Humans of Travel

If you’ve worked in the travel industry for any length of time, you’re probably familiar with Kristin Karst. The co-owner and executive vice president of river cruise line AmaWaterways , Karst is a staple at most travel industry conferences, perhaps best known for her bubbly personality, welcoming demeanor and close, personal relationships with travel advisors. However, many travel industry collea...

Dee Ravenell, a former travel advisor, is now Senior Assistance Coordinator for Allianz Partners. On this episode of Humans of Travel, Ravenell will share  stories of how travel insurance can save the day, what she has learned during her time at Allianz and what travel advisors in particular need to know about travel insurance. This episode was sponsored by Allianz Partners . It was hosted by Kenn...

Jason Leppert , Cruise Editor for TravelAge West , has a long history onboard cruise ships. From embarking on Crystal Cruises’ inaugural voyage in 1990 to completing his 204th voyage just a few weeks ago, Leppert has spent more time onboard ships — and at sea — than most people do in their lifetime.   And Leppert has turned this passion for cruising into a career. His blog, “ Popular Cruising ,” ...

Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is Emma Weissmann, Managing Editor at TravelAge West, and your host. Over the coming weeks, we will be interviewing the finalists of the TravelAge West Trendsetter Awards , which were created to acknowledge the work of exceptional travel advisors. This year, TravelAge West honored travel advisors in five categories, and...

Mark Wolters was an early social media influencer — he created his YouTube channel, Wolters World , in 2009; since then, he’s uploaded more than 2,300 travel videos and racked up more than 227 million views and nearly 1 million subscribers. In 2014, he was named the No. 1 independent travel videographer by USA Today. And when Wolters isn’t documenting his travel endeavors on YouTube, he’s a profes...

Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is Emma Weissmann, Managing Editor at TravelAge West, and your host. Over the coming weeks, we will be interviewing the finalists of the TravelAge West Trendsetter Awards , which were created to acknowledge the work of exceptional travel advisors. This year, TravelAge West honored travel advisors in five categories, and...

Jenn Lee, the former vice president of industry engagement and support for host agency Travel Planners International (TPI) , made her Humans of Travel debut in the podcast’s very first episode  in 2020. Now, she’s making her return to Humans of Travel four years later in her new role as president of Vacation Planners , the just-launched franchise division of TPI. In this episode of Humans of Trave...

Hello everyone. And welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is the second episode in our TravelAge West Trendsetter series; over the coming weeks, we will be interviewing the finalists of the TravelAge West Trendsetter Awards, which were created to acknowledge the work of exceptional travel advisors. This year, TravelAge West honored travel advisors in five Tr...

Hello everyone. And welcome to humans in the hot seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is the first episode in our TravelAge West Trendsetter series; over the coming weeks, we will be interviewing the finalists of the TravelAge West Trendsetter Awards, which were created to acknowledge the work of exceptional travel advisors. This year, TravelAge West honored travel advisors in five Tre...

Whitney Shindelar, owner of Undiscovered Sunsets, wears many professional hats: In addition to being a travel advisor, she’s the founder of the Masters in Travel online community of advisors; the host of the Masters in Travel podcast; and the creator of The Hive, a new technology platform that revolutionizes the way knowledge and insights are shared between travel agents. Prior to becoming an advi...

Most members of the travel industry community know Samantha Brown as the host of PBS’ Samantha Brown's Places to Love, a long-running television show that allows viewers to tune in as Brown jets all over the world, showcasing some of the planet’s most fascinating destinations, communities and cultures. During this episode of Humans of Travel, Brown reflects on her upbringing — her early relationsh...

Hello everyone. And welcome to humans in the hot seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. Today, we're speaking with travel advisor Erica Carr, founder of BookitBox Travel and a member of Gifted Travel Network . Carr has a unique business model and takes client gifting to the next level — we'll hear all about her creative approach to marketing, and her best piece of marketing advice for travel...

