When traveling internationally, cellular data is important for many of us, whether we’re using our smart phones keeping in touch with friends and family back home or taking care of others matters such as banking or travel reservations. For example, when I land in Amsterdam tomorrow morning, I’ll want to book a train ticket to the city center, which I can do using the NS app. Why pay 40 euros or more to for a taxi to take me from Schiphol to Amsterdam Centraal when I can do it for less than 6 euros, particularly when my hotel, Doubletree Centraal, is next door to the train station? Read the rest of this entry »

There’s a shift taking place in the travel industry, categories are being redefined as traveler preferences evolve. Rental Escapes, one of the up-and-coming villa rental companies, is not a hotel company or a tour operator but covers the functions of both.

Historically hotels and tour operators have been separate businesses offering different but complementary services. Now we are seeing robust growth in villa rentals, and some villa rental companies are developing the business of destination management.

Villa rentals are nowhere near taking the place of hotels, but they are providing an alternative, and for many the alternative is preferable to Airbnb.

Royal Caribbean this week offered up details about its newest Icon-class ship—including its name, Legend of the Seas—and itineraries, which will include Europe and the Western Caribbean for the first time when it launches in 2026.

Legend will make a splashy debut with 7-night Western Mediterranean itineraries from Barcelona, with interporting from Rome, to France, Italy and Spain for the summer of 2026. Then it will shift to year-round 6-night Western Caribbean and 8-night Southern Caribbean sailings out of Fort Lauderdale, including Oranjestad, Aruba;  Falmouth, Jamaica; and Willemstad, Curacao, beginning in November 2026. Every sailing will stop at “Perfect Day at CocoCay in The Bahamas,” the newly elongated name that distinguishes it from its new counterpart in Mexico.

Crown & Anchor Society loyalty members have special access to book today, ahead of the official opening on Thursday, Feb. 20.

Onboard Legend will be the Crown’s Edge, “part skywalk, part ropes course and part thrill ride,” and Category 6, the largest waterpark at sea. There will be seven pools, including the largest pool at sea, Royal Bay and a “one-of-a-kind adults-only infinity pool suspended above the ocean.” Also onboard will be family favorites including the Surfside neighborhood and the Ultimate Family Townhouse.

Further details will be forthcoming soon, Royal Caribbean promised. But its sister ship Icon of the Sea is the largest cruise ship in the world, 1,198 feet long and weighing 250,80 tons, with 2,805 staterooms and a maximum capacity of 7,600 passengers and a crew of 2,350 on 20 decks.

Legend vacations start at $895 per person for a three-night getaway cruise and $1,346 per person for a five-night Western Caribbean & Perfect Day cruise, according to the website.

Legend’s debut will follow its Icon sister, Star of the Seas in Port Canaveral (Orlando), Florida, in August 2025.

Planet Earth seems to be having a Wave Season of its own, jolting the surface with a series of earthquakes from LA to the west, across the Caribbean and on to Italy.

California has reported nine earthquakes since Thursday, including one of 3.7 magnitude that struck the Malibu area on Friday and was felt 50 miles away in Los Angeles.

(The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, the experts say. Wherever you are, drop down to your hands and knees and hold onto something sturdy. If you’re using a wheelchair or walker with a seat, make sure your wheels are locked and remain seated until the shaking stops.)

In Alaska, meanwhile, a swarm of more than 100 shallow earthquakes at Mount Spurr this weekend suggests the volcano could be moving closer to an eruption, experts said, potentially threatening air travel to Asia. The 11,070-foot mountain is 75 miles west of Anchorage, and in previous eruptions has ejected huge plumes of volcanic ash up to 45,000 feet.

In Italy, meanwhile, Mount Etna’s eruptions, which began on February 12, continue to intensify. And now a powerful earthquake swarm has brought Campi Flegrei near Naples 500 tremors—and two earthquakes of 3.9 magnitude—since Saturday. Experts are calling it the most significant seismic events in the area in the past four decades.

