The Insider Travel Report Podcast

Lea Diele, CTIE, VTA, vice president of education for Travel Leaders Network, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month’s Travel Leaders EDGE conference about all the training and education her agency consortium provides to help existing travel advisors and new advisors coming from outside the industry. Diele, who received The Travel Institute’s Educational Excellence awa...

Bernardo Trindade, shareholder for PortoBay Group, and Silvia Rio, general manager of PortoBay Liberdade and PortoBay Marques in Lisbon, talk with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about their hotels in Portugal and Brazil. Trindade discusses PortoBay's history, starting in 1988 in Madeira and expanding to 15 hotels in Lisbon, Porto, Algarve and Brazil. Rio describes Portobay Liberdade, a restore...

Mike Saladore, owner and co-president of 58 Stars Travel in Seattle, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month’s Travel Leaders Network’s EDGE conference about how his host agency has grown and how his luxury travel business is booming. He also details the services and programs gets from Travel Leaders that help his agency  boost sales. For more information, visit www.58s...

Ricardo Furtado, sales director for Altis Group, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about his company’s five-star hotel in Lisbon, emphasizing its luxurious amenities, central location, and scenic views. Furtado highlights the hotel's historical significance, recent expansions and its inclusion in the Preferred Hotels group. For more information, visit www. PreferredHotels.com , www.alt...

Angela Hughes, owner of Trips & Ships in Winter Garden, Fla., talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about her luxury agency, how she sees the luxury travel market today, and why she is a member of Travel Leaders Network. We spoke with Hughes, a contributor to Insider Travel Report and a frequent speaker at luxury travel events, at last month’s Travel Leaders EDGE conference. Fo...

Alastair Thomann, CEO of Generator & Freehand Hotels, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about his growing boutique hotel brands, which have locations in Europe and North America, and are entering the New York and Berlin markets. Generator, which began as a chain of hostels, now offers “affordable luxury” with properties featuring a range of room types from shared to private...

Pam Edwartoski and Tricia Bischoff of the Travel Exchange in Troy, Mich., talk with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month’s Travel Leaders Network EDGE conference about their successful full service travel agency and how they see the future for travel and travel advisors. They also detail how they use Travel Leaders’ services, technology and training to grow their business. For...

Nadisha Whyte, assistant general manager at Excellence Oyster Bay, Jamaica, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about her upscale adults-only all-inclusive resort’s features, and sister properties in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. Whyte describes the various suites, pools, 10 restaurants, 11 bars, spa, gym and entertainment options. For more information, visit www. TheExcellenceColle...

Toni Coelho, manager of Quintãs Farm Houses in Arouca, Portugal, talks with Jennifer Lutz of Insider Travel Report about why his luxury bed and breakfast is so special. A small, six-apartment hideaway, Quintãs Farm Houses includes a private zoo and an equestrian club. It offers privacy for guests, including families, honeymooners and famous football (soccer) players. For more information, visit ww...

Ross Levi, executive director of the New York State Division of Tourism (I Love NY), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about the state’s top attractions this summer, including state parks, the Chautauqua Institution, new museums and resorts. Levi also explains why New York State is working to attract travelers to every corner of the state.  For more information, visit www.ilove...

Jillian Rothman, senior show set designer at Walt Disney Imagineering, talks with Sherman Dejohn of Insider Travel Report about how she helped design and storyboard Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, the newest attraction in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Previously known as Splash Mountain, the new ride has been completely rethemed around Tiana, Disney’s newest “princess” to reflect New Orleans and Louisian...

Kevin Thomas, senior graphic designer and part of the Disney Imagineering team, talks with Sherman Dejohn of Insider Travel Report about all the intricate design, theming and storyboarding that went into the construction of Disney Cruise Line’s new Lookout Cay. Given a mission to create their own island paradise, that’s what Disney Imagineers did with this new destination in the Bahamas. For more...

Marco Ivan, a tour guide with Detours in Peneda-Gerês National Park, Portugal, talks with Jennifer Lutz of Insider Travel Report about what visitors can expect with Detours, including both group and private tours of the park. Ivan also highlights the park’s many waterfalls (some for swimming), thermal baths, landscape views, rock climbing and small towns that follow a traditional way of life. For...

