The Insider Travel Report Podcast

Tawnee Sons and Julie Irovando, top-producing travel advisors with Cruise Planners, talk with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report aboard Wonder of the Seas during Cruise Planners’ annual conference about how they built a thriving family business around group travel. The two share how Cruise Planners’ technology, training and supportive community have helped them grow from selling small escorted church trips to handling groups of up ...

Adam Martindale, a Cruise Planners travel advisor, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report aboard Wonder of the Seas during Cruise Planners’ annual conference about how he turned decades in food and beverage management into a thriving travel business specializing in luxury, food and wine cruises. With Cruise Planners’ support and technology, Martindale was able to find his niche, build strong supplier relationships and embrac...

Graeme Davis, president of Baha Mar Resort, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report during ILTM North America, held earlier this month, about what’s new and what’s planned at his signature property in Nassau, the Bahamas. The Jazz Club at Baha Mar is now featuring a full schedule of performances and Leola, Celebrity Chef Scott Connant’s new Italian restaurant, is in previews getting ready to open later this fall. Ther...

Simon Mayle, event director for ILTM North America and PROUD Gathering, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about last week’s luxury travel event at the Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, the Bahamas. This 13th annual event, co-located with the PROUD LGBTQ+ conference, attracted well over 1,000 luxury travel advisors and luxury vendors. For more information, visit www.iltm.com/northamerica. 

Brian Shultz, chief information officer of Cruise Planners, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report aboard Wonder of the Seas during the company’s annual conference about the newest technology innovations transforming how travel advisors work. Shultz explains how Cruise Planners’ AI confirmation import tool, Trip Summary 3.0, Flight Checker and Max Media streamline marketing, reduce errors and save advisors valuable time. For...

Captain Sverre Andreas Rod, master of HX Expeditions’ MS Spitsbergen, talks with Angela Hughes of Insider Travel Report in East Greenland about navigating some of the world’s most remote waters and what sets HX apart after more than 130 years of polar exploration. Angela also interviews expedition guides Lois Fleming and Rubio Carmona (pictured above) about wildlife encounters, the contrasts between East and West Greenland, and the...

Scott Koepf, chief strategy officer for Cruise Planners, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report aboard Wonder of the Seas during the company’s annual convention about the franchise’s education and training philosophy. Koepf explains how Cruise Planners integrates online learning with in-person programs like Star University, Boot Camp and Tech Days to help advisors master marketing, sales and technology while building their b...

Theresa Salzitti, chief operations officer for Cruise Planners, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report aboard Wonder of the Seas during the company’s annual conference about new marketing tools for travel advisors. Salzitti explains how Cruise Planners’ “full surround sound” strategy—combining direct mail, digital campaigns, social media automation and AI-driven insights—helps member travel advisors reach the right clients m...

James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report talks with his tour guide Tom from Lip Smacking Foodie Tours about one of the company’s patented food tours in Las Vegas, this one featuring three restaurants—Sushi Samba, Sugarcane and Milos—in the Venetian and Palazzo resorts. As Tom explains, that’s only one of Lip Smacking’s food tours of Vegas. For more information, visit www.lipsmackingfoodietours.com.

Michelle Fee, founder and CEO of Cruise Planners, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report during the company’s annual convention aboard Wonder of the Seas about record sales, advisor success stories and new business tools. Fee explains how Cruise Planners supports its network through hands-on coaching, tiered incentives and AI-powered technology designed to save time and boost productivity. For more information, visit www.cru...

James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report interviews representatives of Les Trois Vallees French ski resorts about why they have one of the largest combined ski areas you can book in the French Alps. Those representatives include Gilles Leonard, director general and CEO, for Meribel Tourism; Justine Taglang, press officer for Val Thorens; and Anne-Laure Deves, press officer for Val Thorens. For more information, visit www.les3vall...

Massimo Baldo, vice president for Europe and the Maldives–Asia area at Palace Resorts, talks with Angela Hughes of Insider Travel Report at Baglioni Hotel Luna in Venice about Palace’s expansion into Europe through its acquisition of Baglioni Hotels & Resorts. He outlines the brand’s luxury repositioning, new culinary partnerships, the Baglioni tours program connecting its hotels in Venice, Rome, Florence and Milan, and plans t...

Kelvin Murray, director of expedition operations for HX Expeditions, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about his new role guiding the company’s next chapter after 130 years of exploration. Murray shares how HX combines comfort with authentic science-based expeditions and continues to lead responsibly in some of the world’s most remote regions. For more information, visit www.travelhx.com. 

Jamie Henson, founder and director of the Shongwe brand, talks with Michaela Guzy of Insider Travel Report in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, about the growth of his boutique lodges—Shongwe Lookout, Shongwe Oasis and the soon-to-open Shongwe Simbisa. Henson shares how the brand supports the local community through preschool education, a program employing single mothers to collect and repurpose waste, and a refillable water bottle initiat...

Mariano Dima, chairman of Civitatis, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month’s Skift Global Forum in New York, about how his company works with travel advisors to help their clients explore the world. Civitatis is a leading online platform for booking activities, day trips and guided tours in the most visited tourist destinations in the Spanish-speaking market. For more information, visit www.civitatis.c...

Hayley Beer-Gamage, CEO of Experience Oxfordshire, talks with Jeanie Fang of Insider Travel Report at Destination Britain in Playa del Carmen, Mexico about why Oxfordshire is the perfect base for travelers seeking both English heritage and modern comfort. Beer-Gamage highlights must-see attractions like Oxford University, Blenheim Palace and its literary landmarks, as well as new hotels, countryside resorts and resources for travel...

Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report talks with Maui hotel executives about how visiting the island helps support recovery efforts after the wildfires, as well as what travel advisors need to know about sending clients there now. This video was shot during a recent Apple Leisure Group Vacations trip in support of Maui called "Pros in Paradise." Featured hoteliers include Kathleen Tabbilos, leisure sales manager at Andaz Maui at Waile...

Rob Jones, media relations executive for Visit Wales, talks with Jeanie Fang of Insider Travel Report at Destination Britain in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, about why Wales should be on every traveler’s U.K. itinerary. Jones highlights new accommodations, castle restorations, cultural festivals dating back to 1176, and resources for travel advisors available at www.visitwales.com and traveltrade.visitwales.com.

Hannah Demaio, vice president of Women Leading Travel, now a Skift brand, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month’s Skift Global Forum in New York about her group’s goals to put more women at the highest levels of travel and tourism. Demaio showcases the meetings scheduled for her group, the annual listing of powerful women executives in travel and the networking events designed to empower more women in ...