Travel Research Online | The voice of the travel agency community

Artificial intelligence (AI) has increasingly become a much-discussed tool in the travel sector. For travel professionals, AI has the potential to revolutionize their daily workflow by streamlining tasks, improving customer service, and enhancing the overall travel experience for their clients. Most significant, however, has been the promise of increased productivity and time savings for travel advisors who feel the demands of content marketing stretch them to the limit, especially as solo practitioners. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s not a year to be shy about upselling, said virtually every supplier at the Avoya Travel Land Forum earlier this week. Travelers are eager to extend their land and sea vacations, and to try unique and upscale experiences. It’s up to their travel advisors to point them in the right direction—and that direction is up.

“We all want to increase the bottom line,” said Sandals senior regional sales manager Ian Braun. “Every conversation we are having we should be upselling, telling clients the things they should be doing on their next vacation.” Read the rest of this entry »

At Africa’s Travel Indaba, the trade show held in Durban May 9-11, South African Tourism presented a seminar called USA Market Access Workshop. It was targeted at African tourism businesses looking for insights on how to penetrate the vast North American travel market. But the market intelligence presented could be equally valuable to American travel advisors looking for insights on how to tap into the potential American market for travel to Africa. Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s delve into a few best practices and a few legal issues that confront travel agency newsletter publishers. Many of the best practices pertain to any email marketing, but they are worthwhile repeating to keep you and your agency in good standing both with your clients and with some important third parties!

Best Practices

When formatting your newsletter, try to avoid complicated CSS style sheets. Many email readers, notably Outlook 7.0 are not kind to CSS and will play havoc with the appearance and layout of your newsletter. Have your designer use simple “in-line” html tags instead. Read the rest of this entry »

Inspired food and wines are often part of any upper premium or luxury cruise, however Atlas Ocean Voyages has taken this concept and gone one step further by dedicating its new expedition ship, World Traveller, to Epicurean Expeditions in the Mediterranean, British Isles and Northern Europe during the spring and summer months this year and next. Other times of the year, World Traveller, a purpose-built Polar Class C ship with an Ice Class 1B-certified hull, voyages to the Arctic, Antarctica, Iceland, and Greenland. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m sitting next to the bubbling water fountain at the Gaylord Opryland Conference Center in Nashville, TN. I have just completed three presentations and by the audience reaction, and the size of each crowd, I am considering this trip a success. Did I mention my programs were scheduled for 7 am, and each one was filled to capacity. This speaks volumes for the professionalism of these travel agents and their interest in becoming more skillful at what they do. I recognized them and saluted them for their commitment in growing their businesses. Did I mention we started at 7 am? Read the rest of this entry »

Hashtags are an essential, but sometimes misunderstood, tool for growing an Instagram following as they allow users to discover new content and increase the visibility of their own posts. Hashtags work by categorizing posts under specific topics, making them more discoverable to users interested in those topics. Instagram creators use hashtags to track trends and enhance search. Simply speaking, hashtags are words or phrases about a specific topic, with a hash (#) before it, e.g. #traveltuesday. Read the rest of this entry »

Booking travel online is just plain dangerous.  The allure of using a mouse and a few clicks to secure flights, accommodations, and exciting activities appeals to most people. But proceed with caution. Last week, “a few beers” with a friend turned into some type of man-splaining about what a travel professional can do. Man-splaining is not the phrase, but travel-splaining sounded stupid! He made a critical mistake somewhere in the fourth beer and asked me to cite specific examples of online problems.  And here’s what I said… Read the rest of this entry »

The Changing Face of Travel Agents 2023, the report released by The Travel Institute, offers valuable insights into the current state of the travel industry. Based on the findings, the gig economy continues to thrive, and more agents are interested in part-time work that provides greater flexibility and independence. Read the rest of this entry »

When one of your clients seeks your help in supporting their decision to buy a new travel camera, you can describe how the number of megapixels in a new camera’s sensor plays a crucial role in determining the quality of their photos.

