The Insider Travel Report Podcast

Andrés Cope, general manager of S Hotels Jamaica, talks with Jennifer Lutz of Insider Travel Report about visiting Jamaica today, the island’s recovery after Hurricane Melissa, and how S Hotels has supported relief efforts while welcoming guests back to Montego Bay. Cope also discusses meaningful travel, ways visitors can give to local communities, and what makes the Jamaican-owned S Hotels specia...

How can you work with destination management companies (DMCs) and destination specialists to customize the perfect family vacation? This interview examines how one of these companies, ANZCRO, a DMC for Australia and New Zealand, organizes a trip that includes hotels and resorts, transfers, sightseeing and activities suitable for family travel. James Shillinglaw, editor in chief of Insider Travel R...

Chris Hartley, CEO of Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at this month’s ILTM Cannes luxury show about his group’s dramatic expansion in revenues and independent properties and hotel chains around the world. Hartley details how travel advisors can work with GHA to find the perfect hotel for their clients. For more information, visit www.globalhotelal...

Chris Walker, senior vice president and chief commercial officer for Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at this month’s ILTM Cannes luxury show about how travel advisors remain one of LHW’s most strategic partners, representing 40 percent of global revenue and driving double-digit growth. LHW also is deepening its investment in the travel trade...

Can an expedition cruise to a remote destination be the perfect family vacation? We talk to an expedition cruise specialist about how they organize a family vacation, including what ages they cater to, what accommodations they offer, what dining options they have and what experiences they provide that make an expedition cruise a truly unifying experience for families. James Shillinglaw, editor in...

How top destinations cater to the family travel market with suggested tours, itineraries, hotels, activities and more. This panel examines in depth what these destinations offer for family travel and how travel advisors can sell them. Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report moderates a panel that includes: Fernanda Rosas, account director, Baja California for the U.S. and Canada Tourism; Francisco Blan...

Lindsey Ueberroth, president and CEO of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at this month’s ILTM Cannes luxury show about the many new properties that have joined Preferred over the last year. Ueberroth also details how travel advisors can profit from booking Preferred hotels as well as its grown “green” hotels group, Beyond Green. For more informa...

John Diorio, vice president and managing director for Celestyal, talks with James Shillinglaw about his destination-focused cruise line, which is basing two ships in the Gulf of Arabia right now, offering immersive sailings of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Oatar, Oman, Bahrain and more. Diorio also details the relaunch of Celestyal’s training program, now called Celestyal Stars, and other programs to help tra...

What can stimulate more togetherness than experiencing a tour program to a top destination and visiting historic sites, great scenery and great destinations as a family. This panel examines how top tour operators cater to the family market with special programs and activities. Moderated by James Shillinglaw, editor in chief of Insider Travel Report, the panel includes Kathy Writer, president of Ce...

Shawn Tubman, senior vice president of sales, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at this month’s ILTM Cannes luxury show about the future for the ultra-luxury cruise line as gets ready for the first of a whole new class of ships next year when Seven Seas Prestige makes its eagerly awaited debut. Tubman also details all the programs Regent has for trave...

How can you work with destination management companies (DMCs) and destination specialists to customize the perfect family vacation? This panel examines what these companies provide and how they can organize a family trip. James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report moderates a panel that includes: Mina Agnos, president or Travelive; Émilie de Vigan, senior experience designer for Decouvertes DMC Fr...

Nikheel Advani, chief operating officer and co-founder of Grace Bay Resorts, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at this month’s ILTM Cannes luxury show about his collection of spacious, luxury resorts in Turks and Caicos. Advani gives us an update on his flagship property, Grace Bay Club located on the famed Grace Bay Beach, and tells us about his newest resort, South Bank. For...

Anna Nash, president of Explora Journeys and Chris Austin, president-North America, talk with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at this month’s ILTM Cannes, about their luxury lifestyle brand at sea. Nash and Austin reveal the latest plans for their growing fleet of designer ships, as well as new itineraries, new features and amenities, and new programs and support for travel advisors to...

