The Insider Travel Report Podcast

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 Scenic and Emerald brands. For more...

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. 

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. 

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-travel.com  or visit www.vive-trav...

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.com. 

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-value travelers, expand itineraries b...

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 Danube. With innovative design, carryin...

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 travel advisors, the growing role of ...

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 advisors, drives higher ROI through da...

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 Hilton chain and more. Krueger also desc...

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. 

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. 

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 River Cruise Expo 2027 or to register...

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 advisors while supporting military fam...

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, meaning visitors can keep discove...

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 stars and much more. For more informati...

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.dreamyachtcharter.com. 

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 travel products all in one place. A...