Travel Research Online | The voice of the travel agency community

“When you begin to see the possibilities of music, you desire to do something really good for people, to help humanity free itself from its hangups.” ~ John Coltrane

There are many reasons to be grateful for having a career in travel planning, but I think the most important is the impact a travel professional has on the life of the client. Travel professionals assist clients to turn vacations, family travel and even business trips into the best possible experiences. By visiting the streets of new cities, meeting people from around the world, and exposure to different cultures, we are all made better people, citizens of a larger reality. As a travel professional, you have the opportunity to play an important part in people’s lives. Read the rest of this entry »

Like so many travel advisors, Mitch Krayton has been working hard for years as a travel advisor—and especially so since Covid. But this year, he swears, he’s going to take a little time for himself. “I’m focusing on small groups, under 15,” he says. “I’m going to the places on my personal bucket list—to Patagonia and Greece—and saying, ‘Hey, come along with me.’  I’m not the tour leader, I’m just there to be with my friends, and have my bucket list checked off when I get back.”

He is surely not alone. Across the industry—but especially among those who have been in the business for a long time—the travel bug is biting Read the rest of this entry »

Panama is a tiny country everyone knows a little about, but most of us don’t know very much about. We all know about the Panama Canal, which revolutionized world transportation and shipping when it was completed by the United States in 1914 after 10 years of construction, following a failed attempt by the French to do the same thing.

The importance of the canal cannot be overstated. It saves about 8,000 nautical miles in making the trip from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean.

What else can you tell me about Panama? It is the country that Read the rest of this entry »

In a bid to enhance transparency and combat financial crimes, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) has introduced a pivotal requirement for U.S. businesses: the Beneficial Ownership Information Report (BOIR). Here’s what you need to know about this new mandate.

What is the BOIR?

The BOIR is a critical reporting requirement aimed at increasing transparency in business ownership. This report necessitates companies to disclose detailed information about individuals who hold significant ownership stakes, known as beneficial owners. Read the rest of this entry »

We’re hearing it more and more. An increasing number of travelers are booking river their cruises closer to their departure dates. In previous years, folks planned and booked at least a year ahead, and while many still do, quite a few travelers are pulling the trigger only a few months before their planned sailings. The heads of river cruise companies tell us that they too see the trend. What’s driving it is anyone’s guess, but no one is complaining.

”We continue to see a late booking trend,” says Michael Lundquist, director of business development for CroisiEurope. ”North American travelers are still depositing on river cruises and barges for spring of 2025, and we are even receiving new group requests. We are pleased that demand for international river cruising remains high after the holiday season.”

There can be advantages to booking early. You stand a better chance at getting the itinerary, date and the stateroom you want. And some companies offer greater savings to those who book early. Still, some travelers feel it’s okay to wait to book.

When I look at River Cruise Advisor’s  Get Our Recommendations form, only eight of the 40 requests for help that we received recently were planning for next year or later. The majority (17) wanted to river cruise within 12 months, 14 wanted to cruise within six months, and three were eager to go as soon as possible. Summing it up, more than 75 percent of those who asked for our help in the past couple of weeks wanted to river cruise before the year ends,  and more than half of those wanted to cruise before the summer.

While I plan my hosted trips more than a year in advance, I do so because they take a lot of planning. But I’m a late-booker for business class air, and knock on wood, I have always managed to get a good fare. I hope my luck continues to hold for my barge trips this spring.

CroisiEurope tells us they are seeing both sides of the booking trend, people booking early and people planning for next year and beyond. The company is expanding its operations in North America to meet rising demand. “We have seen more travelers planning ahead and booking now for 2026, so we are happy that we opened for sale on our 2026 product earlier than ever before,” Lundquist tells us. “We are optimistic that river cruising demand will continue to grow in the North American market for 2025 and 2026 – and beyond.”

This article was originally published at River Cruise Advisor.

I am one of those people who honestly feel that every new day provides a new opportunity to ply your trade and to make somebody’s day. That being said, January is the time of year where most people make up their minds to make the next twelve months a year for the record books.

Let’s jump on that bandwagon for the moment Read the rest of this entry »

KHM Travel Group began their journey as a host agency in the travel industry with a small, family-owned business. Now, they have a team of over 70 in a multi-office complex. These days they work to support over 5,000 independent home-based travel agents with unlimited support, one-on-one coaching, educational events, group travel support, and the in-house client management system called myTravelCRM. They have also offered marketing advice to Advisors mostly including boot camps and group camp events, basic marketing essentials, and regular updates via newsletters and blogs. Now, in a recent press release, they have announced an increase in what they offer in regards to marketing a travel agency. Read the rest of this entry »

Happy New Year!

As I pen my 753rd and final column for Travel Research Online, I reflect on the incredible journey (and friendships) we’ve shared over the past 16 years. But as they say, all good things must come to an end. It’s been an honor to have worked with Richard and the team at TRO for nearly two decades! Over the years, I have been a columnist, editor, forum designer, and, for a good while, a forum-wrangler. I hope my insights into marketing and operating a travel practice in this ever-changing world resonated with you and helped you at some point.  If not, shhhh!

