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Taking a lead from Mike Marchev, I have lately been spending more time than usual reading business books. Books by business leaders are not historically my first choice of reading material, but recently I have found my prejudice to be misplaced.

I am just now finishing What Got You Here Won’t Get You There – How Successful People Become Even More Successful by Marshal Goldsmith.  The author drew my attention as a “business coach” who reportedly charges CEO’s and upper managers $250,000 for his efforts on their behalf.

Goldsmith indicates the very skills which make someone a great entrepreneur, a brilliant engineer, or a very successful (fill in the blank) may also be the very characteristics holding them back from further success. The drive, the obstinance, the self confidence  propelling a person to one level in their career might be an impediment to their next leap forward. Read the rest of this entry »

AmaWaterways offers six Danube itineraries ranging from seven to 14-nights. While most of these itineraries are similar, or may have repeat ports, every itinerary has something that makes it unique.

Part of the appeal of the cruising Danube is the sheer amount of countries that you, as a guest, are able to visit. On cruises from Budapest to Nuremberg or Vilshofen, and reverse, guests are able to visit four countries. This may be the section of the Danube you have heard about, where you cruise through Germany, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary. Read the rest of this entry »

I am proud to say I have been a part of the National Transaction Corp (NTC) family for over 10 years, and am now the VP of Operations. However, when I left the Army as a Satellite/Microwave Communication Specialist, I never would have imagined it would lead me to where I am today. When you think about it though, credit card terminals need to communicate, and most of the time, the problems merchants experience with the terminals, are communication issues.

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Are you trying to stay on top of social marketing AND enjoy summer? Don’t let the beach bump your social marketing to the back burner.

Here’s two quick social marketing questions that are HOT topics in our industry, along with quick tips you can use right now to grow your marketing—while not missing out on the pleasures of summer.

Q1 – How Can I Reach the RIGHT Fans?

How can I market to people who are really interested? I don’t want to pay to advertise to people who are not ‘warm’ leads. Read the rest of this entry »

It cannot be said enough—you need to make sure you are insured! You would not drive a car without insurance. Hopefully you are able to afford health insurance. And you better make sure you have business insurance as well as a separate errors and omissions policy. Why? Well that can be told in two simple words… Read the rest of this entry »

Depends on who you ask. Think about where you spend most of your time and money. My bet is that you spend a significant amount of effort figuring out how and where to market – not to mention how much it will cost.

In fact, most industry experts, coaches, and executives will be the first to say that you are in the marketing business. Why else would virtually all of the industry learning and promotional programs be based on building out marketing plans and advertising budgets?

I’ll tell you why: Marketing is sexy. Read the rest of this entry »

There may be no better way to truly immerse yourself in a new destination than to befriend it through its history and food. Take a walk-through Old San Juan on a culinary walking tour to discover a world-class destination and one the second oldest European-founded city in the Americas. Read the rest of this entry »

This is the third of seven articles in a series titled Discover Your Group Niche. You will be able find the others in our Point-to-Point section.

Are you running your business, or are your customers running you? How often do you end the day mentally exhausted having done countless tasks; yet, you’re not really sure if anything truly big was accomplished?

Maybe you’ve even written a business plan with the best of intentions. It’s a year later, and you still haven’t had time to work it. Why? You’re too busy.

Busy doing what? Busy allowing the marketplace to pull you in multiple directions. Distracting you. Frustrating you. Squashing your best laid plans, passion, and profits.

Quit blaming the customer. It’s not their fault. It’s yours for enabling chaos. Read the rest of this entry »

Sky Bird Travel & Tours has been an industry leader in airline consolidation for over 40 years. Starting in a small office building in downtown Detroit, Sky Bird rooted its mission in providing exceptional customer service to travel agents by connecting them with low net fares that weren’t available to the public. Today, Sky Bird has 11 offices throughout the United States along with offices in Canada, India and the Philippines in order to serve their clients on a broader scale. For the last four years, Sky Bird has taken home the Travvy Award for Best Airline Consolidator (silver in 2016 and 2019, gold in 2017 and 2018). Read the rest of this entry »

This article was originally published on 06/28/19. With new information and corrections, along with an urgent call to action, we felt it was important to republish the article with changes.

