TRO Travelgram: Travel articles influencing your clients, from top consumer publications... Sponsor

Tuesday May 12, 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

10 of the best novels set in Spain – that will take you there
Igrew up in Montreal – and London owns a big piece of my heart – but my home is Barcelona, where I’ve lived for 20 years. Spain is a varied country, in its landscapes, languages, culture and cuisine, but in compiling this list I became aware that so much of its literature comes from Madrid and the north of the country. Perhaps it’s too hot down south for novel writing? The list is personal and not at…

Floridians stopped traveling well before official shutdowns, data shows
The question has vexed epidemiologists for weeks now: How has Florida kept the coronavirus in check, given that official shutdown orders came so much later there than in other states? One answer, according to data analysis from the Tampa Bay Times, is that many Floridians stopped traveling long before their county or state stepped in. The Times looked at data from Google, Descartes…

Please support TRO and our Suppliers! The FREE resources and tools available to you are paid for by supplier sponsorship.

Tours and Activities

A Javanese dish to banish the plague
According to legend, when the plague came to the city of Yogyakarta on the Indonesian island of Java, the sultan ordered his citizens to cook sayur lodeh and stay home for 49 days. The plague ended. And so began a practice that continues to this day. Sayur lodeh is a simple vegetable curry made from seven key ingredients and a spicy coconut milk base. Nutritionists that have studied the dish point…

Walt Disney World resorts now accepting reservations beginning in July
Walt Disney World resorts are now taking reservations for July. The Walt Disney World website will now allow you to make reservations for July. In fact, reservations are already coming in. As of 10:40 a.m. on Monday, the website listed that 158 people have booked a room at Disney's Pop Century in the last 24 hours. Another 127 had booked a room at Disney's All-Star Movie Resort. When…

How New York’s LGBTQ+ Communities Are Keeping the City's Nightlife Scene Alive
The nightlife industry has been decimated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, and LGBTQ+ communities—whose members are heavily employed in service and hospitality jobs—have been especially hard hit. Nowhere is this truer than in New York City, a place more accustomed to being the epicenter of queer nightlife and culture than a global pandemic. But as New York’s LGBTQ+…

Please support TRO and our Suppliers! The FREE resources and tools available to you are paid for by supplier sponsorship.

Cruise

Why Are Future Cruise Credits and Refunds Taking so Long?
With cruise lines around the world canceling sailings into the summer and beyond as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, many cruisers are wondering why the process of issuing Future Cruise Credits, also known as FCCs, and refunds for affected voyages is taking so long. While there's no one reason, the answer primarily comes down to volume. Under normal circumstances, receiving a refund from…

Carnival cruise bookings soar despite coronavirus, travel company says
Wanderlust is strong among Carnival Cruise Line fans, according to a TMZ report. A representative from the American Express travel franchise Cruise Planners told the tabloid that cruise bookings increased exponentially after Carnival announced it intends to resume some cruises in August. Three days after the announcement, the travel company’s Carnival bookings went up by 600 percent…

Please support TRO and our Suppliers! The FREE resources and tools available to you are paid for by supplier sponsorship.

Transportation

This airplane seat design helps you socially distance on board
No one quite knows what aviation will look like in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. There's talk of removing middle seats, compulsory face masks and full body disinfection booths at airports -- and aviation seat designers are experimenting with ways to make flying more appealing for concerned and conscientious passengers. Ideas include Aviointeriors' vision of a row of three economy…

Etihad to restart Australia-London flights this week
Etihad Airways will offer flights from Melbourne to London, with transit via Abu Dhabi, from May 15. It will restart the return leg, London to Melbourne, from May 21. The airline plans to maintain this link until it fully resumes its previous double daily connection between the two cities. Etihad said it had implemented an "an extensive sanitisation and safety programme" on flights and at…

Future Air Travel Is ‘Touchless’ Yet Terrifying: Fewer Flights, Sudden Border Closures, No Movies
How does mass-transit work if everyone has to stay two meters apart, and where national borders can open and close at short notice? Exactly how international travel can operate smoothly and safely in the COVID-19 era is really anyone’s guess at the moment, but technology is going to play a huge role. That’s according to Geneva-based air transport communications and IT specialist…

Please support TRO and our Suppliers! The FREE resources and tools available to you are paid for by supplier sponsorship.

Lodging

Return to travel will be 'regional and sporadic,' Choice Hotels CEO says
The return of travel within the United States will be “sporadic” and will not bounce back in the same way in every region, Choice Hotels CEO Patrick Pacious said Monday. “I think what we are going to see is a return to travel that will be regional and sporadic,” Pacious said on “The Exchange.” “It’s what we’re seeing today. The Southeast part of the country, where a lot of our hotels…

This Iceland Hotel Is Helping Us Stay Calm in Quarantine With Weekly Waterfall Photos
The thrilling feeling of chasing waterfalls may be off the table for most as large parts of the world continue to hunker down, but one hotel in Iceland is hoping to help you do just that — digitally, that is. In an effort to spread the joy of the country’s breathtaking waterfalls, Ingibjörg Friðriksdóttir, the digital marketing manager of Hotel Rangá, is going on a weekly jaunt, searching for…

Please support TRO and our Suppliers! The FREE resources and tools available to you are paid for by supplier sponsorship.

Other and Odd

What Can I Do to Make My Time Off Feel Like a Break?
Dear Women Who Travel, Like most people, I'm hunkered down at home self-isolating, and trying to make the best of things. I'm also lucky to still have my job, for many reasons, and I appreciate that it gives my weekdays some much-needed structure when every other facet of daily life has melted away. But I'm working harder than ever, it seems, and when it comes to the weekends, I have…

France Is Asking People to Eat More Cheese
There’s a very easy way to support food markets around the world: Eat more cheese. Terre de Lait, an organization for the dairy industry, is asking people to eat more cheese in solidarity for French cheesemakers who have been seeing fewer and fewer people buying traditional French cheeses in the wake of coronavirus, according to a statement from the organization. The…

Today in History

Florence Nightingale is born
The pioneer of modern nursing was born on this day in 1820. Florence Nightingale was born into privileged English society. Early in her life, she felt called into the profession of nursing, scandalizing her family. At the time, nursing was considered a task of the poor and ill-educated. During the Crimean…

Mike’s 1-Minute Marketing Memos

Don't Be a Buzzkill

Tell anybody your idea, and chances are the first thing that comes out of their mouth sounds like, "The problem with that is..." Go ahead try it. It will make you laugh when you see I am right. In fact, you are probably guilty of this knee-jerk response yourself. (Shame on you.)

When it comes to creativity, I want you to pour gas on other people's ideas and not toss a wet blanket on them. Fuel their enthusiasm. Don't hinder the creative…

  — Travel Research Online
Read the rest of this article »

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.

Register Now ➠


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.

Register Now ➠


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.

Register Now ➠







Use TRO every day to find travel guides, e-postcards, and other resources you can personalize and send to your clients.

TRO Travel Specials