TravelPulse Podcast

This week I welcome Rebecca Gade Sawicki, travel advisor and founder of Veggies Abroad. Together we first discuss the latest trending news in travel, including last week's tragic plane crash, a potential major hotel acquisition, and more.  Later, Rebecca and I dive into the world of vegetarian and vegan travel. She shares her insights into how this sector of travel has grown in recent years,...

This week I welcome Scott Largay, Director of Business Strategy for Largay Travel, to first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including major cruise news, new hotel rooms coming to the Mexican Caribbean, and much more.  Later, Largay shares his insights on marketing in travel today. Hear his thoughts on how marketing has changed in travel over the years, as well as...

This week I dive into the top trending news stories of the last week in the travel industry, including the DOT issuing lawsuits and fines against US airlines, the latest on UK and Europe entry fees, and more.  Later, I welcome Jessica Klement, Vice President of Advocacy for the American Society of Travel Advisors. Klement shares insights into how President Trump's second term could impact the...

Welcome back to the TravelPulse Podcast! This week I'm joined by Tawnee Sons, co-owner of World2Sea, a Cruise Planners franchise. Together we first discuss the latest trending news in travel, including the tourism industry support for Los Angeles amid the fires, Cancun's newest move on the beach, and more.  Later, Sons shares her insights into the top cruise trends this Wave Season. Hear...

Happy New Year and welcome back to the TravelPulse Podcast!  This week I'm joined by Tyson and Stacey Wharton, the husband and wife duo of Sioux Empire Travel. Together we discuss the latest trending news in travel, including Winter Storm Blair impacting flights, CDC's new data on cruise ships and more.  Later, the Whartons provide their insights into the top travel trends of 2025. What...

This week, I'm joined by Ryan Doncsecz of VIP Vacations. Together we discuss the top storylines of 2024 and how they impacted the travel industry.  Hear our thoughts on Boeing's wild year, the biggest wins for travel advisors, highs and lows from 2024, and so much more.  Today's episode sponsor: Travel Agent Academy  Travel Agent Academy provides you with the most advanced, int...

This week I welcome Brian Major, Managing Editor of Digital Guides and the Caribbean here at TravelPulse, to discuss the latest trending news in travel, including the TSA's new record, Mexico's new cruise tax and more.  Later, Major shares insights into what the biggest storylines and hottest destinations are in the Caribbean this year.  The discussion on the Caribbean begins after the 13:30-minut...

This week I'm joined by Mary Helen Law, founder of Law Luxury Travel, to first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including Spirit Airlines declaring bankruptcy and Airbnb's partnership with the famous Colosseum.  Later, Law shares insights into what's trending this holiday travel season and how prices impact decision-making. We dive into how busy the travel industry is expec...

This week I first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including top winners at the 2024 Travvy Awards, how Donald Trump's return to President could impact travel, and more.  Later in the show, I welcome three lovely guests: Melissa Cooper, Director of Marketing for Northstar Retail Travel Group, Danielle Stephens, a travel advisor with Divine Travel Design, and Jerry Estrada J...

This week I welcome two guests: Christian Svoboda, owner of Beforeyoubookit.com, and Natalia Yepes, owner of Adventuresque Travel Boutique. Together we first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including the Biden Administration's new inquiry into US airlines, Venice's tourist tax extension, and more.  Later, the three of us discuss our time at the  2024 Visit Portugal Travel...

This week I welcome Vanessa McGovern, Co-Founder and Chief Sales & Marketing Officer of Gifted Travel Network, to the podcast to first discuss trending news in the travel industry, including Cancun's airport change, Royal Caribbean's big announcement, and more.  Later, McGovern shares top tips for travel advisors. Hear her thoughts on how to grow your business, advice for dealing with tough cl...

This week I first discuss the latest trending news in travel, including another Hurricane set to impact travel, new fees for frequent travelers and more.  Later, I welcome Master Foodie Mara Papatheodorou, a Tastes & Traditions Expert and Culinary Historian, to talk about the latest in culinary travel trends. Papatheodorou shares her insights into what the flavors of the moment are, trending d...

