The Insider Travel Report Podcast

For a destination wedding or honeymoon, the right choice for your clients often is an all-inclusive resort. In this panel, we feature representatives of several all-inclusive properties who give you the lowdown on why their resort is the perfect place to book based on its location, facilities and programs. Moderated by James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report, this panel includes Maria Cabera, p...

For a destination wedding or honeymoon, the right choice for your clients often is an all-inclusive resort. In this panel, we feature representatives of all-inclusive resorts who give you the lowdown on why their resort is the perfect place to book based on its location, facilities and programs. Moderated by James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report, this panel includes Melina Guerrero, weddings...

Alex Sharp, CEO of Signature Travel Network, and Bill Smith, Sea Cloud brand ambassador, talk with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about positioning Sea Cloud Cruises within the luxury segment and how it differentiates through legacy, authenticity and small-ship sailing experiences. They also discuss ship size, onboard experience and unique sailing features including guest access to climb the m...

Quentin Desurmont, president of Traveller Made, talks about Serandipians & Takuminas, the two luxury travel designer communities thriving under the Traveller Made umbrella, which are getting ready to meet this May at Essence of Panama. He details the importance of the Essence shows, the network’s series of luxury travel flagship events in Phuket, Panama and Sardinia. To express your interest i...

Margot Kong, owner of Journeys Unparalleled, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at Travel Experts’ Summit 5 last month onboard AmaWaterways’ AmaMora. She details how she achieved success with support from her host agency, Travel Experts, and consortium, Virtuoso. After working for China specialist Imperial Tours, Kong began focusing on luxury family travel all around the world a...

Ashley and Carter Carey, a mother-daughter agency team with Ashley Carter Travel, talk with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at Travel Experts’ Summit 5 on an AmaWaterways cruise on the Danube. They detail how they got in the travel business, why they became members of Travel Experts, and how they plan to grow their business even more using their host agency’s resources and Virtuoso affi...

Michele Palma, executive vice president of sales for Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, gives James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report an update on her luxury river cruise line at last month’s ASTA River Cruise Expo in Amsterdam. Palma talks about her line’s newest ships, and innovative itineraries, as well as how travel advisors should be selling Uniworld today. For more information, visit www.un...

Mark Kazlauskas, president of Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about his brand-new Norwegian Luna, the opportunity he sees in taking over as brand leader, and what prepared him for this new role overseeing a major cruise line. Kazlauskas also details what he likes about the ship, the brand overall and what he hopes to achieve. For more information,...

Andrea Kruse, CEO and co-founder of VIVA Cruises, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month's ASTA River Cruise Expo in Amsterdam about her relatively young but growing river cruise brand. Launched in late 2018, VIVA Cruises will have 10 ships carrying no more than 190 guests each, sailing throughout Europe by mid-2026. Headquartered in Düsseldorf, the cruise line is owne...

Steve Spivak, vice president-global sales and reservations for Tauck, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month’s ASTA River Cruise Expo in Amsterdam about the growth of his upscale river cruise fleet. With two news ships in France and more to come, Tauck has become a major force in luxury river cruising, in tandem with its growth as a major bespoke tour operator. For mor...

Mika White, co-founder of Tourism Exchange Japan, talks with James Shillinglaw of insider Travel Report about Japan Travel Trade Portal, a new B2B platform that is launching to help travel advisors to make reservations in hard-to-book regional Japan accommodations and experiences. These are in lesser-known regions of the country in off-the-beaten-track destinations that can open the “real” Japan f...

Violet Manners, CEO and founder of HeritageXplore, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about her boutique company that offers tours and stays at some of Britain’s family-owned castles and great houses. And Lady Manners, also known as Viscountess Garnock, should know all about that—she grew up and got married in a castle owned by her parents, the Duke and Duchess of Rutland. For m...