Our industry has witnessed Read the rest of this entry »

The myths and legends of Scotland are fitting of the storyteller culture it is. The tales call forth the natural surroundings of foggy coasts and cliffs. With more than 790 islands along its coast and hills as far as the eye can see, Scotland has plenty of true wilderness to explore. Its cities are reminiscent of the Middle Ages that coexist with the growing modern world. Add hospitable and down-to-earth people – you have an amazing destination for the traveler all around. Read the rest of this entry »

Most visitors to Mexico head straight to the country’s stunning beaches, and there’s certainly nothing wrong with that. However, there is an abundance of delights in store for those who venture beyond the beaches to Mexico’s beguiling magic towns. The Mexican tourist board has selected 132 pueblos to be included on a list of so-called ‘magic towns’. The towns are chosen for a combination of characteristics, including culture, architecture, natural beauty, cuisine, and indigenous history. Read the rest of this entry »

Our last article showcasing Costa Rica Dream Adventures included the thrill of walking along suspended bridges over the jungle forest below. And for the more adventurous there was ziplining through those jungle canopies, as well as how their safety standards for this experience are top tier.

CRDA’s customized Costa Rica trips are a traveler’s dream. But what about the support the traveler gets while indulging in the best this country has to offer? What about the travel advisor?

My first interview with Lisa Watson went great. She was easy-going and her dedication of work to the creation of FyndTravel was obvious. However, a dead computer on my end took all text and recordings with it to the scrapyard. Chaos happens, I suppose.

We tried again and, as expected, I found the conversation just as enjoyable and informative.

Lisa started our conversation by pulling up a screen share Read the rest of this entry »

In a bold stride to strengthen its dedication to advisor education and training, American Marketing Group (AMG) has grown its professional development team, focusing on delivering the exclusive benefits of its innovative programs to a broader audience. With the recent appointment of Diana Hnatov and Clare Burke, advisors affiliated with AMG’s renowned travel agency networks—TRAVELSAVERS, NEST, and The Affluent Traveler Collection—can expect significant advancements in their professional development journeys. Read the rest of this entry »

Bill Coyle has become an essential travel industry resource with over 30 years of experience leading his own brick and mortar travel agency, serving on several agent advisory boards, and advocating for travel advisors on a national level with the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA). His experience empowers and educates KHM Travel Group’s agents as the Vice President of Agent Engagement. As KHM Travel Group’s first-ever Limelight Award recipient for going above and beyond, Bill brings a spirited passion for travel in all his professional endeavors and continues to book travel for his longtime clients. Read the rest of this entry »

It’s difficult to imagine Abu Dhabi before oil was discovered in the 1960s. Once a small community known for fishing and pearl diving, Abu Dhabi now sprouts from the deserts and stretches to the sky with heights previously unrecorded by humans. The extreme wealth of this city has also brought luxury beyond the standard. Let’s dive into Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates and UNESCO City of Music.

Perched dramatically on a mountainside in Italy’s Liguria region, the medieval village of Triora, known as the “Salem of Italy,” has embraced a haunting history of dramatic, infamous witch trials. The town’s strategic position at 780 meters above sea level made it a crucial defensive outpost during medieval times. The village’s name derives from “Tria Ora,” meaning three mouths, referring to the three gates that once protected this fortress town. Its robust walls and commanding position earned it the nickname “Keys to the Alps,” as it controlled important trade routes between the Ligurian coast and Piedmont. Read the rest of this entry »

Central Holidays has been a leader in creating remarkable travel experiences since 1972. Together with their parent company, SGI, Central Holidays has been at the forefront of delivering travel programs, value, and service across Italy, the Mediterranean, Egypt, Africa, West Asia, and Latin America. Specializing in bespoke group and individual travel, their itineraries are comprised of luxury, ultra-customization, experiential journeys, and cultural adventures that bring destinations to life in unforgettable ways.

Slow travel is a grassroots approach that emphasizes sustainability, intentionality, and quality over speed and mass tourism. Slow travelers prioritize taking their time to get to know a place in its entirety – not just the main points of interest but also the culture, people, and everyday life. Unlike traditional mass tourism, slow travel emphasizes spending more time in each destination, experiencing local culture face-to-face. Rather than an effort to “tick off” as many places as possible, the slow traveler instead focuses on getting to know one place deeply Read the rest of this entry »

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE TRAVEL INSTITUTE

Robust Q1 calendar offers expert learning for professionals at all levels

FRAMINGHAM, MA, January 13, 2025 – The Travel Institute announces its Q1 2025 event calendar with a robust list of PEP Talks—complimentary live, online expert learning events, from its Professional Educators Program, or PEP. These professional educators are top trainers, thought leaders, and subject matter experts from both inside and outside the travel industry. Read the rest of this entry »

Romance Travel Forum, an exclusive B2B event focused on destination weddings, honeymoons, and other romantic occasions celebrated with travel, recently concluded with outstanding reviews, and strong optimism for increased business amongst participants.  Produced by Travel Show Marketing Group (TravelSMG), an independent event organizer catering to the Travel Advisor market, this exclusive event was held at the Secrets Moxché Playa Del Carmen resort in Mexico from June  25 – 29.  The sold-out 2023 edition was Read the rest of this entry »