The Insider Travel Report Podcast

Carlos Munoz, chief commercial officer for HBX Group (formerly Hotelbeds.com), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at his group’s MarketHub Americas conference , held earlier this month in Las Vegas. Munoz reveals how HBX Group has evolved in just the last few years (including the name change) into much more than just the biggest hotel bedbank in the world, serving the needs of t...

Adam Sachs, director of Silversea’s S.A.L.T. (Sea and Land Taste) program, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about their experiences visiting a farm in Crete on Silver Moon and a nobleman's home in Sintra, Portugal on Silver Ray's inaugural. Sachs compares these events and the ships to illustrate the evolution of the S.A.L.T. program, which continues to focus on local culinary immersio...

Chantelle Richardson, deputy director of tourism for the Anguilla Tourism Board, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at the 42nd Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Marketplace. Richardson discusses record-breaking visitor arrivals for 2023 and 2024, and increased direct flights from Miami. Infrastructure improvements include a new airport terminal with runway extensions, enhanced sports and cul...

Paula Feldstead, chief technology and operations officer at HBX Group, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at her group’s MarketHub Americas conference, held earlier this month in Las Vegas. Feldstead discusses how HBX Group (known previously as Hotelbeds.com) works to keep at the cutting edge of technology and data for her b-t-b hotel and activity booking tools. She also focuses...

Nicholas Huss, CEO or HBX Group, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the group’s MarketHub conference in Las Vegas earlier this month about how HBX, formerly known as HotelBeds.com, is finding solutions to b-to-b hotel and activity booking challenges through innovation that enhances the customer experience. HBX Group is most familiar to travel advisors in the U.S. for its beds...

Joe Leon, head of sales for Silversea Cruises, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report during the  inaugural for Silver Ray in Lisbon. Leon discusses Ray's extensive use of glass for unprecedented destination views, the flexibility in Silversea's door-to-door fares, and the bonus commission points awarded to travel advisors who sell Silversea's expedition product, as well as additional point...

David Shull, CEO and co-founder of Tern, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month’s ASTA Travel Advisor Conference in Dallas, where he and his team won the 2024 ASTA Entrepreneur of the Year award, which was established in 2015 by the Dan and Gloria Bohan Foundation. The $10,000 award is made to businesses that demonstrate entrepreneurial spirit in developing technology...

Marc Casto, former ASTA chair and now CEO of MVC Solutions and Casto Travel Philippines, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about how the state of ASTA today. Casto says ASTA in the best possible position it’s ever been in, with ASTA President Zane Kerby at the helm, and a successful series of conferences under its belt. What’s Casto up to today? He’s overseeing a company in the...

Dan Durazo, director of external affairs at Allianz Partners, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the ASTA Travel Advisor Conference in Dallas about Allianz’s new mobile app Allyz Travel Smart, which allows customers to take their travel insurance policy with them, file a claim through the app, find a hospital nearby and even plan flights Allianz also has updated its website f...

Chinmai Sharma, global head-lodging, ground and sea for Sabre Travel Solutions, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month's ASTA Travel Advisor Conference in Dallas about how Sabre now features more content for hotels and keeps innovating in the lodging space. Sabre now features the best rates and availability for hundreds of thousands of hotels. Sharma also talks about n...

Hedda Felin, CEO of Hurtigruten Norway, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about her company's exciting new itineraries for 2025-26, highlighting unparalleled Northern Lights viewing, robust sustainability initiatives and the locally sourced cuisine of the Norwegian Coastal Kitchen program. Felin also describes Hurtigruten's industry-leading sustainability initiatives and the di...

Mitchell Fawcett, vice president of marketing for Goway Travel, which offers tour experiences around the world, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about his company’s recent rebranding and introduction of a new website, including GowayPro.com, a completely new section for travel advisors. For more information, visit www.goway.com or www.gowaypro.com . If interested, the original...

Todd Arthur, managing director-North America Agency, Americas Delivery & Global Corporate Solutions for Sabre Travel Solutions, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month's ASTA Travel Advisor Conference in Dallas about the new Sabre Red Launchpad solution for new travel advisors and how it's working to develop New Distribution Capability (NDC) solutions for airlines a...