While the eruption is beautiful to see, the clouds of ash have forced several flights around Sicily to divert their paths, and the Italian authorities are urging visitors not to approach the area too closely.

The largest recent earthquake—a magnitude 8, the world’s strongest since 2023—last Saturday in the Caribbean Sea, southwest of George Town in the Cayman Islands, brought tsunami warnings in Colombia, Haiti, Belize, Saba, Aruba, Curacao, Costa Rica, the Bahamas, Cuba, the Cayman Islands, Panama, the Dominican Republic, Turks and Caicos, Honduras, Mexico, Bonaire, Guatemala, and Jamaica.

In the Aegean, the Greek islands of Santorini and its neighbors have been quieter following a series of earthquakes that sent many locals and tourists fleeing, but an undersea earthquake of magnitude 5.1 was recorded on Monday.

This is the second sales mistake in the series of ten.

If you want to get to the top of this profession, you have to stop focusing on yourself and start thinking about helping others succeed. Sounds absurdly simple. It isn’t.

As I mentioned earlier, your primary goal is to stop selling.

When you try to sell, it appears to everyone that you are selling, and nobody I know enjoys being “sold”. But, when you are legitimately, openly and sincerely interested in helping people, you will have their undivided attention and, eventually Read the rest of this entry »

PRESS RELEASE FROM COLLETTE

Pawtucket, Rhode Island – Feb. 13, 2025 — Collette’s signaled its continued dedication to supporting the travel trade community with the appointment of industry veteran Stephanie Mirando to Senior Vice President of Global Marketing.

In this role, Mirando will oversee the strategic direction and execution of global marketing initiatives in alignment with the company’s growth goals. She’ll steward the continued evolution of the Collette brand and market presence globally.

“It’s an honor to have worked in such a dynamic industry for more than a decade,” says Mirando. “I’m eager to bring Collette’s ‘be a trailblazer’ value to life in this role; leading the evolution of our marketing strategies to meet the needs of our audiences and continually Read the rest of this entry »

***This is the first article in a series of ten identifying selling mistakes which we all need to avoid making.

The “gift of gab” has no place in business today. There is no need for memorizing and rehearsing “comebacks” and pro-active “sales pitches.” After taking the time to understand one’s particular buying motives, your one-and-only recourse is to simply recommend what you feel is best for the buyer.

All the sales books I have read include a lengthy chapter telling how it will be in the interest of you and your pocketbook to sell people up. “If the prospect says this… you say that. If they do that… you do this”. When they finally do buy “this”, you slide in a few “that’s”. Sounds pretty manipulative, if you ask me. I feel strongly that these tactics demean the interaction between sales and client, and I ask you to take a look at your own practices… not only for the sake of your business but the reputation of sales professionals everywhere.

Read the rest of this entry »

Nerves are frazzling in the Mediterranean after days of constant undersea earthquakes continue to rock the Grecian Island of Santorini.

As the Greek Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Ministry declared a month-long state of emergency, Viking Star began skipping Santorini as a cruise port, replacing the stop at the popular blue-hued Aegean town with Olympia (Katakolon). And travel advisor Sue Hooper reports that Globus has canceled the Santorini portion of her clients’ tour and replaced it with Crete, as they will do for all tours for the rest of the month.

Israel is carefully monitoring its tsunami warning systems, on high alert for a giant wave caused by the Greek earthquake along its 125-mile Mediterranean coastline—especially in cities like the cruise port of Haifa.

And officials in Turkey cautioned that more earthquakes are possible there.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday announced a $3 million funding package to construct an emergency evacuation route in the southern part of Santorini.

Experts say they cannot predict when the “seismic crisis” on Santorini will end, or whether a major volcanic eruption or tsunami will occur. But everyone wants to be prepared. Santorini itself was formed by a volcano that erupted in 1600 BC, sending a 165-foot tsunami (about the height of Niagara Falls) barreling across the Mediterranean to Turkey, Syria, Egypt and Israel.