This week I welcome Stephen Scott, founder of Travel Hub 365 and the Odyssey Travel App, back to the podcast to discuss top trending news, including Hurricane Helene's travel impact, big changes for Southwest Airlines, and more.  Later in the show we dive into the top emerging travel destinations around the world as well as the unique vacation experiences taking shape. Scott shares his insights in...

This week, I first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including booming travel industry numbers, updated passport renewal process, and much more.  Later, I welcome Alex Pinelo, Senior Vice President of Sales at AmaWaterways. Pinelo shares insights into what trends he's seeing in the river cruise industry. From hot destinations to unique and personalized experiences, Pinelo al...

This week I welcome Shayla Northcutt, owner of Northcutt Travel Agency, to first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including Cancun Airport issues arising, Boeing's latest hit, and much more.  Later, Northcutt shares insights into what she's seeing trending this fall travel season. Hear where people are planning for future trips now, why last minute travel is still hot, and...

This week, I'm joined by Jason Gewirtz, Executive Editor and Publisher,  Sports Travel   Magazine.  We first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including record setting tourism numbers, new tourist taxes and more.  Later, Gewirtz shares insights into the growth of the sports travel world, from the youth level to colleges and the NFL. We also dive into how the Olympics perform...

This week we're on location at the 2024  Future Leaders in Travel Retreat.  I'm joined by  Emma Weissmann , Executive Editor for TravelAge West to first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including big changes in the EU, Uber launching self-driving cars, and more.  Later, we dive into what the Future Leaders event is all about. Emma shares insights into the logistics of this...

This week I welcome Mary Hanna, owner of Simply Mary’ed Travel, to the podcast first to discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry. We dive into Labor Day travel trends, Boeing's woes, and more.  Later, Hanna shares insights into the most popular and most difficult specialized travel niches out there. Additionally, Hanna offers advice to travel advisors on mastering a specific niche t...

We're on location at Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas, Nevada this week. I first discuss the latest trending news in travel, including Disney's big expansion announcements, a naughty Southwest Airlines employee, and much more.  Later, David Kolner, Executive Vice President at Virtuoso, joins the podcast to discuss the latest trends in luxury travel. Hear Kolner's thoughts on how the luxury travel...

This week, I'm joined by Jenn Lee, President of Vacation Planners, to first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including Hurricane Debby's travel impact, the aftermath of the global IT outage that disrupted travel, and so much more.  Later, Lee shares some hard truths for travel advisors and the tough choices they need to make. From charging fees to planning for the future an...

This week I first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including travel prices dropping, a scary moment onboard an American Airlines flight, and much more.  Later, I interview Finn Ackermann, Chief Commercial Officer with Iberostar Hotels & Resorts. Ackermann shares what's new with the hotel brand, including insights into why Aruba was picked for the newest hotel JOIA Aruba...

This week I'm joined by two guests: Sharon Campbell, owner of Bespoke Travel Group, and Scott Hartbeck, European travel writer and podcaster. Together we first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including air travel improvements, Barcelona's resident spraying tourists with water, and more.  Later, the three of us dive into what else is hot in European travel right now, from l...

This week, I first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including Hurricane Beryl, Boeing being sanctioned, a new bill to regenerate tourism in Hawaii, and more.  Later, I welcome Steve Solomon, Chief Commercial Officer at Airlines Reporting Corporation, to discuss the latest in the air travel industry. Solomon shares his thoughts on the current state of the industry, what rece...

This week I'm joined by Adam Duckworth, President and Founder of Travelmation, to first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including Barcelona's plan to ban short-term rentals, Netflix's new entertainment venues, and much more.  Later, Duckworth and I dive into the top travel trends for this summer season. Duckworth shares which destinations have been booking hot, what's impa...

This week I'm joined by Becky Lukovic, owner of Bella Travel Planning, to first discuss the latest trending news in the travel industry, including big theme park updates, the FAA's new investigation, and much more.  Later, Lukovic and I chat on the issue of overtourism and the top destinations facing these problems. Lukovic provides insights on how it is impacting her job as a travel advisor and o...