The Insider Travel Report Podcast

Katina Athanasiou, senior vice president-sales & service for Celebrity Cruises, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the ASTA River Cruise Expo about Celebrity River Cruises, the premium ocean line’s new river cruise brand. Celebrity was the title sponsor of this year’s expo and used the event to showcase its plans to build 20 river ships designed to sail the Rhine and Danu...

Peter Vlitas, executive vice president of partner relations at Internova Travel Group, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at Internova’s recent Focus on Destinations event in Manhattan about current airline performance, rising airfare trends and how global conflicts, fuel costs and capacity constraints are impacting travel. He also discusses how airlines are working more closely with tr...

Stephen McGillivray, chief partner marketing officer at Internova Travel Group, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at Internova’s Focus on Destinations event in Manhattan about how the company uses advisor-submitted customer data and advanced segmentation to deliver targeted marketing for suppliers. McGillivray explains how Internova markets directly to consumers on behalf of travel adv...

Melissa Krueger, CEO of Classic Vacations, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about her luxury wholesaler’s new agreement with Preferred Hotels & Resorts to dramatically expand luxury hotel offerings in North America, Europe, Asia and Africa. Classic also has added Kempinski Hotels & Resorts to its portfolio and continues to feature dedicated sales to hotels in the Hilto...

In this exclusive interview, Bob Salmon, vice president of sales for Victory Cruise Lines, outlines how the enhanced Agent Resource Center, MyVictory Pro agent certification program, and brand-new TA Booking Portal are making it easier than ever for travel advisors to market, book and manage Victory voyages. For more information, visit agents.victorycruiselines.com .  All our Insider Travel Report...

Carmen Roig, vice president of sales and trade marketing at Princess Cruises, speaks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about the launch of the Sphere Class ships, Princess’ eight‑ship Alaska deployment, and how expanded Caribbean offerings and onboard innovations are helping advisors personalize vacations and close more sales. For more information, visit www. PrincessPartners.com .  All our...

Zane Kerby, president and CEO of the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about the fifth ASTA River Cruise Expo, held in Amsterdam last week. Kerby talks about what went into making the expo a success, with 1,600 advisors and suppliers,16 river ships, general sessions and advisor training sessions. For more information about the ASTA Ri...

Virginia March, owner of March Travel Group of Dream Vacations, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about receiving the Opal Award recognizing outstanding female travel advisors during Women’s History Month. She also discusses her transition from a 25-year career as a public library director into the travel industry, building a Dream Vacations franchise with her husband and mentoring adv...

Michelle Buttigieg, Malta Tourism Authority representative for North America, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about Delta Air Line’s new seasonal nonstop service from New York JFK to Malta starting June 7 and what that means for travel advisors and tour operators. She also discusses Malta’s growing appeal as archaeologists continue pushing the island’s history back beyond 8,000 years...

Amanda Frasier, president-standards and ratings for Forbes Travel Guide, talks with James Shillinglaw about what we missed at last month’s Forbes Summit in Monte Carlo. The Summit proved to be a combination think tank and star-rating awards celebration for top luxury suppliers, including hotels, resorts, cruise lines, spas and more. Frasier also details how Forbes decides on who gets how many star...

Chuck Palmer, manager-Americas for Dream Yacht Worldwide, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about his charter company offering yachts around the world where you can book your clients on their own private vacation and get commission. Palmer talks about the kinds of boats Dream Yacht offers in some of the poshest marinas in exotic islands and harbors. For more information, www.dr...

Ron Fenska, vice president and head of North America for RateHawk, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about his B2B travel booking platform designed for travel advisors and tour operators. An online booking tool that aggregates hotel, flight, transfer, and car rental inventory from hundreds of suppliers worldwide, RateHawk can give travel professionals access to a wide range of...

Natalya Leahy, CEO of Lindblad Expeditions, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about her first year on the job, which resulted in record financial results, new products and itineraries, and the renewal of the company’s partnership with National Geographic. Leahy details where Lindblad, which is celebrating its 60th anniversary in business, will explore next and why expedition cr...

