The Insider Travel Report Podcast

Kristina Boyce, senior vice president-operations and member relations for travel consortium Ensemble, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at this month’s Ensemble Horizons conference about all the products and services Ensemble provides for its agency members. Boyce details everything from technology support with the comprehensive ADX booking system to training and more. For more...

Countries, cities and regions are increasingly targeting the luxury travel market. How are they working with travel advisors and luxury suppliers to better define themselves as true luxury destinations? How are they marketing themselves as luxury destinations? In this panel, moderated by Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report, you’ll hear from Johanna Gonzalez, leisure sales manager for Discover Puert...

Lindsay Pearlman, president of Travel Leaders Network, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about his first 11 months as president, the network’s focus on evolution, support for multiple CRM systems, AI tools, field support segments and smaller territories. Pearlman also discusses lead generation and why the 2027 EDGE conference will be outside the U.S. for the first time. For more inform...

Tour operators, guided vacation companies and FIT specialists often have the perfect luxury tour or FIT program for your high-end clients. These companies offer a variety of programs and tours that can satisfy the luxury clients. This panel features top luxury operators that offer a variety of destinations around the world. Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report moderates this panel, including Kerry M...

James Kareka, vice president and managing director of trade brands for the new Evoke | Inspire, talks with Olivia Fleming of Insider Travel Report at the Pleasant Holidays Elite Experience in the Dominican Republic. Karaka tells us why Pleasant launched Evoke, a new brand focused on luxury travelers seeking immersive, personalized experiences. He also discusses shifting demand toward longer stays...

Michael Johnson, president of Ensemble, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the Ensemble Horizons conference earlier this month at Resorts World Las Vegas. Johnson tells us how Ensemble has added more than 50 agencies, a number of preferred suppliers and new marketing programs, including an award-winning magazine for clients of Ensemble members. This Horizons conference, the f...

Luxury cruises come in many different forms today—on the rivers and on the oceans, on a river cruise, expedition cruise, ocean cruise or chartered yacht. What do each of these different types of cruises have that sets them apart? What kind innovative itineraries and destinations are they offering? What dining options do they need to have? What tours and excursions do they need to offer. This panel...

Kimberly Daley, chief operating officer of Transcend Cruises, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at Seatrade Cruise Global in Miami about the company’s purpose-built river ships designed exclusively for group business booked by travel advisors. She discusses flexible accommodations that convert into suites, fully customizable onboard and shore experiences, B2B pricing and branding tools...

Nancy Kim and Guy Rubin, managing partners of Imperial Tours, talk with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about how they added South Korea two years ago to their China tour operations. They also give us a luxury grand tour of South Korea, from Seoul to Busan to Gyeongju, the ancient capital of the Silla Kingdom. From food to music to history, Imperial Tours delivers a comprehensive experi...

Barbara Muckermann, Group CEO of Kempinski Hotels, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month’s Embark Immersion conference in Rio de Janeiro about how she’s changing and marketing her venerable luxury hotel brand. As one of Europe’s oldest luxury hotel groups, Kempinski is adding new properties, including the new Augustine Hotel Prague. Muckermann also tells us why she jo...

Anne Scully, a partner with Embark Beyond, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about how she’s seen the development of this innovative luxury host agency. Scully, a highly regarded veteran travel advisor, who was interviewed at the Embark Immersion meeting in Rio de Janeiro, tells us how Embark has created a whole new host agency culture with advisors focused on serving high-end...

Julie Danzinger, managing partner of luxury host agency Embark Beyond, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month’s Embark Immersion at the Fairmont Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro. Danzinger talks about Embark’s unique meeting style bringing together member travel advisors to learn how to serve their clients better and network with their peers and preferred suppliers. For mo...

Heidi Nanigian of Heidi’s Holidays talks with Olivia Fleming of Insider Travel Report at the Pleasant Holidays Elite Experience in the Dominican Republic about her nearly two decades working with Pleasant Holidays and how the company supports advisors across a wide range of client budgets and travel styles. She discusses how lower deposits, payment flexibility, bundled pricing and 24-hour support...

