As airfares continue to rise, travelers are seeking ways to maximize their experiences by extending their stays in their chosen destination. Award-winning luxury river cruise line AmaWaterways is catering to this trend with its 14-night “Grand River Cruises,” combining some of Europe’s most popular itineraries into a single voyage. The 2025 season sees three new combinations – Grand Seine & Bordeaux, Grand Seine & Rhône and Grand Rhine & Dutch Canals, adding to the existing Magnificent Europe and Grand Danube. Read the rest of this entry »

PRESS RELEASE FROM TRAVELSMG

A New Era of Collaboration in Travel

(Boston, MA – October 30, 2024) European Travel Agent Forum (ETAF), an exclusive B2B event connecting North America’s top-performing Travel Agents with Europe’s leading vacation destinations and providers, recently concluded with strong optimism for a surge in business engagement.

Produced by Travel Show Marketing Group (TravelSMG), an independent event organizer catering to the Travel Agent market and in conjunction with the government of Terceira Island, this exclusive event took place throughout Terceira Island in the Azores of Portugal from October 16 – 20, 2024.

Agents in attendance were held to stringent standards during the event’s vetting process, adding to the overall level of productivity and ROI. ETAF’s hosted program model guarantees that only top-tier Travel Agents participate, ensuring their full engagement and commitment to the industry partnerships established.

The forum brought together over 250 travel agents, industry leaders, and tourism professionals from across Europe to explore the future of travel in a rapidly evolving market. Alongside strong participation from European suppliers, the event also drew in business and technology solution partners from across the globe. In total, representatives from over 20 countries were in attendance.

“TravelSMG is committed to empowering Travel Agents and fostering collaboration across the industry,” said Jim Cloonan, President at TravelSMG. “The European Travel Agent Forum has set the stage for meaningful dialogue and partnerships that will shape the future of travel across Europe.”

Agents in attendance had the opportunity to network with peers and industry leaders, fostering collaborations that will drive innovation and growth within the travel sector. They took part in unique experiences throughout the island to support their destination knowledge. Feedback from participants highlighted the value of the forum in creating connections, generating new ideas, and reinvigorating a drive for success.

Travel Agents and Suppliers took part in mutual interest appointments, generating nearly 3,500 connections. In addition to these formal business meetings, the educational program focused on the Azorean culture along with presentations from Kensington Tours, Hyatt’s Inclusive Collection European Resorts, Sagres Vacations and aliveXperiences. With a complete focus on European inbound holidays, the event offered opportunities for Travel Agents to gain in-depth knowledge while forging critical relationships with Suppliers across Europe.

The event also featured an exhibition showcasing the latest hotels and services from leading travel brands throughout the Azores, providing Agents with tools to enhance their offerings to the islands and better serve their clients.

Looking ahead, TravelSMG will announce plans soon for the 2025 European Travel Agent Forum.

ABOUT TRAVEL SHOW MARKETING GROUP

Travel Show Marketing Group (TravelSMG) is an independent organization offering solutions that drive success in the B2B leisure vacation market. Since 2009 TravelSMG has partnered with thousands of tourism clients to engage and empower the North American Travel Agent community through education, networking, and global experiences. Their diverse range of engagement solutions includes large-scale trade shows, specialized niche-focused events, and a comprehensive suite of digital opportunities. All of their solutions work together to help their Supplier Partners enhance their visibility among Travel Sellers. For more information on TravelSMG and their full suite of events, visit www.TravelSMG.com .

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.

Even in an AI world, competition for really smart, knowledgeable and experienced travel advisors is stiffer than ever—not just among high-end customers but apparently among host agencies as well. At its annual conference last week, Avoya Travel Network announced upgrades to the commissions it will be paying its independent advisors (IAs)—and a $5,000 sign-on bonus to newcomers bringing in a book of business of their own.

Avoya traditionally has paid its advisors 30% of the commission on bookings obtained through its Avoya Live lead program, or 80% on bookings of their personal customers. Last year, it began testing an Elite 100 program that raised commissions with preferred suppliers to 100% on bookings of personal clients. Read the rest of this entry »

PRESS RELEASE FROM OUTSIDE AGENTS

Jacksonville, FL, October 22, 2024 – OutsideAgents.com, America’s premier host travel agency, recently held its annual conference at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina and onboard Royal Caribbean’s Independence of the Seas. With a theme of Turn Passion Into Profit, over 500 participants were in attendance for the eight-day event including member agents, preferred vendor representatives, industry leaders, and OutsideAgents.com staff. Read the rest of this entry »

People often ask me where I get my ideas from for future articles. After penning over 2500 articles, I too find myself scratching my head at times. The answer, however, is quite simple. I live my life while paying attention to my surroundings. Life itself is a constant saga (article) unfolding as the days, weeks, months and years expeditiously fly by.