Hi everyone, it's Emma Weissman, the host of Humans of Travel from Travel Age West. We've decided to re release a few of our favorite Humans of Travel interviews on the weeks where we aren't dropping new episodes. And you're listening to one of those encore presentations right now. In addition to being an author , a TedX speaker and a frequent media contributor, Sahara Rose De Vore is the founder...

Hello everyone, and welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. Today, we are joined by Dr. Gene Delaune, senior medical consultant for Allianz Travel Insurance .  During this episode, listeners will hear about Dr. Delaune's past as an ER doctor, what it means to be a medical consultant for a travel insurance company, and advice on what to look for in a travel insuranc...

Greg Mortimer, the founder of cruise line Aurora Expeditions, is a pioneer in the adventure and exploration space — he’s  traveled to many of the world's most remote and untouched regions, and has led more than 80 expeditions to Antarctica. In 1984, Mortimer made history by being part of the first Australian team to summit Mount Everest via its northeast ridge route without the use of supplemental...

Hello everyone, and welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat. Today, we are joined by Richard Lebowitz, who oversees a team at Forbes Travel Guide that aims to bring awareness to star-rated hotels across the global luxury travel advisor community. Lebowitz is no newbie in the travel industry; he’s had over 30 years of experience in travel and hospitality, 25 of them with Hyatt Hotels and Resorts in vario...

Kristy Durso, owner of Incredible Memories Travel , is a passionate advocate that everyone should be able to travel, regardless of an individual’s unique disability. A full-time wheelchair user since 2019, she has used her own travel experiences (and those of her husband and three children, who also live with disabilities) to dig deeper into the world of accessible travel. Now known as an expert i...

Join Kenneth Shapiro, Vice President, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of TravelAge West, as he takes the host seat during this sponsored episode of Humans of Travel, featuring Philip Blackwell, vice president of sales and business development for Travel Insured International .  In this episode, Shapiro asks Blackwell about his role as a coach for youth hockey players, including the lessons he's lear...

Danny Genung, the owner of Harr Travel, is a former middle school teacher-turned legacy travel advisor and a YouTube influencer in the cruise and resort space operating under the @HarrTravel channel. In addition to selling anywhere from 70-100 cruises per month, Genung is perhaps best known for his onscreen appearances during the cruise ship tour videos he posts daily for his 128,000 subscribers....

Hello everyone, and welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of the Humans of Travel podcast. Today's episode features Julie Patterson, founder of Wanderfully Planned, who gives listeners a crash course in Instagram social media strategy for travel advisors. Patterson led an educational session on social media last year at the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat , and she will take listene...

If you have any interest in the cruise industry, the chances are you know Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales, trade support and service for Royal Caribbean International. Freed’s career has spanned more than four decades; after spending 29 years at Carnival Cruise Line, she moved over to Royal Caribbean International in 2008. In her 20s, Freed’s tenacity and ambition propelled her to earl...

Hello everyone, and welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of the Humans of Travel podcast.  Today, we are speaking with Jessica Klement, the vice president of advocacy for the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA) . There’s no typical day on the Hill for Klement, who spends her time lobbying members of Congress and fighting for the rights of travel advisors across the country. I...

Two years ago, Henley Vazquez created Fora Travel, a host agency that caters to a select group of new travel agents: part-timers, side-hustlers or even those who are just looking to dip their toes into a career in travel, but don’t know where to start. As a travel advisor herself — and a former staff member at Town and Country Magazine and Indagare — Vazquez says her mission is to bring new blood...

Hello everyone, and welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of the Humans of Travel podcast.  Today, we are speaking with Ashley Taylor, a travel advisor at Key to the World Travel. She talks about her former career as a hospice nurse, and her transition to travel — and she’ll explain what she believes to be the connection between those two professions, in two very different industries...

Hello everyone, and welcome to Season 5 of Humans of Travel. We are kicking off our fifth season with an episode of Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. Today’s episode features Karen Coleman-Ostrov, a franchise owner with Dreams Vacations. Coleman-Ostrov took her first cruise more than 30 years ago, and now specializes in cruising and owns a franchise with Dreams Vacation...