Saying Goodbye to the World's Longest Nonstop Flights

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Nov 14, 2012) - As Singapore Airlines pulls what have been and continue to be the longest nonstop flights in the world from the grid at the end of 2013, the action comes as no surprise to travel trend spotters. Long-haul nonstop flights from the US to the far reaches of Asia are quickly becoming a thing of the past as airlines capitulate to climbing fuel costs and stiff operating expenses. The latest issue of Travel-Intel looks at these recent changes in long-haul travel and examines what is behind these moves.

Travel-Intel, a division of Tours.com, monitors the travel industry with weekly newsletters on trends, news and updates about the travel industry sent to a permission-based database of more than 100,000 travel agents in the U.S. and Canada.

The latest November issue also features news and views on the cruise industry, highlighting a one-on-one interview with cruise line titan, Richard Fain, president and CEO of RCCL. In another article, Travel-Intel reports from a major travel industry conference and reveals what insights on travel planning travel agents are gleaning from their customers. Through a survey of travel agents conducted by the Ensemble Travel Group, one surprising finding shows that travelers value good advice over price.

Also of note in this issue of Travel-Intel: how New Zealand is preparing for Peter Jackson's latest "Hobbit"-themed film, which opens in December. Travel-Intel looks at where to stay on a Hobbit-focused sojourn with luxurious cottage and farm stays offered as part of the Kurtz-Ahlers collection.

Finally, Travel-Intel notes new cool experiences to be had in the Land Downunder with unusual places to explore in South Australia. These include stays in a mid-19^th century manor in the Barossa Valley as well as outback safaris under the stars that include free-style swimming in the open with dolphins and seals.

Although Travel-Intel is direct-mailed, current features and archives can be viewed at www.travel-intel.com.

"It's important, both for people selling travel as well as those purchasing vacation experiences, to be up on what's out there and be able to take advantage of the best choices for their time and money," says Lark Ellen Gould, content director for Travel-Intel and Tours.com. "Travel-Intel contributes to this cause by keeping players in the travel industry current with the latest and most accurate information available."

Gould, a veteran travel journalist who has been covering the travel industry for more than 20 years, brings her incisive perspective to the weekly publication, with features and news updates on the 1st and 15^th of each month. These issues are complemented by Travel-Intel "packages" issues during the between weeks that detail great deals to be found worldwide at hotels and resort locations, all sent to more than 100,000 travel agent subscribers in the U.S. and Canada, before posting on Tours.com.

About Tours.com: Tours.com since 1995 -- The Official Directory of Tours & Vacations Worldwide. Tours.com has a deep and searchable database of vacation and tour companies searchable by company name, destination and/or activity. A comprehensive one-stop Travel Resource section, plus the Find A Travel Agent Specialist search allows one to search for travel agents with in-depth knowledge in their chosen specialty.