Happy New Year

Happy New Year!  2017 is ramping up to be an exciting year of travel. So we thought we'd share stories about the hottest travel trends that are going to impact where - and how - you travel in the coming months and even years. What do we see in our crystal ball/ champagne glass?  

Whether you're planning family, 'bleisure' (business/leisure), solo, romantic or couple travels, gal or pal getaways, from the uber luxurious to the economical, 2017 travel will be all about:

• Wellness and Adventure: Getting outdoors and being active, returning more healthy than when you left, doing something other than pounding pavement or cobblestones every day...  visitors have more and more new, healthy and adventurous (not necessarily dangerous!) ways to experience destinations.

• Cuba: Travel to Cuba has changed forever now that relations with the US are normalizing. If you haven't already been, there are even more ways to explore one of the world's last restricted travel areas.

• New Cruise Ships: Ocean or river, luxury or expedition, new cruise ships, with itineraries, designs, amenities, activities and celebrity entertainment or culinary partnerships that battle to outdo each other just keep on coming!  What WILL they do next on a ship? We'll keep you abreast of all the latest developments. If you're one of the last few people who still thinks cruising is about 'blue hair and buffets', you should take a look at the latest generation of cruise ships... and passengers.  There really is a cruise out there for every traveler.

• Celebrations: Canada commemorates its 150th birthday in 2017, and it's also riding a wave at the top of nearly every 'best place to travel' list.  Did you know as many Americans travel to Canada every year as go to all of Europe?  And with the dollar and other considerations, it's never been a better year for vacationing close to home.  So throughout 2017, we're going to share some of our favorite stories about Canada to inspire your travels. 

• Local and authentic: Local food, local artisans... everyone is looking for authentic, local production, creation, and consumption. There's a global awareness that we're all looking to be more connected with each other and the items we consume.  Products with provenance and people with passion and rejuvenated cities and neighbourhoods.  There's more and more of it out there to discover.

• Connecting: Staying connected with those at home, and connecting with the people, Nature, and wildlife where you're traveling.

• Customization:  It's never been easier to work with a travel expert to craft a trip of your dreams.  In the past, it may have been harder to tweak a trip to get exactly what you want, but a new age of crafting travel itineraries is upon us, at every price point.  If you're just saying 'yes' and dropping down your credit card, you're missing out.

We want to inspire your travel imagination in 2017... and then make those dreams come true!

Safe and memorable travels in 2017!

A Wee Dram in Aberdeen: Consider a Visit to these Distilleries

• Strathisla Distillery

Seafield Avenue, Keith, Banffshire
With its distinctive pagodas, cobbled courtyard and picturesque buildings, Strathisla Distillery is arguably the most beautiful distillery in Scotland. Founded in 1786, it is also the oldest operating distillery in the Scottish Highlands.

• The Glenfiddich Distillery

Dufftown, Moray
World famous working distillery. On Christmas Day in 1887, William Grant watched proudly as the first spirit ran from the stills at Glenfiddich Distillery. Five generations later the distillery is still owned and managed by the Grant family. Glenfiddich is unique in the fact that it is the only Highland Single Malt that is distilled, matured and bottled at its own distillery.

• Balvenie Distillery

Dufftown
The Balvenie is unlike all other single malt Scotch whiskies, thanks to a unique combination of human craft and natural alchemy. Neither the craft nor nature’s mysteries have changed in over a century. A visit to the distillery in Speyside, Scotland, brings this all to life.

• Speyside Cooperage Visitor Centre

Craigellachie, Aberlour, Banffshire
No visit to Speyside would be complete without a visit to the Speyside Cooperage, the only cooperage in Britain with a Visitor Centre. Here you can watch the coopers make and repair the barrels for the whisky industry.

• Royal Lochnagar Distillery

Crathie, Ballater, Aberdeenshire
Royal Lochnagar distillery is situated on the south side of the River Dee close to Balmoral Castle. Age old traditions and craftsmanship produce one of Scotland's most exclusive whiskies. A visit to Royal Lochnagar is a timeless experience. Visitors can see distillers tending to the traditional mash-tun and gleaming copper stills. At the tour end, a complimentary dram will confirm that Royal Lochnagar is a malt whisky worthy of the "Royal" prefix to its name.

