Travel Research Online | The voice of the travel agency community

Recently, I was speaking to a colleague about a new salesperson he had just employed. The salesperson was complaining the company did not have a  presentation brochure. If only the company would produce a professional presentation, the salesperson assured his boss, the sales would come flying through the door. My friend wanted to know what I thought, and I told him.

Good sales materials are important, but more important are the clients’ needs.  Company-produced literature, particularly in a 1:1 scenario like travel consulting, was secondary to speaking intelligently and compassionately with the client.
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We who work in the travel industry are doubly blessed. First, we get to see the world and meet amazing people in places that take our breath away. Then, we get to bring home stories to enthrall and amaze our friends and families.

I think that’s what Silversea Cruises’ SVP Katina Athanasiou was getting at with the advice she offered at the annual conference aboard the Norwegian Encore. These days, “people don’t care about what you do or where you live,” she said. “They want to know where you’ve been and how it’s changed you.”

Perillo Tours, the company that has been known as “synonymous with Italy” for three generations of family ownership, is debuting a new tour program for Greece for 2023, and Steve Perillo, the company president, says the tour is flying off the shelf.

“This was not the big year,” he told me. “Next year is the big year. We’re seeing a gigantic wave. We’re about half sold out. Usually, you start selling in January. Prices are up, and nobody cares.”

Travel trade insurance company Trawick International provided a useful snapshot of each major cruise line’s pre-trip health and safety requirements in a TRO webinar last week.  The webinar provided information current as of last week, though fast-moving protocols may potentially change tomorrow. The webinar will be posted on TRO’s Webinar Page on Monday afternoon, August 8th. Read the rest of this entry »

One of my favorite river cruise vessels will soon be back in service, the m/s Mozart. I first cruised on the storied ship in 2008, when she was operated by Peter Deilmann. Aside from being awed by Mozart’s impressive width, nearly double that of a typical river cruise ship, I’d never been on a river cruiser with an indoor pool.

I know you are good. I know you are smart. I know you have accomplished a lot. But I also know you can get better. I know you have a lot more to learn. I know you must get better.

Being receptive to constructive “coaching” is a sign of an intelligent person, regardless of age and/or experience. It is important to understand the difference between “criticism” and “coaching.” They are not the same. Criticism has no apparent benefit. It is a verbal attempt at headlining one’s shortcomings, usually for the enjoyment of the person doing the criticizing.

Social media has become an integral part of vacation for most travelers. Some of them simply can’t imagine a single day without sharing their holiday joy with friends and followers, forgetting what’s all about – relaxing, re-charging batteries, experiencing adventures, and communing with the different. Read the rest of this entry »

Making mistakes is fine, ordinary and to a certain degree, expected—once. But when you fail to learn from them, you can be in a world of trouble.

So how can you prevent yourself from falling into the mistake trap again? Get out a notebook and pen or pencil and follow along: Read the rest of this entry »

One could say that Delta Air Lines is looking up and down for new ways to move customers to and from its planes. On the ground, it is partnering with trains in Europe to speed flyers on their way to midtown; in the air, it is looking at mini helicopters to pick them up. Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s face it. Cruises are now commodity products. Everyone sells the same ships and itineraries for similar prices. So how do you stand out from all the others selling the same cruise—maybe for a few dollars less?

Try focusing on things you can add to the cruise package.

American Cruise Lines proudly announces a brand new 15-Day National Parks & Legendary Rivers itinerary for 2023. Following successful product testing this year, the itinerary will be the country’s largest land-cruise package and the first-ever coupling of a river cruise with the mountain states’ national parks. Read the rest of this entry »

I had to admit to myself that I was a bit nervous about interviewing Laurie McAndish King. As the accomplished writer of An Elephant Ate My Arm: More True Stories from a Curious Traveler, published last year, she’s seen a rise in popularity. This book has won first place in the Paris Book Festival, with individual stories in the collection winning multiple other awards. Her writing voice is clearly her own, a daunting task most writers struggle with on a daily basis. So, yeah, I was clearly nervous that my questions wouldn’t grab her attention. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

From the starting conversation about our video backgrounds, there was a curiosity radiating from the image on the computer. Three minutes in, she’d asked more questions than me. When it naturally came around to a starting point, I launched in with the biggest question first: did you start this collection of stories during the primary part of the pandemic?

Following on the heels of a similar announcement by Norwegian Cruise Lines this week, American Cruise Lines has changed its policy and will roll non-commissionable fees (NCFs) into its fares—and pay travel advisors commission on them. Read the rest of this entry »

Japan is known for its sprawling metropolises, cities that bask in the light of every color from signs and advertisements. Yet, outside these massive cities is an island country with natural beauty that shines bright on the pale petals of the cherry blossom—on the delightful purple of the wisteria tree. Adored by Japanese poets and painters is a sight that soars above them all, the UNESCO World Heritage Mt. Fuji.

Solo travel has become increasingly popular in recent years as more and more people are choosing to explore the world on their own. While it can be an incredibly rewarding and liberating experience, there are also certain considerations that need to be taken into account. The concept of solo travel is sometimes misunderstood  (Read More)

It is a land with little soil, where 96% of its mass is covered in ice, with no indigenous people, no indigenous government. No economic activity exists, except for that in small isolated encampments of scientists and from the incursion of tourism to the island continent. (Read More)

Home to one of the world’s most prestigious universities, Oxford is an architectural, intellectual, and historical gem of England. This small city has the distinction of hosting every style of English architecture starting from the late Anglo-Saxon period forward… (Read More)

Viking today announced it is canceling the December 5-17 Antarctic Explorer itinerary following an accident on its new Polaris expedition ship that left one passenger dead and three others injured. A giant rogue wave hit Polaris and smashed several windows, as the ship sailed south of Cape Horn, killing the passenger. Read the rest of this entry »

This year, Travel Show Marketing Group’s Las Vegas Travel Agent Forum at Caesars Palace received well-deserved praise from both suppliers and travel professionals for their efforts. Read the rest of this entry »