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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
Puerto Rico Is Putting on Live Tours so You Can Take an At-home Vacation
Puerto Rico wants you to know it can’t wait for you to come back when the time is right. And, to inspire your wanderlust for the gorgeous island destination, it’s offering up one of the most unique virtual tours available during quarantine. In April, Discover Puerto Rico launched its brand-new guided tours via Google Earth. However, these aren’t just any tours, but rather, they’re live guided expeditions hosted…
— Travel+Leisure
12 Tiny Countries For a Big Trip Someday
The finest, tiniest nations in the world, ripe for a visit. We’re spoiled for space here in the United States. Our metroplexes sprawl out like a Floridian on a beach towel. We’ve got airports the size of San Francisco and enough protected lands to fill Peru. Texas could swallow France in one gulp, presumably with a thick coating of barbecue sauce, before begrudgingly being gobbled up by Alaska twice over. For…
— Thrillist
Tours and Activities
Outlook for Disney World and Disneyland reopenings: What will it be like? And when will parks be running?
Fans of Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California are already dreaming of the parks' eventual reopening down the distant road.
But in a world that's been through a pandemic, what will that reality look like? Little is certain, but there's one sure thing: It's a going to be different world. After all, masks and wipes and social distancing were not part of the Disney experience before the March closures.…
— CNN
13 Bucket List Trips To Plan A Year In Advance
These fabulous bucket list destinations span the globe from Asia to Antarctica but have one thing in common: You should book your 2021 visit now. Right now, while we patiently wait at home until we're able to travel again, there is no better time to daydream about our perfect getaways. The time is now to plan the bucket list trips we can't wait to embark on...next year. In fact, these dream vacations actually…
— Reader's Digest
Peek Inside This Traveling Museum of the Smallest Versions of the World’s Largest Things
Scattered along the plains and prairies of America, you'll discover a sea of concrete dinosaurs, eerie ghost towns, mysterious caves, and abandoned rest stops. The railroads may have built this country, but its roadside attractions made it the stuff of road-trip legend. Smack in the center of Kansas, you'll find the largest concentration of roadside attractions in the known universe, including dozens of versions of…
— Thrillist
Cruise
What's in store for the cruise industry?
When travelers come aboard the Zaandam, a cruise ship in the Holland America Line, they have access to nine levels of elegant lodgings, entertainment and fine dining. On the 781-foot vessel's Promenade deck, an art gallery abuts a big-screen movie theater. The Lido deck has a fitness center and full-service spa. That cornucopia of amenities has greeted guests on largely smooth sailings over the past…
— CNN
Cruise Line Helping Researchers Find Cure for COVID-19
A cruise line has announced that they are teaming up with Folding @ Home Project (FAH) in dedicating its unused computing power to help researchers find a cure for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). As the first cruise line to officially participate in this innovative project, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line is calling on its industry partners and peers to lend their own resources, joining the fight against…
— Cruise Fever
Transportation
Ryanair Will Cut 3,000 Jobs And Delay Aircraft Deliveries As It Prepares For Slow Recovery
Ryanair will cut up to 3,000 jobs and delaying delivery of new planes, it said Friday, as it prepares for a slow recovery in travel from the coronavirus pandemic. “We are in active negotiations with both Boeing BA, and Laudamotion’s A320 lessors to cut the number of planned aircraft deliveries over the next 24 months, which could reduce our capex commitments, to more accurately reflect a slower and…
— Forbes
American Airlines And United Report Nearly $4 Billion In Combined Losses
Two more airlines are reporting staggering losses due to the coronavirus pandemic. American Airlines announced Thursday that because of a sharp decline in air travel, the company lost more than $2.2 billion in the first quarter of 2020. United Airlines reported a $1.7 billion loss for the quarter. Few industries have been as hard hit by the pandemic as airlines, as the number of air travelers has plummeted 95%…
— NPR
Lodging
Why Hotel Designers Predict Bright Times Ahead
The global hotel industry will in all likelihood rebound quite nicely once things return to some sense of normalcy, according to top architects who specialize in hotel design. Given the current situation, hotels around the world are facing challenges the likes of which they’ve never experienced. However, the design work seems to be remaining steady, especially with clients that have been planning and budgeting…
— Forbes
Makeup Mogul Bobbi Brown Is Auctioning Off a Wellness Weekend at Her Boutique Hotel
If you’ve heard of makeup, you’ve heard of Bobbi Brown. The legendary makeup artist, best-selling author, and entrepreneur changed the beauty industry when she created Bobbi Brown Cosmetics — a company aimed at bucking the trend of “stark contours and shiny red lips” for a softer, more natural look — back in 1991. Now a household name, Bobbi Brown has created an empire that includes cosmetic…
— Travel+Leisure
Other and Odd
The best travel movies to stream right now, from classics like 'Roman Holiday' to animations like 'Moana'
As the global pandemic crisis continues, most global travel remains suspended with only a fraction of the world's planes flying — and most Americans still under shelter-in-place orders at home. That leaves travelers contained in their homes, looking for ways to be entertained, distracted, and inspired. For many, that means sitting in front of a screen. As someone who loves to travel, and writes about it, I've…
— Business Insider
Life after coronavirus: Ready to travel as soon as it's safe? So is everyone else
Everyone has a touch of cabin fever after the worldwide coronavirus lockdowns. So it's no surprise that people want to travel soon. But how soon may come as a surprise. Jill Kaiserman, a retired teacher from Wayne, Pennsylvania, is eager to trade one cabin for another. She's already made plans to drive to her second home in Maine this summer. "It's the perfect kind of place for social distancing," she…
— USA Today
Today in History
Dedication of the Empire State Building
New York City's Empire State Building was dedicated on this day in 1931. The grand building was designed by the architectural firm of Shreve, Lamb, and Harmon using earlier designs for the Reynolds Building in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Construction began on January 22, 1930. The building's spire was…
— Travel Research Online
Agent Perspectives
Inspirational English Garden Festivals for Green-Fingered Clients
by Paull Tickner
Friday May 01, 2020
Although the Co vid-19 pandemic has caused the cancellation of the annual Royal Horticultural Society’s spring and early summer flower shows, the one they stage at Hampton Court Palace has now been scheduled to take place between 10th-15th September. It replaces the RHS Wisley Flower Show. Offer it to garden-loving clients who have missed the Chelsea Flower Show, and let’s add two more floral spectaculars that are taking place at the same time at fairy-tale Leeds Castle and magnificent Salisbury…
— Travel Research Online
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Deck Plans
Returning to the Seas: Were Our Survey Results Too Optimistic?
Two weeks ago w e conducted a survey asking you all when you felt like you would be comfortable cruising again. The results varied, but most of you said sometime before spring of 2021. We shared those results last week, and one of the comments from the results post stuck out to me: “Survey is far too optimistic. The problems are much greater than many realise.” Well, were they? Let’s look at what some of you all, and a panel from last week’s webinar, had to say about the return to…
— Travel Research Online
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Upcoming Training Opportunities
Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations Overview
Wednesday, May 13, 2020 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT
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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Consider yourself warned. The day is coming soon. When it finally arrives, and the world re-opens for business, my question to you is: “Will you be mentally prepared to deal with the…