Justin Heckman, head of sales and national accounts for Pleasant Holidays, talks with Olivia Fleming of Insider Travel Report at the Pleasant Holidays Elite Experience in the Dominican Republic about the company’s updated advisor tools, booking platform and marketing resources. He also discusses growth in Hawaii, Europe, Asia and Australia-New Zealand and advisor-friendly policies including lower...

Jack Ezon, founder and managing partner of Embark Beyond, a Virtuoso-affiliated host agency, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at this month’s Embark Immersion conference in Rio de Janeiro. Ezon tell us why Embark selected Rio and why his host agency offers such an out-of-the-box experience for travel advisor members as they focus on developing their “clienteling” and sales ski...

Keri Cameron,a travel advisor with Embrace the Journey Travel, talks with Olivia Fleming of Insider Travel Report at the Pleasant Holidays Elite Experience in the Dominican Republic about how she uses the company to support a wide range of clients, from couples and groups to multi-generational families. Cameron discusses the value of supplier support, destination expertise, booking flexibility and...

Lara Vancans, vice president-global sales for A&K Sanctuary, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month’s Abercrombie & Kent 100 Club for top-selling advisors in Chicago about what’s new and what’s in the pipeline for this luxury boutique adventure operator now fully a unit A&K. Vancans tells us about the A&K Sanctuary’s new river cruise ships on the Nile i...

Leslie Peden, senior vice president-sales and distribution for BermudAir, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about how Bermuda’s national carrier has become the best way to get to the upscale island destination as it expands its U.S. gateways. Peden also tells us how travel advisors can work with BermudAir to book their clients, get commission and book holidays with BermudAir Ho...

Matias Lira, senior vice president-trade sales for the Americas for Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group (AKTG), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about Crystal Cruises, now firmly aligned with AKTG. At last month’s AKTG 100 Club for top selling travel advisors, Lira reveals the lates for the new Crystal Grace, a new, slightly larger ship that will debut in 2028. He also talks a...

Beth Shearer, vice president-product for Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group (AKTG), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at AKTG’s 100 Club in Chicago about the wide diversity of luxury travel products offered by her company. From a vast network of DMCs and safari lodges to exotic river and expedition cruises, AKTG creates a bespoke experiences around the world. Shearer details w...

Ivan Chavez, executive vice president of Grupo Vidanta, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about his company’s newly launched luxury Mediterranean cruise ship named Elegant. VidantaWorld is better known for luxury resorts in Mexico for couples, families and singles, but how it’s making a major entry into the cruise space with a completely refurbished, nearly all-inclusive yacht...

Gerry Larson-Fedde, chief operating officer of Hurtigruten, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at Seatrade Cruise Global about the company’s work toward zero-emission ships and reducing energy consumption through new and existing technologies. He discusses hybrid upgrades across the fleet, a carbon-neutral sailing using biodiesel, ongoing ship refurbishments and the line’s dual role ser...

Stephanie Brooks, vice president of product & operations at the Globus family of brands, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about why America’s most iconic destinations continue to resonate with travelers, how guided touring simplifies complex U.S. itineraries for travel advisors, and where opportunity lies beyond the well-known highlights. From Alaska and the National Parks to less...

Shawn Johnson, senior vice president-national accounts, trade loyalty and events, for Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group (AKTG), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last months A&K 100 Club in Chicago, about the importance of the event, which gathers 100 top-selling advisors for AKTG. Johnson also details the breadth of product that AKTG now has for advisors to sell—from...

Elizabeth Gordon, co-founder and CEO of Extraordinary Journeys, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about her boutique tour company delivering bespoke experiences in Africa, South America, Oceania, Middle East, Asia and Polar. Gordon, who was born in Kenya and speaks six languages, leads a team of 25 women focused on delivering truly personal and extraordinary experience to every...