Despite some concerns about overtourism in the river cruise market, just a week after Celebrity announced its entry into the small-ship river cruising (Royal Caribbean’s Celebrity Brand Roars into River Cruising | Travel Research Online, it’s fair to say response across the industry—from the consortia to the travel advisors to even competitors—ranges from the positive to the jumping for joy.

Virtuoso Board Member (and former CEO of Azamara, Seadream and Cunard) Larry Pimentel said, “As one of the world’s leading sellers of river cruise vacations, Virtuosos global network welcomes Celebrity Cruises entry into the river cruise market in 2027. As a key premium ocean-going cruise line, Celebrity’s expansion into river cruising marks a significant milestone for both the brand and the industry. Read the rest of this entry »

The swells keep coming this Wave Season, as Celebrity Cruises this week followed up its entry into river cruising by releasing details of the new Celebrity Xcel, which will debut in November. The focus, it seems, is not only on bringing the outdoors in, but on bringing the destination onboard during sea days as well.

So forget about Eden; Celebrity Xcel will replace that ephemeral concept on Decks 4-6 with a modern-day Paradise that is much more down-to-earth—and right outside those floor-to-ceiling windows: the Caribbean in the winter season and Europe in the summer.

The Eden space now will become The Bazaar—a “multilevel, multisensory space” that changes every day of each voyage to represent “the sights, sounds, flavors and traditions of the current destination. For the inaugural 2025 Caribbean itineraries, the area will rotate four festivals paying homage to the cultures of the Bahamas, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and the Caribbean in general.

The point is partly to change days at sea into days that feel like you are already in the destination, trying rum and chocolate, basket weaving, and browsing offerings of Mexican hats and leather from local vendors onboard as you sail the Caribbean, for example.

Guests will find themed snacks and drinks in the Bazaar, along with cooking and dance classes and entertainment. Dishes “inspired by the destination” will be the focus of the tasting menu at the Mosaic open-kitchen restaurant and its specialty Chef’s Table and Chef’s Studio cooking school, as well as the casual Spice under those gorgeous windows overlooking the sea.

Members of Celebrity’s “Dream Makers” community will help choose festival entertainment, market activities and menu items. (To join, you can register at https://www.celebritycruises.com/xceldreammakers.)

In port, new shore excursions will include food-oriented Chef’s Market Discoveries, Small Group Journeys led by local guides, and personalized, exclusive visits on Private Journeys. And in Nassau, Celebrity guests will be able to enjoy the brand-new Royal Beach Club, which will open in late 2025.

For its inaugural season (already on sale) the 3,248-passenger Celebrity Xcel will sail seven-night itineraries from Fort Lauderdale to the Bahamas, Mexico, Cayman Islands, Puerto Plata, St. Thomas and St. Maarten. In Summer 2026, it will sail its inaugural European season in the Mediterranean, with 7- to 11-night itineraries from Barcelona or Athens, including all new overnight stays in Madeira, Portugal.

Anyone who has seen any footage of the recent fires in Southern California has to have been terrified. It looked as though Los Angeles, long seen by the world as a heavenly place, had been turned into a flaming inferno. The spreading, engulfing flames carried by high winds were beyond any human efforts to resist. It defied belief and still does. The situation is literally beyond comprehension.

California has suffered one of the worst disasters ever seen. The destruction is almost impossible to calculate. However, most of Southern California is still intact and escaped any damage from the fires. Californians need support more than ever.

According to the State of California nearly 58,000 acres have burned during the recent wave of fires, which is not even finished yet. More than 16,000 buildings have been destroyed. Miraculously, only 29 fatalities were recorded from the catastrophe Read the rest of this entry »

A series of earthquakes on the Greek island of Santorini over the weekend continues into Monday, rattling visitors and residents every 10 or 20 minutes. Experts say they are likely to continue for weeks, causing hundreds of locals and visitors to flee on ferryboats or head to the airport. Aegean Airlines has added three flights a day on Monday and Tuesday in response to a request from Greece’s Civil Protection Ministry.