Nikola Piric, representative of Forza Group, talks with Jennifer Lutz of Insider Travel Report about luxury hotels, restaurants and experiences along Montenegro’s coast, including Porto Montenegro, boat tours, and a cable car linking the seaside with mountain views. He also discusses locally sourced dining and how travelers can combine coastal, cultural and nightlife experiences in one trip. For m...

Angie Licea, president of Global Travel Collection (GTC), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at this month’s ILTM Cannes luxury travel show, about how GTC is evolving from a collection of luxury travel agencies into a single force in luxury travel, backed by parent Internova Travel Group. Licea tells us what the future holds for GTC and its group of luxury travel advisors and wh...

Svetlana Cukic, a tour guide in Kotor, Montenegro, talks with Jennifer Lutz of Insider Travel Report about visiting Kotor’s old town near the border with Croatia, including local food, churches, museums, boat trips and hiking. Cukic also discusses how long to stay, seasonal travel, local history and how to care for Kotor’s cats. For more information, visit www.meetmontenegro.com   and www.monteneg...

Jonathan Wilson, president and CEO of Aman at Sea, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at ILTM Cannes this month, about Aman’s newest resort, which this time will be at sea. Luxury yacht Amangati is scheduled to launch and begin sailing as early as spring 2027, with voyages in the Mediterranean, offering a 47-suite floating sanctuary that reflects Aman's signature style. For more...

Andrew Barnard, CEO of SunSwept Resorts, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about his now growing collection of wellness resorts, which include BodyHoliday and Stolentime in St. Lucia. And now the company, with some of the first dedicated wellness resorts in the world, is about to start growing well beyond St. Lucia. For more information, visit www.sunsweptresorts.com .  All our...

Gayle Wilkinson, general manager of The Printing House in Nashville, talks with Olivia Fleming of Insider Travel Report about the hotel’s location near Broadway and its design inspired by Nashville’s printing history. She also details the property’s service-focused team and amenities including lounges, terraces, pet-friendly access, and a writer’s room tied to Music City culture. For more informat...

Sara Maestrelli, creative director of Collezione Em, gives James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report an update on her family-owned collection of boutique hotels at this month’s ILTM Cannes luxury travel show. Collezione Em now has two hotels in Florence (Minerva and Brunelleschi), one in Venice (Violino d’Oro), and two in Forte del Marmi (Villa Roma Imperiale and the newest Pensione America) on t...

Chris Sariego, chief operating officer for LionGrove, operator of Wyndham Grand Rio Mar Rainforest Beach & Golf Resort in Puerto Rico, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about his company’s newly reimagined resort. After a $60 million redesign, the resort has emerged three new pools, 400 refurbished rooms, vibrant dining venues, plus a soon-to-open casino and sports betting...

Stephen Cotter, managing director of CIE Tours, and Rosanne Zusman, chief commercial officer for the company, talk with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about customer-driven product development, new light-active walking and hiking tours in Ireland. They also discuss CIE's expansion in Italy and Spain, the company’s all-inclusive value and small-group approach. For more information, visit www.ci...

Jennifer Tombaugh, CEO of Tauck, which is celebrating 100 years in business, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about the company’s new Roam by Tauck brand, its expansion in river cruising, and programs designed for the 40- to 50-year-old traveler. She also discusses small-group growth, new ships coming through 2027, advisor-focused initiatives such as Cruise Control, and Tauck’s plans...

Jeff Roy, the new chair of the U.S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA) and chief revenue officer for Collette, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about member priorities, the role of advocacy and the cautious optimism reflected in this year’s industry outlook. Roy discusses survey findings on sales performance and late bookings, the growth of small-group and high-end travel, rising dema...

Steve Perillo, president and owner of Perillo Tours, and Devin Perillo Buonanno, director of product and air operations, talk with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at the USTOA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., about the company’s 80-year family legacy, with Buonanno representing the fourth generation. They detail the growth of Perillo’s FIT business and the expansion of its escorted tour p...