Marcus Leskovar, president-North America for Amadeus River Cruises, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at last month’s ASTA River Cruise Expo in Amsterdam about his 40-plus-year-old luxury river cruise line, which for many was again the “find “of the Expo. Leskovar details the new ships, innovative itineraries and family ownership that make Amadeus one of great river cruise line...

Jennifer Halboth, CEO-Americas for Riverside Luxury Cruises, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the ASTA River Cruise Expo in Amsterdam about how her upscale river cruise company continues to innovate, develop new itineraries and provide a real luxury experience for guests. Halboth details plans for her three-ship fleet and tells us what the future holds for Riverside. For mo...

Travel Experts’ Heather McIntyre, director of technology and finance, and Claire Canady, director of operations, talk with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at this month’s Summit on the Danube about how the other members of the host agency’s team support more than 700 travel advisors around the country. McIntrye and Canady break down how Travel Experts helps its members succeed in sellin...

Travel Experts’ Susan Farrell, president and owner, Sharon Fake, executive director, talk with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about what their host agency does to stay so successful in the luxury travel market. Speaking during Travel Experts’ Summit onboard three AmaWaterways river ships on the Danube, Farrell and Fake talk about the long history of their host agency, its affiliation w...

Riviera Travel’s Matt Luscombe, group CEO, and Stuart Milan. president-North America, talk with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the ASTA River Cruise Expo in Amsterdam about how their U.K.-based tour operator and river cruise line has made significant strides in its effort to attract more U.S. customers for its European river cruises. Luscombe and Milan cite their new ships, unique i...

Robert-Jan Woltering, managing director of De L'Europe hotel, takes James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report on a tour of his historic Amsterdam luxury property owned by the Heineken family. For Dutch-native Woltering, it’s a return home to manage a hotel he long wanted to oversee. His 100-plus key hotel is now literally two properties in one, with a historic offering classic rooms and a modern...

Ken Muskat, president of Scenic Group U.S.A. and LATAM, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the ASTA River Cruise Expo in Amsterdam about how Scenic is expanding its river cruise offerings for both its brands, Scenic Cruises & Tours and Emerald Waterways, in Europe and Southeast Asia. And yes, he also reveals the latest in Scenic Group’s luxury yacht sailings for both the...

Pam Hoffee, president of Avalon Waterways, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the ASTA River Cruise Expo in Amsterdam about what her river cruise line offers guests today. Hoffee details the rivers and the destinations Avalon features with some of the most innovative and comfortable ships in Europe. For more information, visit www.avalonwaterways.com .  All our Insider Travel...

Chaz Dunwoody, director of sales at Regal Wings, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about his company, which specializes om premium economy, business, and first-class airfare. Regal Wings offers net fares, commissionable published fares, and white-glove concierge service as a B2B premium travel booking service. For more information, visit www.regalwings.com .  All our Insider Tr...

Francisco Betancourt, founder & CEO of Vive France, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about his relatively new destination management company based in Paris. A former hotelier, Betancourt now describes himself as a French experience provider, handling hotel bookings, transfers, events, groups and tailormade experiences for clients. For more information, email francisco@vive...

Alex Pinelo, chief sales officer for AmaWaterways, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the ASTA River Cruise Expo on the newly christened AmaSofia. Pinelo reveals the river cruise company’s big plans for new ships, new itineraries and new destinations. He also details how AmaWaterways will continue to sell through travel advisors. For more information, visit www.amawaterways.c...

Melissa Backus, vice president of supplier engagement at ALG Vacations, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about rising demand for culturally immersive, experiential travel, the growth of Indo-Pacific and emerging European destinations, and how ALGV equips advisors with tools, training, and support to confidently sell new markets. For more information, visit www.algvacations.com...

Leila Krešić-Jurić, director of North America for the Croatian National Tourist Office, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at Internova’s Focus on Destinations event about how film tourism is driving significant visitor demand and tourism spending, alongside new nonstop United Airlines service from Newark to Split and Dubrovnik. She also discusses Croatia’s strategy to attract higher-va...