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Reality Check

Home Opinions Reality Check

Richard Turen is the managing director of the Churchill and Turen travel consultancy and has been named to Conde Nast Traveler’s List of the World’s Best Travel Consultants for the past 11 years. He has also been named one of the nation’s top “bespoke” travel planners by Travel+Leisure. Turen, a former cruise line executive, is a nationally recognized speaker, trainer and consultant specializing in the development of extraordinary service practices in the travel, restaurant and hospitality industries. He is the author of three books, including a compilation of his Travel Weekly “Reality Check” columns.

May 17, 2012
Time to feel good about ourselves
Our profession's newfound respect suggests it's time for an agents' bill of rights. More»
May 10, 2012
Ryanair and the art of the fee
When it comes to ancillary fees, Ryanair is the envy of airlines everywhere. More»
April 12, 2012
Media bullies and the Concordia
Reporting on the Concordia, the media acted like bullies with press credentials. More»
April 05, 2012
Tough pricing questions, tougher answers
Consumers are asking us tough questions. You would be wise to offer tougher answers. More»
March 08, 2012
The 2012 trends report, Part 2
This week, I continue with my annual set of predictions and observations regarding travel trends. More»
February 27, 2012
The 2012 trends report, Part 1
Each year, I like to offer some observations and predictions about changes we might anticipate in the next 12 months. More»
February 23, 2012
Introducing the world's best vacation crafters
A sampling of Conde Nast Traveler's 'World's Top Travel Specialists.' More»
February 09, 2012
Smelling the world on behalf of our clients
I am an incomplete adviser: I have not advised clients how to smell when they travel. More»
January 26, 2012
Lessons from the Concordia
The Concordia incident raises questions that will haunt our industry a long time. More»
January 19, 2012
Avoid a mission of self-destruction
We should pause to consider lessons in the decline of the 'travel agent' in Britain. More»
January 12, 2012
Chinese cruising, North Korea-style
Western cruise execs aren't losing sleep over North Korea's new cruise ship for the China market. More»
December 27, 2011
Christmas for the 1%
The 1% are beginning to understand the true meaning of Christmas. More»
December 08, 2011
The silence of the travel lambs
The truth is that some travel agents are best characterized as lambs walking to their own vocational slaughter. More»
November 10, 2011
The endangered middleman
This is not our parents' playing field. "There's an app for that" is now the literal truth. More»
November 03, 2011
Pan Am flies yet again
'Pan Am' offers a reminder of the sexism that defined a 'stewardess' in the '60s. More»
October 20, 2011
Luxury reconnaissance
A recent agent event in Las Vegas opened my eyes to a host of luxury products. More»
October 06, 2011
Lost in cyberspace
I'm skeptical about the number of clients suppliers assume can be reached online. More»
September 15, 2011
The surprise at the Bellagio
The most critical agents, who eat bad hotels for breakfast, descend on the Bellagio. More»
September 08, 2011
Church steeples and seersucker
Against all odds and amid sweltering heat, Charleston managed to seduce me. More»
August 22, 2011
Warming to the city that beat San Francisco
My quest: to find out how Charleston, S.C., could replace S.F. as the second-best U.S. city. More»

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5/23/2012
6th annual Tourism Human Resources Conference, sponsored by the Caribbean Tourism Organization
Barbados
5/30/2012
Successful Meetings event: SMU Colorado
Brown Palace & Grand Hyatt Denver, Denver
5/30/2012
HSMAI's MEET West
Anaheim (Calif.) Marriott
6/1/2012
Successful Meetings event: SMU Colorado
Brown Palace & Grand Hyatt Denver, Denver
6/3/2012
Global Spa & Wellness Summit
Aspen, Colo.
6/6/2012
Thailand Travel Mart
Impact Muang Thong Thani Exhibition Center, Bangkok

7/9/2012
Successful Meetings event: SMU Caribbean
Gran Melia Puerto Rico Golf Resort
8/8/2012
Successful Meetings event: SMU Florida
Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando
8/15/2012
ACTE Asia Education Conference
Singapore
8/19/2012
Successful Meetings event: SMU Southeast
North Carolina
9/5/2012
TravelAge West webinar: Hawaii Travel Outlook, part 3
Online
9/5/2012
HSMAI's MEET National
Walter E. Washington (D.C.) Convention Center

9/6/2012
International Expo & Business LGBT Mexico
Cancun
10/1/2012
2012 Global Congress on Travel, focusing on legal, safety and security
Houston
10/3/2012
TravelAge West webinar: Hawaii Travel Outlook, part 4
Online
10/8/2012
2012 Adventure Travel World Summit
Lucerne, Switzerland

Travel Weekly Poll

Voices

Consumer media discover that travel agents do exist
"Contrary to some thoughts, travel agents do exist ... We are usually able to get clients better prices, and we know we can see that clients have better experiences. And as our personal motto is: Our Service Travels With You."
More»