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Monday March 02, 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

A local's guide to Hamburg: 10 top tips
Our historic port city is defined by its waterways: the mighty Elbe River, a maze of canals around the warehouses of the Unesco-listed Speicherstadt neighbourhood, and above all the giant lake, the Outer Alster, formed by the Alster River. The best time to discover Alster is on a Saturday or Sunday morning, when Hamburgers set out to hike, walk the dog, jog, bike or skateboard around the lake. Renting…

Where Bad Bunny Parties in Puerto Rico
Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, best known by his stage name Bad Bunny, is hard to miss. The Puerto Rican artist is as well known for pioneering the Latin trap genre—an evolution of reggaeton that draws on hip-hop and trap music—as he is for his loud, gender-bending street style (think Matrix-inspired sunglasses, loads of Supreme, and bold manicures). But as he has skyrocketed to fame on the…

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Tours and Activities

World's First Dreamworks Animation Water Park Is Opening in the Massive American Dream Mall
American Dream, a mega-mall — or rather, a one-stop shopping and entertainment destination – in East Rutherford, N.J. is about to get even bigger and even better if you can believe it. On March 19, the world’s first DreamWorks Animation Water Park, where you and your family can play and swim with characters from movies, like "Shrek," "Kung Fu Panda," and "Madagascar," will open in the complex.…

Steamy scenes at low prices: Bucharest’s affordable luxury spa
Dozens of clammy bodies are crammed into the Alhambra sauna, waiting for … I’m not sure what. Then a woman places a ball of crushed ice on the coals, which releases delicious tangerine and grapefruit aromas as it melts. She uses a towel to waft the hot, fruity air around the room and makes “healing sounds” with a rainstick. She repeats the ritual with lemongrass-infused ice, then spearmint…

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Cruise

Which Cruise Ports are Closed?
Between outright cruise port closures, ports only denying entry to Chinese, South Korean and Italian nationals, and ports randomly turning away ships out of a fear there might be a sick person onboard, it might feel like cruise ships are being bounced around -- all due to continuing concerns over the spread of coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, but has since spread to every continent…

Dominican Republic confirms 1st coronavirus case cruise denied entry
Health officials in the Dominican Republic on Sunday reported the first confirmed case of the new coronavirus in the tourist-rich Caribbean, a 62-year-old Italian citizen. Public Health Minister Rafael Sánchez Cárdenas said the man had arrived in the country on Feb. 22 without showing symptoms. He was being treated in isolation at a military hospital and “has not shown serious complications.”…

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Transportation

Nervous about buying a plane ticket? American waiving change fees amid coronavirus crisis
Skittish about buying a nonrefundable plane ticket given the growing travel fallout from the coronavirus epidemic? American Airlines and other carriers, worried about soft ticket sales, are taking the unprecedented step of broadly waiving those hefty ticket change and cancellation fees for new ticket purchases. JetBlue started the trend last week because of "evolving coronavirus concerns'' and…

One way the wealthy hope to avoid coronavirus? Private jets
Growing fear over coronavirus is battering commercial airline stocks, but private jet operators are seeing a spike in demand as well-heeled travelers look to minimize their public exposure and find alternatives to suspended flights. “There’s undoubtedly been a rise in demand for short-notice, on-demand charter,” said Adam Twidell, chief executive officer of jet charter provider PrivateFly. “We’ve had…

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Lodging

Jamaica’s Newest Luxury Hotel Is Filled With Eco-conscious Architecture, Local Art, and Over 65 Years of Half Moon History
In a recent meeting, Guy Steuart III was philosophical in describing his latest project. “We’re in the memory-making business,” he said. “Hotels can feel like suspended reality, but things happen there that are significant and enduring. That’s what we do at Half Moon.” The chairman of the iconic resort development, just outside Montego Bay, sat down with Travel + Leisure to discuss the upcoming opening…

The Ski Resort Combining Adventure With The Best Of High Alpine Dining
Maybe it’s because Panorama Mountain Resort isn’t right off the Trans-Canada Highway, like Revelstoke Mountain Resort and Kicking Horse. Maybe it’s because its base town of Invermere is tiny and a bit sleepy, unlike artsy Nelson and spunky Fernie. Whatever the reason, Panorama has fallen off the map of the Powder Highway, the popular circuit of ski destinations in interior British Columbia. But…

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Other and Odd

Coronavirus: Trump adds travel restrictions on Iran, advisories for Italy and South Korea
President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence on Saturday announced additional travel restrictions involving Iran and increased warnings about travel to Italy and South Korea to combat the coronavirus after the health officials in Washington state announced the first death in the U.S. from the virus. Pence, who's been placed in charge of the administration's response, said the U.S. was…

Why I Take My Kids Out of School to Travel
As a travel writer, I’m on the road quite a bit. Last year I took 22 trips and I brought one — or both — of my kids on 17 of them. Granted some trips were short — long weekends — but others, like Costa Rica and Panama, were ten days. I always try and plan my kids’ trips during school and summer breaks, but it doesn’t always work out that way. And for a vast majority of people, traveling only during…

From Ibiza To Mykonos, Here Are 6 Insider Tips From Luxury Travel Experts
Ever considered chartering a helicopter in the south of France, or dining at one of the best Michelin star restaurants in Spain? For elite travelers, Super Luxury Group offers some of the best luxury travel experiences worldwide. Sometimes you may be unaware of what a destination has to offer, so instead of trying to organize everything yourself, sit back and let a travel expert lay out an itinerary for…

Today in History

The Birth of Dr. Seuss
On this day in 1904, Theodor Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. By the time of his death 87 years later in 1997, he had written 40 books selling more than 200 million copies. His pen name "Dr. Seuss" was derived from his mother's maiden name. His first best seller The Cat in the Hat, was published in…

Editorial Musings

Coronavirus fears are quickly becoming reality
by John Frenaye
Monday March 02, 2020

Unless you have been living under a rock for the past week, you know about the Coronavirus or COVID-19 virus that has been causing concerns across the globe and affected the stock markets in a way we have not seen for many years.  A few weeks ago, I suggested that no one panic. Well, is it time?

Not really…with a “but.” First some facts:

  — Travel Research Online
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Publishers Corner

Niche Marketing: Grabbing Travel's Long Tail
by Richard Earls
Monday March 02, 2020

Way back in October of 2004, Chris Anderson published an article in Wired Magazine called "The Long Tail."  Anderson later elaborated the concept of the Long Tail in his book The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business Is Selling Less of More. The theory is that while every industry has its blockbuster products, there is a "long tail" of product sold in much smaller quantities that, collectively, is often larger than the most popular items.  Anderson went on to explain how technology, like online access to thousands of suppliers by millions of consumers, was making it possible for niche businesses to thrive in the new economy.

Does travel have a long tail? It does indeed.  If you look at the cruise industry, for example, the mass…

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

Attitude Adjustment

It is Essential to Get Your Thinking Straight.

I have always been fascinated by the “placebo effect.” This is where 100 patients are given a white pill to cure a medical problem. Fifty of those patients get the real medication, while the other fifty get nothing more than a white powder (the placebo).

Yet, some significant percentage of the placebo group (sometimes more than half) will show symptom relief or even be cured.

This proves the staggering importance of the mind and a person’s attitude…

  — Travel Research Online
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