A prime destination for sun worshippers and newlyweds, Santorini itself sits on a volcano causing concerns that it will experience more seismic activity and landslides.

Precautions were ordered here and on nearby islands after more than 200 earthquakes, many with magnitudes over 4.5, were recorded under the Aegean Sea over the past three days. People were warned to avoid indoor gatherings, check escape routes, stay away from cliffs where rock slides might occur, and drain swimming pools to reduce potential structural damage to buildings in the event of a large earthquake.

Authorities in Santorini’s main town, Fira, designated gathering points in case of potential evacuation.

The Greek ministry also advised people to avoid the surrounding ports of Amoudi, Armeni, Korfos and Old Port (Paleos Limenas) and to immediately leave coastal areas if they feel a strong tremor.

Greece lies in a part of the world known for frequent seismic activity. The vast majority cause little or no damage, but some have been deadly. Santorini itself was formed by one the largest volcanic eruptions in history, in about 1600 BC. The last eruption was in 1950.

With tensions easing a bit in the Middle East, Delta Airlines will become the first US carrier to resume direct service from New York JFK to Tel Aviv, Israel, on April 1, in time for the busy Passover/Easter holidays that bring millions of faith-based tourists to the Holy Land.

Israel-based airline Arkia, meanwhile, will begin three weekly flights from JFK next week, on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, with tickets priced from $1,199. It joins Israeli flag carrier El Al, the only airline to fly continuously throughout the hostage crisis.

Other international airlines resuming flights are: Air India, starting March 2; Air France, starting January 25; British Airways, starting April 24; and The Lufthansa Group (including Swiss, Austrian, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, and Eurowings) starting February 2025.

Travel to Israel fell 68% in 2024, after the hostages were taken on Oct. 7, 2023, the Israel Ministry of Tourism (IMOT) said, but rebounded 44% in December. Still, almost a million tourists visited the tiny country last year.

“While 2024 brought historic challenges for Israel’s tourism industry, we thank those who came to visit loved ones, participate in solidarity and volunteer missions, as well as those who supported us from near and far,” said Yael Golan, Interim Tourism Commissioner to North America at the Israel Ministry of Tourism. “Our community is incredibly resilient, and the news of a ceasefire and the ongoing return of hostages continues to bring us hope for a peaceful future. Israel’s tourism infrastructure continued to move forward during these challenging times with the introduction of new hotels, restaurants and museum exhibits. Whether you are planning a visit in 2025 or in the hopeful future, Israel looks forward to welcoming you.”

In preparation for what it hopes will be an influx of travelers in 2025, the Jerusalem Convention Bureau has launched a website for meeting planners that offers about suppliers, shares attractions in Jerusalem suitable for groups, and allows planners to submit RFPs.

Notable high-end hotel openings include the David’s Harp Galilee Resort, on the Sea of Galilee, which reopens with 18 new luxury suites and two presidential suites, plus a new spa, and the extensively renovated Galilion Hotel in the Upper Galilee, as well as the brand new adults-only Roxon Red Sea Eilat. There’s also a new national park, Yam Caesarea, Israel’s first marine national park, where guests can swim or snorkel in King Herod the Great’s Caesarea Harbor, openned in 10 BCE.

Jewish young adults are invited to visit their homeland at no cost through Birthright Israel, which will host 6,500 young Jewish adults from all over the world on internships and volunteer opportunities.

I have gone on record for more than one occasion and said that it is my personal opinion many travel professionals are making growing business harder than it needs to be. I am not implying it is snap easy. I do feel that there might be an easier way.

