The Insider Travel Report Podcast

Sara Butruff of Minnesota’s Galaxy Travel talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about getting the Golden Legacy Award, the agency group's highest honor given to a travel advisor who exhibits outstanding professionalism and commitment to both Travel Leaders and to the travel industry as a whole. The award, which Butruff received last month at Travel Leaders' EDGE conference, honors an associate whose career a...

Nikolina Brnjac, Croatia’s minister of tourism, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about how her country is faring this summer, just a year after Croatia became literally the first European country to open its borders to U.S. travelers. Brnjac details the newest tourism campaigns being launched by Croatia and highlights the destinations that every traveler should experience for themselves. For more information, v...

Alex Jackson, director of programming at M Social in Times Square, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about the innovative programs he has created at this lifestyle boutique hotel on the north end of the square, just a short walk to all the major attractions in midtown Manhattan. For example, for national "sexual wellness" month and through September, the hotel teamed with female-run Dame products to offer guests...

How are destinations approaching the luxury market? And how are they working with travel advisors to help them plan and book their clients’ luxury vacations. In this panel from our Virtual Roadshow series, you’ll hear from four global destinations that are focused on the luxury market, including Fort Lauderdale, Israel, Thailand and Rwanda. Panelists include  Caitlan Etchevers, senior business development manager for Visit Lauderda...

Chris Prelog, president of Windstar Cruises, takes Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report on a tour of Star Pride, the sixth and final Windstar ship to resume sailing and the third to be completely renovated. Having been stretched an additional 80 feet as part of a $250 million dollar Star class upgrade, Star Pride has 50 new cabins, a new pool deck, two new restaurants, and a larger spa and fitness area, as well as newly renovated cre...

Lindsey Epperly, founder and CEO of Jetset World Travel, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about how her new “teams” concept has helped train and mentor her independent contractors, and grown her Virtuoso-affiliated agency’s business. Epperly has written for Insider before and we have also posted her training videos, so this Is the first of a series of interviews with her on how you can improve your agency’s bus...

There are now more luxury cruise options for your clients than ever before. In this panel from our Virtual Roadshow series, you’ll find out what top luxury cruise lines have planned now and in the future as well as how they view the luxury travel market. Panelists include Steve Smotrys, vice president, sales and trade relations for Seabourn;  Eric Schmit, director of business development for Regent Seven Seas Cruises; Jennifer Suar...

Airline expert Bill McGee, now with the American Economic Liberties Project, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about the recent spate of airline flight cancellations and delays and why they are happening so frequently now. The bad news is this situation is not going to be solved anytime soon and you guessed it, the airlines themselves are largely to blame. For more information on McGee's consumer advocacy gr...

There is a whole lot more luxury travel to be sold in such categories as expedition cruising, packaged vacations and even airlines. In this panel from our Virtual Roadshow series, you’ll hear from two new luxury expedition cruise lines, a luxury focused wholesaler and tour operator, and one of the highest rated airlines in the world.  Panelists include Paul Girouard, director of leisure sales for Atlas Ocean Voyages; Alex Pinelo, s...

Zane Kerby, president and CEO of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about ASTA’s plans for Legislative Day (June 22) when travel advisors head to Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., to promote legislation that will help their businesses. Kerby also details some encouraging results from ASTA’s most recent surveys about the market for travel today and talks about the re...

John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Group, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last week’s Travel Leaders Network conference in Aurora, Colo., about the prospects for recovery in all segments of the travel business. Lovell’s encouraging message is that pent-up demand after the pandemic will encourage travelers to book cruises, hotels, resorts, tours and more in top destinations despite rising inflation and...

There are literally thousands of hotels and resorts that cater to the luxury market around the world. But how can you select the right property for your luxury client. In this panel from our Virtual Roadshow series, you’ll hear how Karisma Hotels & Resorts, Atlantis Paradise Island and Elite Island Resorts deliver luxury experiences to their guests. Panelists include Francisco Rello, director of retail sales for Karisma Hotels ...

Roger Block, president of Travel Leaders Network (TLN), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last week’s TLN Edge conference in Aurora, Colo., about what his giant travel agency group is up to today as we emerge from the pandemic, including new training programs, augmented marketing delivering leads and a proposed new dedicated res system for all TLN agencies and advisors. For more information, visit www.travell...

The Caribbean, Bermuda and Latin America offer many options for your luxury travel clients. But how to do specific destinations in the region cater to luxury travelers and how do they work with travel advisors. In this panel from our Virtual Roadshow series, hear from Peru, Bermuda, Cayman Islands and Dominica about how they approach the luxury market. Panelists include Cynthia Herrera, market specialist from PromPeru; Earlston Dil...

John Giovanni Cacciutti, designer and owner of Private Paradise Villa, talks with Darley Newman, reporting for Insider Travel Report, about his seven-, eight-, nine- and 10-bedroom properties that multi-generational families and a groups can rent on Cozumel. They come complete with chefs, entertainment and more, at a cost per bedroom comparable to a hotel stay, but offering a completely private experience. For more information, vis...

Markus Laahanen, the new general manager at NIZUC Resort & Spa in Mexico’s Riviera Maya, talks with Darley Newman, reporting for Insider Travel Report, about his luxury resort with 274 rooms, suites and villas, 86 of which have their own pools. The property has five restaurants, a Kosher kitchen and is close to the Cancun airport, but not any other Cancun hotels. For more information, visit www.nizuc.com. 

Ben Evers-Swindell, general manager-Americas for Air New Zealand, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about how Air Zealand is emerging from the pandemic to serve the newly reopened country with new routes, including a brand new New York JFK-Auckland non-stop service. Evers-Swindell also details his airline’s product improvements across the fleet. For more information, visit www.airnewzealand.com.

Sarah Handley, Tourism New Zealand’s general manager, Americas and Europe, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about the protocols U.S. visitors must follow to enter the newly reopened country, as well as new tourism strategies and marketing campaigns. Handley also details how travel advisors can get back to selling New Zealand’s popular attractions. For more information, visit www.newzealand.com or www.tourismnew...

Steve Cohen, known as the millionaires’ magician for his boutique performances in luxury hotels, talks with James Shillinglaw of Inside Travel Report, about his long-running “Chamber Magic” show at the Lotte New York Palace in New York City. Cohen details how he got to be a magician and what his show includes—and he may even have a trick or two to whet your appetite for some very real magic. For more information, show schedules and...