Five myths about travel Consultants

by Everett Potter, Special for USA TODAY

Mention the phrase "travel agent" to many travelers, regardless of age, and they can't imagine why they would ever use one. It's easier and faster than ever to book a hotel, airline ticket or car rental online, and there are user reviews everywhere, so why would anyone need an agent? We found out when we looked at some of the myths about how they work.

1. I can easily book the same trip on my own without using a travel agent.

Sure, you can book a trip yourself, but it may not be the same trip that you'd get through a travel agent.

"If they book it themselves, they're just a credit card number" to a travel supplier, says Anne Morgan Scully, president of McCabe World Travel, a Virtuoso agency in McLean, Va. "I make a point of knowing the general manager of the hotel where they might be staying and I usually call the GM the night before one of my clients arrives and see if they might be upgraded. If they book with a good agent, they're known on arrival."

 Agents are especially useful on specialized trips, whether it's a honeymoon, a cruise or an adventure travel vacation.

"Anyone can book a hotel room and a rental car but I sell romantic trips and adventure travel to Africa," says Jonathan Haraty of Jon's Dive & Travel Services in East Longmeadow, Mass., a Tripology agency. "Do you want to take a chance on booking your own hotel or safari camp in Africa? Will someone be there to pick you up in the airport in Nairobi? I know people who've been stranded when they arrive. That's one reason you need an agent."

"They can read all of the hotel and resort reviews on the Web that they want," he says. "But will they really be happy at an all-inclusive resort? Do they plan to go out every night? What kind of room do they really want? The answers aren't readily available on the internet."

"It's simply knowing who to call," says Scully.

And when you're stranded because of a canceled or delayed flight, there's nothing like e-mailing or texting your travel agent to get you on another flight. They can often do it much faster than the airline.

 

2. I can get cheaper prices online than I can when booking through a travel agent.

"You could be correct," Scully demurs, "But it's not what you pay walking in the door, it's what you pay when you leave."

She's referring to the upgrades that a good agent can get for a client, upgrades based on a relationship with a hotel, a cruise line or a tour operator. Agents who send clients to the same properties get to know the staff. The hotels and cruise lines, for example, want repeat business, and might reward the agent's clients with perks like a room or cabin upgrade or a bottle of champagne. It could be complimentary breakfast during a stay or even a spa credit. These are much more than niceties. The value can add up quickly when the hotel in question is charging $25 or much more per person for breakfast or hundreds of dollars more per night for a larger room category. Scully says that even if a client finds a good price at hotel, she can often make a call and get a perk or two thrown in to sweeten the deal.

3. Travel agents steer you to hotels or cruise lines where they get a higher commission.

Not true, says Scully, who says that "we wouldn't keep our clients if we did that."

Instead, she plays what she calls "The Match Game," developing a relationship with a client and learning what their tastes are.

"I could be getting a huge commission from some cruise line but if the client isn't a fit, it doesn't make sense," she says. "It's all about finding the perfect match."

4. Travel agents charge surcharges and fees on top of the price.

Some certainly do. Travel agents get paid on commission by hotels, airlines and resorts, but many more are charging fees on top of that because of their time. Putting together an itinerary, particularly one involving a complicated trip, like a safari, or booking multiple tickets and transfers for an extended family vacation, is a lot of work. Charging a fee is a bit of insurance for all of the time and effort put into creating an itinerary in the event that a client ends up canceling.

"You could spend three weeks creating an itinerary and then a client could take it and shop it around for the lowest price," says Haraty. "When I plan a trip to Africa, it could be 100 e-mails back and forth, multiple phone calls, and two months before its finalized."

That said, everyone handles fees differently. Some agencies charge fees up front and then drop the fees when the client actually books.

5. All travel agents are the same.

"Absolutely not," says Scully. "It's like picking a lawyer, doctor or dentist. They need to be right for you and certified by the right organizations. I think people have to realize we are counselors and concierges and lifestyle planners. People should choose a travel planner the way they choose a financial planner."