Elizabeth Fettes, vice president of sales at Scenic Group, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about the new Emerald Kaia luxury superyacht, unique gourmet experiences, wellness retreats, newly released deployments and more. For more information, visit the Travel Advisor Resource Guide .  If interested, the original video of this podcast can be found on the Insider Travel Report...

Dean Winter, managing director of Hong Kong-based Swire Hotels, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about the rebranding and growth of the company’s EAST Hotels boutique brand. Winter is banking on a new definition of what luxury is to drive guests to EAST hotels, which currently has properties in Miami, Hong Kong and Beijing with more to come. For more information, visit www.eas...

Jodi Bainter, vice president of domestic leisure sales at The Walt Disney Company, talks with Sherman Dejon of Insider Travel Report about Disney Cruise Line’s new Lookout Cay, the new private island in the Bahamas. Bainter details the attractions and unique features of this island, which can be enjoyed exclusively by Disney Cruise Line guests. For more information, visit www.disneycruiseline.com...

Ana Margarida Morgado, PR manager for Taylor’s Winery in Porto, talks with Jennifer Lutz of Insider Travel Report about the unique attributes of port, one of the most famous type of wine in the world and one that is only produced in Portugal. Morgado details the different types of port, the vintages and how to enjoy it. For more information, visit www.taylor.pt or www.visitportugal.com . If intere...

Javier Moreno, senior vice president of Disney Destinations sales solutions, talks with Sherman Dejon of Insider Travel Report about all the new attractions and innovations that have just opened at Walt Disney World’s EPCOT. Disney has been busy over the past year completely renovating the center of the theme park—and now it’s ready for guests to visit. For more information, visit www.disneyworld....

Angelo Impoco, head of air services and strategic partnerships for Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings, which encompasses Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCL), Oceania Cruises, and Regent Seven Seas, talks with Jennifer Lutz of Inside Travel Report about winning the Top Cruise Line North America award at the TAP Air Portugal Awards. Impoco outlines his role in ensuring a seamless experience for guests from the...

Joanne Hayes, head of public relations and marketing for The Oyster Box, talks with David Cogswell of Insider Travel Report about one of South Africa’s most distinguished and luxurious hotels. Hayes discusses the Oyster Box's history, refurbishment, beachfront location, legacy, and unique features such as a historic lighthouse and Ocean Terrace restaurant. For more information, visit www. OysterBo...

Bertrand Sava, general manager for Bedsonline.com, part of HBX Group, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at HBX Group’s MarketHub in Las Vegas about how this bed-booking technology has become a vital tool for travel advisors who want to be competitive with online travel agencies. Sava talks about how Bedsonline’s growth and how it can help advisors around the world. For more inf...

Andrés Martínez Reynoso, director of the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report, about how his region of Mexico, known as the Mexican Caribbean, has grown its infrastructure, number of resorts and attractions. The region, which includes everything from Cancun to the Riviera Maya to Tulum, is now one of the most popular vacation destinations in...

Lee Haslett, chief commercial officer for Celestyal, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about his Greek and Mediterranean specialist cruise lines expansion of existing itineraries, include the “Idyllic Aegean” and “Heavenly Adriatic” made possible by the acquisition of two newly refurbished ships, Celestyal Journey and Celestyal Discovery. Haslett also details why Celestyal will...

Lauren Atlass, vice president-commercial, North America for HBX Group talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at MarketHub, held earlier this month in Las Vegas. Atlass talks about the Bedsonline.com product, the one most familiar to travel advisor, who may even remember its predecessor Travelbound. She offers an update on what advisors can expect from HBX Group in the future. For mo...

Justin Barnette, head of marketing and communications for South African Tourism-North America, speaks with David Cogswell of Insider Travel Report about Africa's Travel Indaba and current tourism trends in South Africa. Barnette discusses a variety of attractions, including wildlife safaris, cultural experiences, adventure tourism and wine tastings. He also highlights two significant anniversaries...