Strangely enough, today’s reminder comes to you via the Clark Gym’s Sauna Box in Cooperstown, NY. I recently found myself chatting with a man who Read the rest of this entry »

Madeira, an enchanting island nestled in the Atlantic Ocean, is a haven where nature’s majesty and human history create a captivating tapestry. Known for its steep, dramatic mountains and verdant valleys, this Portuguese archipelago offers visitors a glimpse into a world of natural beauty and cultural richness.

The island’s capital, Funchal, is a city alive with history and modern vibrance. Located off the northeastern shores of Africa, Madeira benefits from a subtropical climate ideal for lush landscapes and diverse ecological life. Funchal is renowned for its historic old town, with slanted streets dating back to the 15th century, booming with quaint markets, and squares echoing a bygone era.

AmaWaterways, the first major river cruise line to navigate the Magdalena River in Colombia, shared its latest updates in preparation for the inaugural sailing of its first ship in Colombia, AmaMagdalena, set for 2025. The company is focused on enhancing the luxury cruising experience along this river, a new destination for river cruising, ensuring guests enjoy authentic and enriching connections to the region’s culture and heritage. Read the rest of this entry »

For the 2025 travel season CroisiEurope, the France-based river cruise operator, is offering some new destinations and itineraries, as well as some exclusive departures for the U.S. market. The company is introducing new cruise itineraries in Belgium, the Netherlands and India.

These three new entries are added to CroisiEurope’s roster of some 170 itineraries on 50 ships in 37 countries, stretching across Europe, the Mediterranean, Northern and Southern Africa, and South and Southeast Asia. Read the rest of this entry »

With two cities hit by hotel worker walkouts this week, many travel advisors and meeting planners are holding their breath and praying for a settlement before their clients are affected.

In Boston, the nearly 700 employees of the Omni Parker House and Omni Boston Hotel at the Seaport began a strike that will last until their demands are met, according to UNITE HERE Local 26. They join more than 600 workers already on strike at the Hilton Boston Park Plaza and Hilton Boston Logan Airport.

Workers from other properties may join the strike at any time and for any duration, the union said, and strikers will staff picket lines outside the hotel entrances 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Seattle also is dealing with striking workers, but only until October 19, at the Hilton Hotel Seattle Airport and Hilton Seattle Airport & Conference Centre.

Meeting planners whose groups are headed to the affected properties “need to be in immediate touch with the GMs and CSMs of the hotels in which their meetings are contracted AFTER they check their contracts carefully to determine whether hotel worker strikes are covered under force majeure or other clauses,” meetings industry consultant Joan Eisenstodt told TRO. “Determine how the hotel will be staffed and if those attending and servicing your meetings (AV companies and other workers who may service your meeting or the hotel) will cross picket lines. Take nothing for granted.”

Across the country, more than 5,000 hotel workers are on strike at Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott, and Omni hotels, including front desk agents, housekeepers, bellhops and doormen, cooks and servers and bartenders. They are demanding higher wages and complaining their workloads have gotten out of hand due to Covid-era staff cuts.

Hotel strikes also continue in Honolulu, New Haven, Providence, San Diego, and San Francisco. The union is urging travelers not to eat, meet, or sleep at any hotel that is on strike.

Unite Here represents workers in hotels, casinos, and airports across the United States and Canada.

The Travel Institute is again offering its dedicated TRIPKIT^SM Scholarship Fund, providing tuition assistance on the education leader’s award-winning new agent training program.

First launched in January 2024 in celebration of the non-profit educator’s 60th anniversary, the TRIPKIT scholarship is available during October while funds last Read the rest of this entry »

With lots of new attractions about to open and a boom in tourists carrying electronic devices, Mexico has done away with what is arguably its most unpopular policy, a tax on bringing more than one computer or tablet into Cancun.

“After almost a month of talks,” Governor Mara Lezama Espinosa posted on Facebook on Friday, Mexico will “eliminate the charge for bringing more than one computer or electronic tablets into your personal luggage, within the #Cancun International Airport, with the support of Mexican Customs” (https://fb.watch/vcWouT4KBJ/).

The change is effective immediately.

The tax has been listed on the Mexican government website for some time, apparently in an effort to discourage travelers from bringing in electronic devices and selling them tax-free. But media reports about the tax, which was applied only occasionally and seemingly out of the blue to unsuspecting random travelers, have been calling attention to it—and citing tourists charged $190 to bring in their iPad as well as their computer—for the past few weeks. (Perhaps our own story helped bring attention to the issue; see Bringing a Laptop and an iPad to Mexico Can Cost You Hundreds of Dollars | Travel Research Online!)

“This was an old franchise regulation that no longer aligns with these times of technology, home office, in addition to the key tourism sector who travel to our destination to attend conferences, conventions and professional meetings,” Lezama said. “As a result of various uncomfortable and inconvenient situations detected at customs in the Cancun International Airport which have affected our destination’s image such as not allowing international and domestic tourists, as well as residents, to bring more than one device be it computer, laptop or tablet, we visited the area and reviewed the criteria used to allow tourists through customs and thanks to the support and consideration of the Agencia Nacional de Aduanas de México (National Customs Agency of Mexico), we reviewed the procedure to reactivate the tourists flow through customs and eliminate this criteria.”

