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Friday May 13, 2022

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

In Rome, New Food and Old Sites Beckon
The Eternal City continues to live up to its name, thanks to some long-awaited reopenings and a crop of new restaurants and cultural spots all over…

This City on Florida's 'Forgotten Coast' Has a 9-mile Waterfront Trail and Stunning White-sand Beaches
Set on Florida's Gulf Coast, Cape San Blas is home to a lighthouse, aquatic preserve, and plenty of wildlife and it's one of the top U.S. summer…

The 18 best things to do in Malta and Gozo
From art and culture in Valletta to kayaking the coast of Gozo and things to do as a family, here are the best activities and experiences in…

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Tours and Activities

Traveling with older loved ones? Keep these tips in mind.
Mature travelers are itching to get back out and travel again. According to AARP’s 2022 Travel Trends report, 66 percent of people over age 70 anticipate traveling this year.…

The Italian place where you don't eat 'Italian' food
Like everywhere in Italy, Lake Trasimeno, in Umbria, has a rich food tradition. But it's one that's far from what outsiders might consider Italian food thanks to traditions dating back 2,500…

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Cruise

The Best Cruise Lines for Solo Travelers
These lines offer plush single cabins, discounts for solo travelers, and more. Here's our guide to booking solo…

11 injured after Viking Aegir strikes railway bridge in Slovakia
11 people were slightly injured in a night accident of the river cruise ship Viking Aegir on the Danube, which crashed into the pillar of a railway bridge near Komarno Slovakia on Friday, May 6. The cause of the accident was probably a sudden health problem of the captain of the vessel, the Slovak Ministry of Transport…

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Transportation

Spending on US air travel drops $1B in April as prices rise
Online spending was still 23% higher compared with April 2019, however, bookings were only up 5%. The wide gap, according to Adobe, underscores how consumers have been shelling out "considerably more for the same amount of…

Flights Canceled As Jamaican Air Traffic Controllers Walkout
Air Traffic Controllers in Jamaica went on strike for several hours on Thursday, resulting in the cancellation of dozens of flights. Various…

TSA prepares for summer travel demand and higher passenger volumes
he Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is prepared for a busy summer travel season with anticipated passenger volumes that will match and may occasionally exceed those of 2019…

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Lodging

In Barcelona, a New Hotel and Hub for Creative Types
Plus: eerie fashion photography, a piercing studio and more recommendations from T…

Hotel hiring picks up in the US, but that doesn't mean daily housekeeping is coming back
U.S. hotels are bringing back workers at higher levels these days, but travelers shouldn't expect understaffing problems to suddenly go…

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Other and Odd

Mexico’s Hottest Resort Towns Struggle With Covid Travel Boom
Growth in Cancún and Tulum highlights the country’s jump to the top of the global destination charts. Some…

What is Puy du Fou? Meet the European theme park coming to the US for the first time
The immersive, history-inspired show is the first U.S. production for this France-based entertainment company. Here's what you can…

Today in History

The First FM Radio Station
On May 13, 1939, WDRC signed on to the air on FM radio bandwidth, the first commercial FM radio station. Unlike AM radio…

Press Releases of Interest

The Travel Institute and AmaWaterways announce new bonus commission for certified graduates
The Travel Institute and AmaWaterways have launched a new, additional $50 bonus commission for all travel professionals who successfully graduate with their CTA, CTC, or CTIE in 2022 and subsequently book and deposit a new AmaWaterways river cruise…

Canva Templates for Travel Professionals Produced by TRO
Use these Canva templates to market your travel agency on…

Deck Plans

Avalon Has ‘New’ Leadership

Normally, promotions at a river cruise company wouldn’t be something we’d publish. But in this case, we’re pleased to see that Pam Hoffee has taken the helm of Avalon Waterways. We’re pleased because Pam’s passionate about river cruising. Under her leadership we expect even better things to happen for one of the world’s most popular river cruise companies.

Pam tells us that she will be 100 percent focused on Avalon, instead of dividing her time between Avalon and other duties. “I am so thrilled about it as the brand is growing so much and deserves this attention,” she says. “I am very excited for the future with Avalon.”

Yep, we agree. Avalon is doing some wonderful things. We’ll be reporting on what is setting Avalon apart in…

  — Travel Research Online
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Departures

The Journey AND the Destination: The Wonders of Northern Canada by Rail

Untouched wilds have always been a draw in Canada’s north. With glass-like lakes surrounded by thick forests of coniferous trees and the snow-covered landscapes of mountains and the arctic tundras, northern Canada is an adventure of scenery. The addition of watching polar bears in their natural habitat, or hanging out with beluga whales, and northern lights that illuminate the skies make for a one-of-kind trip. This is particularly true on VIA Rail Canada’s adventure route, which provides a panoramic dome for maximum viewing pleasure.

VIA Rail Canada’s northern rail line is an adventure away from the lights and traffic of the cities to the south. The route, aptly named the Winnipeg—Churchill train, travels from Winnipeg to Churchill, Manitoba. This line spans 1054mi (1697km), travels for 2…

  — Travel Research Online
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The Rosen Report

Insiders Launch Three New Services for Travel Advisors
by Cheryl Rosen
Friday May 13, 2022

After months of isolation that have made people long to reconnect, a number of industry players are launching new services designed to bring travel advisors—from top sellers to brand new entrants—together in new and unique ways.

The biggest is The 1000, an ambitious effort to find, honor, and support 1,000 of the nation’s top-producing travel advisors (think $1.5 million minimum in annual sales).

Founder Jeff Sirota—whom many know from his past life on both sides of the industry, at Protravel and at Small Luxury Hotels of the World, now a partner at hospitality representation company J.MAK—says leisure salespeople have such a broad customer base that it’s “really difficult to drill down in a sea of advisors to find the top…

  — Travel Research Online
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Upcoming Training Opportunities


FIT Made Easy with Avanti Destinations

FIT Made Easy with Avanti Destinations

Tuesday, May 17, 2022 at 2 pm EDT/11 am PDT

Join Gina Bang, Director of Marketing, and Nate Guilfoyle, Director of Web Services, at Avanti Destinations, for an educational training session on how to improve your workflow with Avanti. Avanti Destinations is committed to providing you with the best tools to help grow your business while simultaneously enabling you to create unforgettable travel experiences for your clients. From a variety of digital resources including e-Brochures, country microsites, and downloadable sales flyers, to our new, robust Avanti Sales Platform, we’re constantly looking for new ways to aid you in better serving your clients. Advisors are struggling with long hold times, rebooking, etc. so this webinar will focus on:

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