Just Picture It Now

Beaches Turks & Caicos Expands Resort Program

TravelPro — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 12:00:01 +0000

Wow! What a week! Sorry, I haven’t been around much this week. My post on Monday got a ton of traffic and I appreciate the private messages, e-mails and phone calls. Every so often you write something that strikes a nerve and you learn to just ride that wave of traffic. I also enjoyed the [...]

If You Don’t Like The Heat…

TravelPro — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 12:00:44 +0000

You best stay out of the kitchen. Being one of the more visible YTB blogs on the internet, I have my share of readership. Most readers are supporters and enjoy my insight and information about our company. I also have my share of detractors. Some I would safely say detest my existence for one reason [...]

Desperate for Cheese…

TravelPro — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:00:12 +0000

Most all of you have read my tribute to Andy Cauthen. I’ve personally spoken with him and he’s adjusting to the drastic change from corn fields to cement and tall buildings. In my tribute, I mentioned that the only explanation critics would get was a Press Release to gnaw on that really won’t say [...]

The Scarlet Letters

TravelPro — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 12:00:33 +0000

I don’t know how many actually remember reading “The Scarlet Letter“, nor how many have actually read this classic Nathanial Hawthorne novel. It takes place in Boston in the seventeenth century. A woman named Hester was sentenced to wear a large Scarlett Letter on her breast after it was discovered that her child was conceived [...]

Could Carnival’s Price Increase Be Good News?

TravelPro — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 12:00:01 +0000

I had this scheduled for Friday, but with so much attention on our good friend Andy Cauthen, I decided to bump this back until today. That being said, this may not be “news” for many who follow the industry closely, but I still wanted to offer up how I perceive this news. For those of you [...]

A Tribute to Good Friend, Andy Cauthen…

TravelPro — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:00:26 +0000

One of the best aspects about being part of YTB are the friendships I’ve been able to form over the years. I’ve never been with a company with more quality leadership than with YTB. One of those at the very top of my list is Andy Cauthen. In my humble opinion, Andy missed his true calling. He [...]

Orbitz Reports Net Loss of $337 Million

TravelPro — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 12:00:20 +0000

You’ve heard it, I’ve heard it – just about everyone has heard how wonderful travel sales have been from “Travel Professionals”. Even with all the doom and gloom about a recession last year. Heck, it’s easy to say things are wonderful when you don’t have to disclose just how well you’re really doing. Very [...]

Predatory Lending Takes Another Hit…

TravelPro — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 12:00:59 +0000

Back in August I wrote about mandatory changes in the hideous tactics credit card companies use that trap consumers. Today, the second phase of these mandatory changes goes into effect. I’ve had a personal interest in these changes as both Ronda and I got caught up in the traps that are now banned. Both of [...]

YTB’s Travel Training Roadshow Kicks Off

TravelPro — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:00:54 +0000

During my second full year with YTB, the company launched what was known as a Regional Travel Training. The tour hit several of the major markets around the country where vendors and suppliers came to us, instead of requiring us to come to them. At the time, YTB had grown to a size that enabled [...]

ZamZuu Revolution

TravelPro — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 12:00:48 +0000

We’ve talked about the shopping experience with ZamZuu several times over the last several weeks. It’s become such a simple process to Google a particular product and have a listing of all the suppliers who offer that product show up in a search complete with prices. Find a price you like? Chances are, it’s offered [...]