Today, and for the next ten weeks, I am going to share a few messages with you designed to help prevent you from shooting yourself in the foot. Without thinking about it, you may be and probably are” guilty of making mistakes that are directly affecting your forward progress.  Just by focusing on Read the rest of this entry »

In late February, Britton and I fly to Budapest to board AmaMagna. It’s the beautiful super-sized ship operated by AmaWaterways. Because AmaMagna is twice the width of a typical river cruiser, the ship can only operate on the Danube. Great, you say, but in February?

That’s right. We will be part of a press trip, courtesy of AmaWaterways. Our media contact tells us that temperatures can range from lows of 28° to highs of 59° so he advises that we pack layers, along with gloves and hats. We plan on doing just that. Read the rest of this entry »

In the end, “sales is a numbers game. You keep filling your hopper. And they keep coming back,” says Carol Nunnery of Nunnery Travels & Assocs.

Nunnery is one of several top-selling Dream Vacations franchise owners who took the time during their annual conference to share ideas on how to grow your travel business. It’s a question that’s been on her mind as she launches a push to expand beyond land sales, where she is the top franchise in the network, into a new niche. One good place to start a growth spurt, she knows, always is with a group.

So she is hosting her first cruise group with the Ivas John Band, a local blues group she admires whose customer base is primarily middle-income “hippies and educators.” Read the rest of this entry »

With the astonishing advances in AI in the last three years, it might be a good time to reassess the importance of the human touch in customer service. I am amazed at what the latest wave of generative AI can do, on top of the tremendous advances we’ve been living with for a while already. A new horizon is coming into view of infinite ways to apply these new technologies. People are discovering ways to combine them with other technologies that already exist or are now being developed. We are only at the beginning of learning what works and what doesn’t. Nearly any repetitive task can be automated. But some customer relations functions are better performed by people. Read the rest of this entry »

New York City — Since the pandemic, says Hilton Hotels SVP of architecture and design Larry Traxler, “luxury and lifestyle are off the charts. It’s all about giving people a sense of place so when they wake up they know where they are.”

From the international space station, where they are partnering to design the perfect small space, to the backwoods, where they are rolling out glamping experiences, Hilton wants to be there for your luxury guests, combining comfort and service with unforgettable experiences.

For 2025, the focus clearly is in experiences in the luxury market, said Dan Reynolds, SVP of global content, media and partnerships. Hilton’s new partnerships with Small Luxury Hotels of the World has brought more than 400 boutique properties, bringing guests close to communities around the world. Teaming with McLaren gives Formula One fans private access to race weekends; its expanding roster of “Stay Like” pop-up overnights, such as “Stay Like” Wicked, lets them imagine themselves on the Broadway stage. “We’re thinking about how to bring that fandom and make it bookable,” SVP Content, Media and Partnerships Dan Reynolds told me.

And at the end of a busy day, a new partnership with Calm offers tranquility and restfulness.

Among the new properties rolling out this year, arguably the most exciting for this Manhattan crowd is the reopening of the Waldorf Astoria New York, “a flagship for our entire company, the crown of our portfolio,” said Dino Michael, Hilton’s global head of luxury.  A city block long, it will boast “all the areas you know and love, restored beyond their former glory.” Also in the lineup are new Conrads in Hamburg and Athens; Waldorf Astorias in Costa Rica, Osaka, Shanghai and Rabat; and a new Signia by Hilton in Amman, the brand’s first venture outside the United States.

But also in the lineup are great new properties including Conrads in Hamburg and Athens; Waldorf Astorias in Costa Rica, Osaka, Shanghai and Rabat; Conrads in Athens and Hamburg; and a new Signia by Hilton in Amman, the brand’s first venture outside the United States. In the Dominican Republic, the Zemi Miches All-Inclusive Resort, Curio Collection by Hilton, will offer a new-build high-end totally immersive experience, from the design to the architecture. (30% of new Curios will be resorts, SVP Jenna Hackett, Hilton’s Global Brand Leader, Lifestyle, told me.) For skiers, there’s the new ski-in, ski-out Hotel Ascent Park City, Tapestry Collection by Hilton in Utah, an all-condo property, and the Hotel Alpenrock Breckenridge, Curio Collection by Hilton in Colorado.