Kristen Karst, executive vice president and co-owner of AmaWaterways, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report, at the ASTA Travel Advisor Conference in Dallas last month about the awards she and her river cruise line won from ASTA. She updates us about where AmaWaterways is cruising today, where it’s heading in the future and what ships it’s adding to the fleet. This interview took p...

Ricarda Lindner, regional manager-the Americas for the German National Tourist Office, talks with Olivia Liveng of Insider Travel Report about the 50th German Travel Market held in Chemnitz, Germany, highlighting unique aspects of Chemnitz, the European Capital of Culture for 2025, and the diverse attractions of Saxony. Lindner emphasizes Germany's commitment to sustainability and discusses German...

Pedro Teixeira, founder and operator of Just Come Country Tours and Adventures in Portugal, talks with Jennifer Lutz of Insider Travel Report about what guests can expect when they book a white-water rafting experience with his company. Teixeira explains why Just Come is the perfect tour for beginner rafters, especially those who may be a bit afraid. For more information, visit www. JustCome.pt . ...

Trevor Sadler, CEO of interCaribbean Airways, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about his fleet of 35 aircraft that servers 22 destinations in 16 countries. That means travel advisors can easily add and commission more pre- and post-Caribbean Island travel for their clients visiting the region. For more information, visit www.interCaribbean.com .    If interested, the original video of...

Carlos Alberto Mascarenhas Antunes, TAP Air Portugal's director for the Americas, talks with Jennifer Lutz of Insider Travel Report at the TAP awards in Lisbon, Portugal. Antunes discusses the TAP Air Portugal Stopover Program, focusing on recent offers and updates, including how TAP passengers can get 25 percent off hotels, experiences and domestic flights.  For more information, visit www. FlyTA...

Lilzi Orci, president of the Los Cabos Hotel Association, representing the Los Cabos Tourism Board, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about the current developments in Los Cabos. New luxury hotels, premier events and a new marketing campaign are helping Los Cabos emerge as a premier destination. Orci discusses improved flight connectivity and how visitors, predominantly from the U.S.,...

Richard Moss, St. Lucia's senior sales manager for the U.S., talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at the 42nd annual Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA) conference about the island's focus on adventure and event tourism. Moss says the island nation is seeing a steady recovery and growth along with its promotion of authentic local experiences. He highlights underwater adventure...

Bert Hernandez, just named president of Silversea, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about  his career path at Royal Caribbean Group, his excitement about leading Silversea, and plans for the brand's growth. That will include leveraging Royal Caribbean's resources, expanding the Nova class of ships, and enhancing culinary and service experiences. Hernandez emphasizes Silversea's commit...

Steve McGillivray, chief partner marketing officer for Travel Leaders Network parent Internova Travel Group, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the EDGE conference, held June 8-11 at the Gaylord National Mall in Maryland, about the newest marketing programs that Travel Leaders agency members can use to sell more travel. McGillivray details updates to Travel Leaders Network’s...

Andreas Schmidt, general manager of the Grand Velas Los Cabos and the Grand Velas Boutique Hotel in Los Cabos, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at Pleasant Holidays' 10th Elite Experiences conference. Schmidt highlights the differences between the two adjoining five-star luxury all-inclusive properties, including the larger Grand Velas Los Cabos and the adults-only Grand Velas Boutiqu...

Donovan White, director of tourism for the Jamaica Tourist Board, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association's annual conference about Jamaica's "Trip Five" strategy aimed at achieving five million visitors and $5 billion in tourism earnings within five years. White highlights the record-breaking tourism numbers for 2023, infrastructure improvement...

Chris Austin, president-North America for Explora Journeys, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about the newest fleet arrival, EXPLORA II, how supporting Explora Journeys brings results for you, and how to power your business with Explora Journeys’ easy co-branding opportunities. For more information, click on https://explorajourneys.com/int/en/travel-advisors. If interested, th...