Recently, the California Senate has begun to push through a bill that would shake the foundations of how Independent Travel Advisors work in the state of California. This model, that has worked for decades, creates an environment for travel advisors to utilize the resources of host companies without the commitment of being considered an employee and frees them up to remain a sovereign individual in the business world. The bill is California Assembly Bill 5. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m doing something a little unusual for this TRO installment! In order to maintain privacy, I’m answering a question without providing the specific exchange. Over the past two weeks, several travel advisors reached out to me to let me know that their host are not paying their commissions (sometimes to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars). Read the rest of this entry »

I have found over the years that the most powerful word in the English language is the word “love.” Tell somebody that you “love” them and you are sure to get their attention. Another powerful word that is certain to garner attention is the word “idea.”

Tell somebody you have an “idea” and I can virtually guarantee you that their response will not be, “That’s too bad. Pass the ketchup.”

Ideas by their very nature are alluring and most people who are capable of “fogging a mirror” want to hear your latest brainchild. I am not inferring that they will endorse your idea, or even think that it is plausible. They will want to hear it. Read the rest of this entry »

In the center of the Galapagos Islands is the place where Darwin set up shop to formulate the theory of evolution. Santa Cruz Island, the second largest island in the archipelago with Puerto Ayora as its capital. It is a paradise, its beaches teeming with wildlife. That’s why Marnella Tours sponsored today’s article.

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Arthur Salus entered the travel business when he opened Duluth Travel Incorporated in 1993.

Duluth Travel is a service-disabled veteran owned business and one of the top three full-service travel agencies in Atlanta, Georgia. Duluth Travel provides government, corporate, leisure, and incentive travel.

Arthur Salus is known in the local and national media as the “The Travel Master” bringing his insight into today’s travel industry.

In 1999, and after many fishing trips to Costa Rica, Arthur fell in love with the country and created an U.S. Tour Operator that sells exclusively Costa Rica with offices in Duluth, GA and San Jose, Costa Rica.

Arthur knew that such a small beautiful country had the potential to make travelers feel safe and happy.

Based on that purpose, Arthur named the company Costa Rica Dream Adventures.

He included 24/7 in-country travel support for travelers to never feel alone in a foreign country. His team in Costa Rica handles the logistics and takes cares of travelers during their stay in the country.

The U.S. team works hand to hand with travel agents to plan the perfect vacation for their clients and make sure all details are well-taken care of before traveling. Read the rest of this entry »

The Danube has become one of the most popular rivers in the world for cruising, and this is for good reason. It is Europe’s second longest river. Its southeastern flow goes through or passes along 10 countries, which is more than any other river in the world. A trade route that once defined the eastern border of the Roman Empire, this 1,770-mile river has more than its fair share of sites and activities along the way through classic Europe. Today’s article is brought to you by Collette.

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Known by the locals as the Mother City, Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa. Its charms span from the natural wonders that surround it to a population diversity that is the most multicultural in the world. Mountains, wine, beaches, and magnificent sunsets are plenty. South African Airways is ready to fly the traveler to Cape Town. Read the rest of this entry »

In southeastern Asia, there is an island considered to be a true paradise by many. A place that wins so many awards in the travel industry, this article would run a bit too long to list them. The coasts are an immaculate example of where white sand meets tropical water. Where tiered temples accent lush jungles, stand in the reflections of tranquil waters. This island is Bali, a place that is wholly its own unique culture but welcomes the traveler with open arms and utopian sunsets. Read the rest of this entry »

A conversation with one of our Society of International Railway Travelers (IRT) clients one recent Sunday morning went like this:

Text to my phone early morning: “My passport is lost! We are in London. Help!!” Read the rest of this entry »