Image Detail and Resolution

Higher megapixel counts provide greater image detail and resolution. A sensor with more megapixels captures more information, resulting in sharper and more defined images. This is especially useful in travel photography when capturing intricate details of architecture, landscapes, cultural artifacts, or capturing scenes with Read the rest of this entry »

Applause-Tickets.com is proud to announce their 36th anniversary this year. For over three decades, they have been providing travel agents with excellent service and superior seating for both Broadway and London Theatre. In addition to theatre tickets, they also offer tickets for nationwide events, local concerts, and sporting events. Read the rest of this entry »

Like many agents out there, after the pandemic I’m busier than ever with new and repeat business. It has doubled year after year and, 2023 is shaping up to double again. As a solo owner/operator, it took some trial and error to find my groove. I can’t point to one thing that moved the needle—it has been a combined approach from multiple angles. Here are some things that have helped me accelerate my multi-million-dollar business growth. Read the rest of this entry »

Travel has been a part of human life since the migratory days of ancient ancestors. Though, it has changed quite a bit from having to walk for thousands of miles. Ships, horse-led carts, trains, cars, planes, and then jets. We have traveled through time to our destination in the here and now, where we travel this wonderful world more than any other population in history. Read the rest of this entry »

The following article is an unedited interview with Voyager’s new artificial intelligence, OliverAI. Starting with “tell us about yourself.“

OliverAI uses an artificial intelligence language model created by OpenAI, and I’m glad to be of service to you and to the travel professional community. I’m capable of processing vast amounts of data and providing responses to a wide range of inquiries. I’m also constantly learning and improving, thanks to the advanced machine learning algorithms used in my development. Whether it’s helping companies improve their customer service, assisting with complex data analysis tasks, or even engaging in conversational interactions like this one, my capabilities are broad and my potential is virtually limitless. With my advanced AI capabilities and strategic insights, I’m here to help you achieve your business objectives and enhance your overall operational efficiency.

Costa Rica has plenty for the more leisure-focused traveler, with resorts and beaches galore. But another area of travel that Costa Rica absolutely shines is adventure. From canopy walks to meeting sloths, to ziplines and floating down rivers, traveling in this country can go wild. Particularly La Fortuna, with its volcanoes, rivers, and surrounding areas of dense jungle. Costa Rica, and La Fortuna especially, is a place where nature is foremost and can be embraced by the traveler.

Rwanda. The Land of a Thousand Hills and the horrific genocide of 1994. One of the most rapidly developing countries in Africa, where one-quarter of the population is still illiterate. A country with many faces which, after years of turmoil, has risen and is becoming an increasingly popular travel destination.

Morocco, in North Africa, is known for its fascinating blend of cultures, including Amazigh, Arab, and European influences. These influences are reflected in its cuisine, music, and architecture. Morocco is also famous for its stunning natural landscapes, including the Sahara Desert, the High Atlas Mountains—and the beautiful coastline. Its cities, such as Marrakech and Casablanca, are filled with ornate palaces, bustling markets, and UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Visitors to Morocco can expect to be charmed by the hospitality of its people, the vibrancy of its culture, and its rich history, which dates back thousands of years. Read the rest of this entry »

Spain is a country rich in history and culture, and its cathedrals are a testament to true architectural mastery. From Gothic to Renaissance styles, these magnificent structures dwarf the ego and immerse the visitor in awe. Here are a few of the most significant cathedrals in Spain, including notes on their history, design, and construction. Read the rest of this entry »

View over lush valley and hills and Rio Magdalena

Rudi Schreiner’s dream of sailing the Magdalena River has come to fruition with the launch of two new ships that will sail the river in Colombia in 2024.

The AmaMagdalena and AmaMelodia will join the two dozen ships already in the Ama fleet, sailing itineraries between Cartagena and Barranquilla. Read the rest of this entry »

San Juan, Puerto Rico – In the ever-evolving landscape of the travel industry, the notion of a Host Agency has undergone significant growth, leading to the emergence of various business models that have caused confusion regarding its true definition. Recognizing the need for clarity and standardization, the Professionals Association of Travel Hosts (PATH) was established to set operating standards and ensure strict adherence among its members. For travel agent professionals seeking excellence in host agencies, the gold standard can be easily found within the list of PATH members. Read the rest of this entry »