…
— Forbes
Petition to airlines: Kids should sit with their parents
Basic economy is fine if you're a solo airline passenger willing to roll the dice on a middle seat. For families, the lowest airfare class can be problematic. Without seat assignments -- which increasingly come with a fee attached -- children may end up separated from their parents. That's unacceptable, says Consumer Reports' advocacy arm. Thursday, the non-profit research, media and advocacy organization posted…
— CNN
Lodging
This New LA Hotel Has Massive Suites, Breathtaking Views, and the Hottest Nightclub on the Sunset Strip
From growing up in Brooklyn to opening Manhattan’s iconic Studio 54, hotelier Ian Schrager is a New Yorker through and through — but he plays the part of an Angeleno more effortlessly than some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. “Each part is an official part of the whole, like a movie,” he says of producing his latest California project, the West Hollywood Edition, as he sits at an oversized picnic table in the…
— Travel+Leisure
Three New Hotel Hotspots To Put On Your Radar
From a ‘curated’ townhouse in Mallorca to the carnival-themed hotel on London’s Southbank – hotels are pushing the boundaries when it comes to design this year. Opening in June 2020, in the quaint rural town of Santanyí in the south east of Mallorca, Can Ferrereta is carved out of a stunning 17th-century mansion. The 32-bedroom boutique hotel has been restored by the team behind Sant Francesc Hotel…
— Forbes
Other and Odd
Coronavirus: Your rights as a traveller
But one thing is for certain: the disease has already become a nightmare for travellers and the tourism industry alike. China, Italy, South Korea and Iran have reported significant numbers of cases and are doing their best to contain the threat. If you have a trip booked to one of those destinations, your rights can depend on your choice of airline and the small print of your insurance policy. But in practice, insurers and…
— BBC
I Never Thought I'd Stop Traveling—Until My Body Forced Me to Take a Break
My mother used to joke that as a child I learned to be homeless. Our family was the most serious kind of refugees—the kind that lived out of very few bags. We'd made our way from war-time buses out of Tehran to a pit-stop in Turkey, then on to nunneries in the Alps, relatives’ cramped apartments in Paris, and downtown Los Angeles flophouses. We eventually found a home, but that life I led as a three year…
— Conde Nast Traveler
Today in History
Sir Christopher Wren Dies
Today marks the anniversary of the death of the greatest English architect of all time, Sir Christopher Wren, who designed St. Paul's Cathedral as well as over 50 other churches in London. He was a founder of the Royal Society and its first president. At Cambridge, he designed the Pembroke and Emmanuel College chapels, as…
— Travel Research Online
Press Releases of Interest
American Sets Sales Records River Cruising is More Popular Than Ever in the U.S.A.
GUILFORD, CT—February 24, 2020—American Cruise Lines announced today the strongest start to Wave Season in the company’s history. Wave Season, the cruise industry term for first quarter sales, has surpassed company expectations, with records broken in nearly every category. Demand for small ship cruises across…
— Travel Research Online
60-Second Geography
Marvelous Madrid
by Joseph DeLoach
Tuesday February 25, 2020
Madrid, the capital of Spain and a city where the golden era of creative and culinary imaginations has not stopped. With traditional and reworked cooking to delight the taste buds and architect ure that ranges from contemporary Spanish to the seeming motion of Baroque – it offers the traveler an exciting all-around experience. Madrid is a vibrant city that is full of life around every…
— Travel Research Online
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Mike’s 1-Minute Marketing Memos
Follow-Up Before Delivering First-Class Service
 I believe I know why most professional sales people are not more successful. Regardless of the industry, the geographic location of your company, or the size of your average order, this single shortcoming is responsible for damaging potentially lucrative sales careers.
Ask any seasoned sales professional person what he or she feels their biggest roadblock is and their answer will sound like the words follow-up. If you’re looking for just two words to help guide you to more profitable sales without hesitation or apology, they are the words “follow” and “up.”
Unfortunately, sales people have earned the reputation of saying whatever needs to be said to close a sale. Not unlike today’s politicians, sales people say and do what is required to make the sale. And then,…
— Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
You CAN Compete with Costco Travel!
Thursday, March 5, 2020 at 11 am EST/8 am PST
Nothing is more frustrating than when your client tells you they called Costco.
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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 ➠
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