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Friday May 08, 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

The Ultimate Colorado Road Trip Itinerary: Where to Stop, What to Do, and More
To experience the best of the U.S. via the open road, look to Colorado. This picturesque state straddling the Rocky Mountains has some of the most astounding stretches of highway in the country, connecting mountain resorts to artists’ colonies to pioneer towns. In short, it’s the perfect place for the ultimate road trip. With that in mind, we’ve devised a route that hits plenty of spots that make Colorado…

Exploring These Lost Cities Is The Closest You'll Get to Time Travel
People love to call the world apocalyptic, or dub any moderately empty city street a ghost town. But no matter what your friends' hashtags say, civilization doesn't just end after a period of social isolation. It takes more than that. Just ask the Mayans or the Romans. Lost cities offer glimpses into ancient civilizations that, either suddenly or over time, collapsed, often leaving artifacts intact…

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Tours and Activities

A British feast from garden weeds
It was an unusually hot April morning in Colchester, England, and the fields, now in full bloom, were bursting in brilliant yellows, whites and purples. Armed with a wicker basket and David Squire’s book Foraging for Wild Foods, I scanned the Essex countryside for the ingredients to my first-ever foraging taster menu: stinging nettle soup; gnocchi with dandelion leaf pesto; wild garlic and stinging…

Live Mermaids Make This Montana Dive Bar One of Our Great National Treasures
Montana brings a lot of things to mind: dusty cowboys, grizzly bears, and outdoor adventure. The landlocked state is the last place you'd expect to see mermaids… but that’s exactly what you’ll find when you stop by the legendary Sip 'n Dip Lounge in Great Falls. Built in 1962 as part of the retro O’Haire Motor Inn, the Sip ‘n Dip just might be the best bar in America you’ve never heard of. This…

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Cruise

Cruise Line Industry Chaos Threatens Broadway Licensing Revenue
With the cruise line industry treading water, Broadway investors might no longer be able to count on a steady stream of licensing revenue. As empty ocean liners sit at ports and customers demand refunds for their trips that were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Norwegian Cruise Line warned that it might run out of cash in the next year, and need to declare bankruptcy.…

River Cruise Lines Start Outlining Onboard Health and Safety Changes
With health and safety protocols changing because of the COVID-19 panedemic, several river cruise lines are revealing details of their plans to re-enter service safely and carefully when the time is right. The changes that have been announced publicly point to a re-working of the traditional river cruise experience. Passengers should expect to see changes to the way meals are taken, tours…

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Transportation

How Safe Is it to Fly? 7 Recent Passengers on What's Changed
Amanda Pullinger travels between New York and London once or twice a month, flies to Asia four times a year, and criss-crosses the Americas. As familiar as she is with air travel, she was stunned when she arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport at the end of April to fly home to the U.K. “There was no one there,” says Pullinger, CEO of 100 Women in Finance, an international professional organization.…

Lyft's New Health Protocols Include Wearing Face Masks and Opening Car Windows — Here's What to Know
As all aspects of the travel industry are rolling out new protocols to keep travelers safe amid the coronavirus pandemic, Lyft is no exception with its new Health Safety Program. Announced on Thursday, the ride-sharing app is not only requiring both drivers and riders to wear masks, but they are also requiring both parties to agree to a Personal Health Certification. The protocol mandates…

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Lodging

Lusting Over Marianne's Italian Villa in Normal People? Well, It's on Airbnb For $30 a Night
If you're anything like us, you've spent the last week living in a pit of Normal People-induced emotion. But there's much more to the show than Marianne and Connell's undeniable chemistry, like her enviable holiday fashion that's got us dreaming of a getaway to Italy. On that front, we have some very good news: Marianne's lust-worthy Italian villa is available to rent on Airbnb, and it's…

How Safe Is it to Fly? 7 Recent Passengers on What's Changed
Amanda Pullinger travels between New York and London once or twice a month, flies to Asia four times a year, and criss-crosses the Americas. As familiar as she is with air travel, she was stunned when she arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport at the end of April to fly home to the U.K. “There was no one there,” says Pullinger, CEO of 100 Women in Finance, an international professional organization.…

Other and Odd

'It's a really weird realisation': when cancelled holidays come with silver linings
From June 2018 to June 2019, the Australian Bureau of Statistics says Australians made a record 11.3 million trips overseas – double the number of trips just 10 years ago. In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, millions of Australians have been forced to cancel or alter their international travel plans. This has left many Australians struggling to get refunds from travel providers. Flight Centre was…

6 holiday hotspots loved by the royal family
When it comes to travelling, the royal family sure knows how to pick the best spots for holidays and extended periods abroad. Spending time in idyllic locations in the UK and abroad, they've given us all the inspiration we need for our future getaways. Taking to country spots, dreamy islands and the most scenic of mountain retreats, the Queen, Kate Middleton and other members of Britain's…

Dutch Tulip Farmers Are Writing Uplifting Messages in Their Flower Fields
We’ve all seen messages in the sky—a jet writing cloudlike script or towing a banner across the stratosphere. But some of Holland’s botanical visionaries have made the case for looking down. While our travel plans may be on indefinite hold, Dutch tulip farmers are taking to their fields to spread messages of support, clipping celebratory sentiments into the masses of color. The vast designs,…

Today in History

The Destruction of Saint-Pierre, Martinique
On May 8, 1902, Mount Pelee, a volcano in Saint-Pierre, Martinique erupted. Hot, caustic volcanic gases and dust poured from the mountainside, covering the small city of approximately 30,000. Just prior to the blast, there were a series of geoseismic warnings, but the people feared the lava, which would have…

Deck Plans

What’s Happening With Ports of Call In France?

On May 6, our panelists included representatives from the French Atlantic Ports. We can’t promise champagne delivered to your doorstep, but we can promise an informative discussion with official reps from river cruise and ocean cruise destinations, including Rouen, Le Havre, Nantes-St Nazaire, La Rochelle and Bordeaux. Let’s get ready to visit France…

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

Little By Little

Tomorrow I will wake up to another Saturday. Which, in and of itself, is a good thing. I will go straight to the living room floor for some full body stretching. (If not already, you will soon understand the need for this fundamental task once you pass the age of X.) I will move onto the kitchen for my usual boring breakfast. A bowl of cereal with fruit, accompanied by a cup of…

  — Travel Research Online
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Upcoming Training Opportunities


Can You Rebuild Your Travel Business in Half the Expected Time?

Can You Rebuild Your Travel Business in Half the Expected Time?

Wednesday, May 20, 2020 at 11 am EDT/8 am PDT

Travel will likely begin again in a few months, but most likely years before the industry fully recovers to pre-virus levels. Experience is a great teacher and after every major crisis, those who focus on the fundamentals typically recover much faster than those who don’t. Why? Because over the years, we have made the business much more complicated than it really is.

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Hungary - Hidden Traditions, Culinary and Nature Gems

Hungary - Hidden Traditions, Culinary and Nature Gems

Tuesday, May 19, 2020 at 1 pm EDT/10 am PDT

As you prepare for future travel, Hungary is committed to providing you exceptional unforgettable experiences, wide open spaces, delicious cuisine. Hidden in the centre of Europe is a country where you can always find something historic or modern that touches your soul, and the atmosphere is vibrant and relaxing at the same time. Where the ”aszú” grape berries are harvested during autumn, from which beautifully balanced “gold wine” is produced. Where on hilltops, deep in the valleys and on endless plains, you find the hustle of small, centuries-old villages, charming towns, luxurious castles.

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Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations Overview

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.

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