I was reminded again this week of the power of the sincere compliment. The scene this time was a small country restaurant in Richfield Springs, New York. This is a lazy little upstate town situated on Route 20 between Syracuse and Albany. I call it a restaurant but the term coffee dive might do it more poetic justice.  It is a small “joint” that serves breakfast. Got the picture? Read the rest of this entry »

Be they husbands and wives, mothers and daughters, or sisters and brothers, more and more travel advisors are finding there’s no better new hire than a member of your very own family. When you need a helping hand or a travel buddy—and when you consider a succession plan—many say home is the best place to start looking.

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.

With no profit to show since Covid, Spirit Airlines is discussing a possible restructuring in preparation for declaring bankruptcy, according to a report in The Wall Street Journal.

Citing “people who are familiar with the matter,” The Journal said Spirit has been talking bankruptcy since its failed merger with JetBlue Airways. The airline is struggling to compete with the big carriers, and was hard-hit when a recall of turbofan engines grounded many of its planes, including many that were supposed to fly to the new airport in Tulum, Mexico. Last month it furloughed 186 pilots.

As part of its efforts to enhance the bottom line, Spirit has been cutting flights and making changes to the services it offers. This summer it rolled out a premium “Go Big” fare class that offers a larger seat and early boarding, lifted its checked baggage limit from 40 to 50 pounds, and did away with change and cancelation fees.  Just this week it suspended nonstop service between Cleveland and Orlando, effective Nov. 5.

And still, it reported its 11th consecutive quarterly loss in August.

(Heads up: Of course we know there are two sides to every story. This is the “pro” side. Stay tuned next week for the “con.”)

When your niche is entertainment travel and your clients are ultra-high-net-worth, there’s no option but to sell air, says Ted Bradpiece. And he doesn’t really mind. It’s just another call or two a month he has to take late at night or on the weekend—and it pays as much as many travel advisors earn in a year.

As if it doesn’t already cost enough to visit Disney World, this month will usher in a number of price increases at Mickey’s Florida home.

Guests using the Lightning Lane Single Pass system will see the cost of four of the most popular attractions increase by $1-$3 per ride, in two stages, on October 18 and 21.

October 18 will bring the first round of price rises:

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train at Magic Kingdom: $12
• TRON Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom: $21
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT: $17
• Avatar Flight of Passage: $17

Those increases will be followed on October 21 to:

• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: $14
• TRON Lightcycle / Run: $22
• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: $19
• Avatar Flight of Passage: $18

The price for Star Wars Rise of the Resistance remains at $25.

Lightning Lane Passes offer access to rides that are not included in the Lightning Lane Multi Pass (for details see Lightning Lane Pass Guide and FAQ.) The prices are based on dynamic pricing, so costs fluctuate based on expected crowd levels.

Getting into the park will be more expensive as well. Disney World already announced the first price increase in five years for its least expensive ticket, the one-day one-park entry, to $119 from $109, and as much as $200 in peak seasons, effective January 1.

As we roll into fall and the hectic back-to-school season settles, it’s the perfect opportunity to inject a bit of adventure into your clients’ lives with a surprise road trip. We all have some fascinating places within driving distance. Why not channel your inner travel mastermind and create a unique driving getaway that will leave your clients pleasantly stunned? Here are some thoughts. Read the rest of this entry »

Jimmy Buffet once sang a tune that suggested that one’s attitude could be adjusted with a simple change of environment. His exact phraseology was: These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes. Nothing remains quite the same. Through all of the islands and all of the highlands, if we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane. Read the rest of this entry »

Princess Cruises has taken a step back—or a step forward, depending on how you look at it – when it comes to the price of water bottles onboard. Last week, with no warning, it tripled the price of a 12-pack of water from $7.09 to $24 (10 CAD to 32.40 CAD for Canadian guests).

On social media some lamented the big jump, calling it corporate greed, but others applauded the efforts of Princess and other travel suppliers to cut down on the use of plastics in the industry.

“I hope they are wearing masks because that’s daylight robbery,” said one member of the Prince Cruises Passenger Forum.

“I’m guessing they are trying to make up for some of the waste they are seeing as more and more people get packages that include unlimited water. I see half-finished and almost full bottles. Everywhere on cruise ships now,” explained another.

“They should raise it to $80 a case,” suggested a third.

There are other options for potable water, of course. Water in the cabin – on which Princess now has installed taps – is safe to drink, and guests can bring their own water bottles and fill them. It’s also permissible to bring up to 12 sealed, unopened 12-ounce cans or cartons of water or soda per passenger in your hand luggage.

Still, many guests have appreciated the convenience of pre-ordering water and having it delivered to their stateroom.

Kiss that option goodbye – or pay up for the privilege of polluting the planet and having someone else recycle all those bottles.

(Note: Princess Cruises did not reply to our request for a comment on this story.)