“I’m excited about the growth in the lifestyle space, and our goals are very ambitious. We are building teams to build out multiple experiences focused on food and beverage, design and experiences. And we’re looking to grow resort destinations with an F&B focus in the all-inclusive space,” Hackett said.

A new partnership with Autocamp, meanwhile, offers 300-foot luxury Airstream campers in eight domestic locations—perfect for families or outdoor enthusiasts who might want to add a couple of nights in a national park or hiking in the Bay Area with a stay at a more traditional Hilton luxury hotel.

For Traxler, though, “luxury” begins with a comfortable room—and that starts with smart zoning. In Amman or in the woods, across all 24 Hilton brands, it’s about an efficient triangle comprising the vanity, shower and wardrobe. “Whether it’s 1,000 square feet or 200, it’s about giving people as much space as possible to do what they want to do.”

Since the pandemic, Traxler says, guests are demanding—and property owners are willing to pay for—touches that add that unique sense of place, from indigenous plants and art or meeting rooms filled with natural light. “Everyone wants a ballroom that opens and a rooftop bar,” he said.

In short, said Hilton chief marketing officer Mark Weinstein, “it matters where you stay. And your stay will be different if it’s at a Hilton.”

Founded in 1970, Goway Travel is now in its 55^th year.

Whatever else was happening in the world between 1970 and today, Bruce Hodge was building a travel company. He was a young Australian trained as an economist, but that interest was overridden by a passion for travel. He moved from Australia to Canada and settled in Toronto. After working briefly as a tour guide in England he got the inspiration to start his own tour operation.

He started it as a one-man operation working out of his Toronto apartment. He worked in a peanut butter factory to support the company as it was getting off the ground.

As the travel industry looks forward to a new year of adventure and innovation, Host Agency Reviews is set to kick off Host Week 2025, its fifth annual celebration dedicated to hosted travel agents. This much-anticipated event, slated to run each January, is a vibrant homage to the contributions of hosted advisors and an acknowledgment of the industry’s dynamic support system that propels them.

Travel agents are invited to join this week-long festivity, which promises an array of enriching experiences tailored specifically for industry professionals. Host Week’s agenda features:

• Networking Opportunities: Engage with prominent host agencies and consortia through exclusive meet-and-greet sessions. Forge lasting relationships that can catalyze your business growth.
• Exclusive Deals: Attendees will have access to specialized promotions, meticulously curated for Host Week participants, enabling agents to enhance their offerings and deliver exceptional value to their clients.
• Inspiring Keynotes: Be inspired by uplifting speeches from industry leaders. These thought-provoking sessions are designed to motivate travel agents, equipping them with fresh insights and strategies to thrive in the ever-evolving travel landscape.
• Educational Sessions: Dive into EduSpots led by some of the most passionate educators in the field. These sessions will not only broaden your knowledge base but also provide practical skills to implement in your agency.

The event boasts an exceptional lineup of presenters determined to prepare you for a successful 2025, helping you refine your agency’s operations and maximize its potential. Best of all, this premier industry event is completely free of charge, ensuring that all travel agents have the opportunity to partake in its manifold benefits.

Secure your spot at Host Week 2025 and get ready to elevate your agency’s game like never before.

For more information and to register, visit Host Agency Reviews’ official website.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico — The mornings are cool and the afternoons are hot. The beach is empty and beautiful and free of seaweed. The signature bougainvillea is coming into fiery bloom against the poinsettia and the Christmas tree. And the food is nothing like you would expect at an all-inclusive in Mexico.

In short, there’s no better time to be in Puerto Vallarta in general, and at a Grand Velas resort in particular, than the weeks after Thanksgiving and before the Christmas rush. At just about 30% capacity and perfect 82-degree temperatures, the three properties here are friendlier than ever, their surf more inviting, their pricing more reasonable.