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Thursday December 19, 2024

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

Visiting Bali? Follow These 13 Tips to Ensure Your Trip Runs Smoothly
The sun-soaked paradise of Bali attracts every type of traveler, from budget-conscious backpackers to luxury jet setters. Yet as with any destination, questions will occur to anyone planning a trip to this Indonesian island. These range from the basic (what to pack?) to the highly…

This Top Colorado Mountain Town Is America's Most Expensive Vacation Spot: Is It Worth It?
Thanks to its incredible diversity, the US has many amazingly beautiful places to visit. You can find terrain and biome variation all over the US, from the roaring red Badlands of South Dakota to the wild and rugged Pacific coastline. The most popular attraction in America is the Grand…

Want to Visit China? New Policy Expands Visa-Free Travel to 10 Days.
China is loosening its visa policy and allowing some travelers to stay in the country for up to 10 days without obtaining the document. The United States is among the dozens of countries eligible for the more lenient measure, part of a movement to ease restrictions and welcome back…

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Tours and Activities

I've Hiked in More Than 100 European National Parks–These Are the Most Beautiful
The best thing about Europe’s national parks? They may lack the size of their U.S. counterparts, but they sure do pack a compact punch. Iceland’s Vatnajökull National Park is one example, a place where I crawled through tunnels of glacier ice, speed-boated around icebergs that…

Italy Wants to Stop These Lying Grannies From Ripping You Off
The alley of Via Arco Basso in the southern Italian city of Bari is famous for pasta grannies who spend their days toiling over a special kind of pasta. The ladies have been hand-rolling semolina orecchiette pasta with little ears for decades. But now, authorities are stepping in after…

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Cruise

These Cruise Ships Are Launching Next Year
Cruise passengers will have plenty of new ways to vacation in 2025. Cruise lines are launching a slew of vessels over the next 12 months, from massive megaships with high-tech attractions to intimate ships offering a more laid-back voyage. The new hardware comes amid soaring…

FBI Investigating Passenger’s Death on Cruise Ship After It Set Sail From Southern California
The FBI is investigating the death of a 35-year-old passenger last week aboard a cruise ship that had set sail from Southern California, the agency told NBC News. The passenger died Friday following an incident aboard a Royal Caribbean cruise ship that departed earlier that day…

Disney Treasure First Look: Adventures with Aladdin and Donald Duck
A foghorn reverberates across the Atlantic Ocean from Orlando’s Port Canaveral. Rather than the ordinary ear-piercing blast, the slightly more melodic When You Wish Upon a Star echoes through the sea air. The familiar tune marked the sail away of Disney Treasure, the latest cruise…

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Transportation

Flying In 2025? Beat Rising Costs With These Expert-Approved Tips
Look ahead to 2025, travelers are bracing for a significant uptick in travel costs, particularly, airfare prices. According to reports by The Street, the American Express Global Travel Group has sounded the alarm. The company cites a perfect storm of increasing passenger demand and…

Breeze Airways’ Latest Sale Has 40% Off Flights — and We Have the Promo Code
Breeze Airways flights are back on sale, offering travelers a 40 percent discount on base fares for round-trip tickets through the end of next summer. “A Breeze flight makes for the perfect gift,” the airline shared about the promotion on its website. “Check out our winter travel guide…

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Lodging

Never Book a Rental in These 10 Cities—Stick to Hotels
Want to know how I choose between booking a private rental and a hotel when trip-planning? Assuming private rentals like Airbnb are legal, it all comes down to price. I regularly look for stays that will give me more comfort and amenities while also saving me a few dollars. (I imagine…

Cheers! This Incredible Adults-Only Cancun Resort Has Mexico's ONLY Oceanfront Brewery
Forget the blender drinks (okay, maybe just a few). I'm trading frozen margaritas for freshly brewed Lagers because this adults-only paradise has something no other resort in Mexico has: a full-blown brewery steps from the Caribbean Sea. Of course, there will be plenty of delicious…

W Las Vegas Is Now Open at MGM’s Mandalay Bay Complex
Marriott's growing partnership with MGM Resorts means one lifestyle hotel brand hits the jackpot while another is leaving Las Vegas. Marriott and MGM Resorts officially debuted the W Hotels brand on the Mandalay Bay campus Wednesday on the Las Vegas Strip. The W Las Vegas…

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Other and Odd

Travel Experts Share 4 Secrets To Finding The Best Food On Vacation
Finding a place to eat when you’re traveling can be tricky if you don’t know a few secrets. It can be tough to trust online reviews, and depending on the various cravings of those you’re traveling with, there can be a lot of pressure to find a crowd-pleaser. Sure, it’s easy to do a…

Higher Schengen Visa Fees, Border Checks & New Citizenship Rules: Here Are Main Changes That Took Place in EU in 2024
The year that we are leaving behind, 2024, has brought many developments to the Schengen Area and will be remembered for a number of decisions taken that have affected both citizens of the EU and foreign nationals. From the introduction of internal border controls and their…

Today in History

Poor Richard's Almanack
Benjamin Franklin was a statesman, an inventor, a patriot and a founding father of the United States. He was also the author and publisher of Poor Richard's Almanack. Franklin took on the pseudonym of "Poor Richard" or…

The Incessant Traveler

USTOA 2024 – A Report from the Scene
by David Cogswell
Thursday December 19, 2024

As the 10:45 a.m. opening session of the USTOA Annual Conference and Marketplace approached, several hundred attendees converged in an auditorium at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, and a tentative hum grew into a roar. As people strolled in and the crowd grew in size, a palpable energy built until it became like a wild force of nature, crackling in the atmosphere. By the time Terry Dale, the CEO of the U.S. Tour Operators Association, hopped onto the stage to open the ceremonies, it was already clear why this event was one of the most exciting places to be in the travel industry and in the world at large.

The combined energy and synergy of people from cultures, destinations and businesses around the world…

— Travel Research Online
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