Eileen Ross, an InteleTravel ambassador advisor, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at Quest, the InteleTravel national conference at the Hard Rock Resort in Punta Cana, about how she discovered the host agency and built her travel business over the past decade. She also discusses helping develop InteleTravel’s ambassador program, which trains and mentors new advisors, along with the co...

Jamie Tarr, owner of Jamie’s Vacation Experience and an InteleTravel ambassador advisor, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at Quest, InteleTravel's national conference at the Hard Rock Resort in Punta Cana, about how she discovered the host agency during the pandemic and built up her travel business over the past five years. She also discusses InteleTravel’s training and advisor suppor...

Dana Lattouf, founder and CEO of Tickitto, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report the InteleTravel national conference in Punta Cana, about how her InteleTravel-owned global ticketing infrastructure platform connects travel advisors to more than 90,000 concerts, sports and entertainment events worldwide. She also discusses how Tickitto integrates event inventory directly into travel booking...

Tara Minson, president of InteleTravel, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about the host agency's $1.5 billion in global travel sales, its 140,000 advisors worldwide, and how commission payouts and long-term career growth define its business model. She also discusses global expansion into the U.K., Ireland, the U.A.E. and Germany; acquisitions including Major Travel, MGME and Tickitto;...

Kim Andreello, vice president of corporate development and strategy for InteleTravel and president of BusinessTravel.com, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report at the host agency’s conference in the Dominican Republic about Inteletravel’s new corporate travel platform enabling independent travel advisors to book and manage business travel year round. Andreello also explains revenue potenti...

Gary Sadler, executive vice president of sales and industry relations for Unique Vacations, sales representative for Sandals and Beaches, shares how guests can head to Jamaica with confidence as Sandals and Beaches resorts are open and being renovated. He notes strong demand for the highly anticipated opening of Treasure Beach Village at Beaches Turks & Caicos on March 1, 2026, and a $1 billio...

James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report gives you a complete tour of Salterra Resort & Spa, a member of the Luxury Collection, which opened a year ago in South Caicos. He showcases the public rooms, the accommodations, the dining, the pools, the beach, and the activities that guests can experience at this 100-key resort. For more information, visit www.salterra.com .  All our Insider Travel...

Anna Nash, president-global for Explora Journeys, and Chris Austin, president-North America, talk with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the launch of their new ad campaign that seeks to redefine the very notion what a luxury hotel experience can be on the oceans. Nash and Austin reveal the extension of Explora Journey’s “ocean state of mind” theme in a cinematic global campaign design...

Joe Plant, director of adventures, and Anna Zuke, director of conservation and experiences at the year-old Salterra Resort & Spa on South Caicos in the Turks & Caicos, talk with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about the experiences they offer guests, from families to couples to singles. From boat trips around the island to go exploring, diving and fishing to pickle ball, ocean k...

Frank Chantoiseau, general manager of Rock House, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about his luxury resort on Providenciales in the Turks & Caicos. Part of Grace Bay Resorts, Rock House offers a series of villas and apartments, a high-end restaurant, and an infinity pool with perched on the highest on the island. There’s access to an intimate beach and pier, as well as all...

How can you get your clients to keep track of their luggage to their expedition cruise or adventure tour destinations so they don’t lose it? Blue Ribbon Bags offers a way keep track of bags and equipment to these destinations. Plus, you can get a commission for arranging such services. James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report talks with Jordan Levine, business development manager for Blue Ribbon...

Duncan Greenfield-Turk, owner of Global Travel Moments, talks with James Shillinglaw about how he achieved success as part of Global Travel Collection by focusing on the LGBTQ+ market to multiple destinations. U.K.-based Greenfield-Turk sells multiple destinations to and has been named to the Travel + Leisure A-List and Condé Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialists—and he’s done that less than 10 yea...