The Insider Travel Report Podcast

Piangduan Kloyarun, vice president-sales & marketing for Lebua Bangkok, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at ILTM North America earlier this month about this extraordinary urban resort depicted in movies like “The Hangover Part 2.” Lebua Bangkok features sumptuous accommodations, multiple restaurants, shopping and more in the heart of Thailand capital city. For more information, visit www.lebua.com.

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Joy Jibrilu, CEO of Nassau & Paradise Island Promotion Board, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at ILTM North America, held earlier this month at Baha Mar in Nassau, the Bahamas. Jibrilu tells us how the destination continues to grow with new resort sand new resort features, anchored by the two mega-resorts in the region, Baha Mar and Atlantis Bahamas. For more information, visit www.nassauparadiseisland.com...

Feisal Jaffer, global head of LXR Hotels & Resorts, and Brooke Thomas, brand leader of Curio Collection by Hilton, talk with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at ILTM North America, held at Baha Mar in the Bahamas. Jaffer details the latest developments in LXR’s luxury resort brand, while Thoms reveals new members of the Curio Collection. For more information, visit www.hilton.com.

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Jacqueline Leibl-Cote, president and CEO of Collette, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about how her family-owned tour company has introduced a new tagline, a new video and even a new song—along with a whole new slate of tours for 2026. Leible-Cote tells us how Collette is making big changes to its branding and product mix. For more information, visit www.gocollette.com.

Richard Fain, chairman and former CEO for Royal Caribbean Group, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about Fain’s new book “Delivering the WOW.” The book delivers both a running account of Fain’s time at Royal Caribbean and the lessons he and his team learned in how to develop innovative, even revolutionary cruise ships and products that “wow” guests. To buy the book, click on Amazon “Delivering the WOW.”

John McEnroe, a legend in tennis and in broadcasting tennis, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the John MacEnroe Tennis Center at Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, the Bahamas. McEnroe tells us about his youth tennis centers in New York and the Bahamas and what he hopes to accomplish. For more information, visit www.bahamar.com.  To set up a group at the tennis center, email Derron Donaldson, director of racquets at...

Tawnee Sons and Julie Irovando, top-producing travel advisors with Cruise Planners, talk with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report aboard Wonder of the Seas during Cruise Planners’ annual conference about how they built a thriving family business around group travel. The two share how Cruise Planners’ technology, training and supportive community have helped them grow from selling small escorted church trips to handling groups of up ...

Adam Martindale, a Cruise Planners travel advisor, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report aboard Wonder of the Seas during Cruise Planners’ annual conference about how he turned decades in food and beverage management into a thriving travel business specializing in luxury, food and wine cruises. With Cruise Planners’ support and technology, Martindale was able to find his niche, build strong supplier relationships and embrac...

Graeme Davis, president of Baha Mar Resort, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report during ILTM North America, held earlier this month, about what’s new and what’s planned at his signature property in Nassau, the Bahamas. The Jazz Club at Baha Mar is now featuring a full schedule of performances and Leola, Celebrity Chef Scott Connant’s new Italian restaurant, is in previews getting ready to open later this fall. Ther...

Simon Mayle, event director for ILTM North America and PROUD Gathering, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about last week’s luxury travel event at the Baha Mar Resort in Nassau, the Bahamas. This 13th annual event, co-located with the PROUD LGBTQ+ conference, attracted well over 1,000 luxury travel advisors and luxury vendors. For more information, visit www.iltm.com/northamerica. 

Brian Shultz, chief information officer of Cruise Planners, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report aboard Wonder of the Seas during the company’s annual conference about the newest technology innovations transforming how travel advisors work. Shultz explains how Cruise Planners’ AI confirmation import tool, Trip Summary 3.0, Flight Checker and Max Media streamline marketing, reduce errors and save advisors valuable time. For...

Captain Sverre Andreas Rod, master of HX Expeditions’ MS Spitsbergen, talks with Angela Hughes of Insider Travel Report in East Greenland about navigating some of the world’s most remote waters and what sets HX apart after more than 130 years of polar exploration. Angela also interviews expedition guides Lois Fleming and Rubio Carmona (pictured above) about wildlife encounters, the contrasts between East and West Greenland, and the...

Scott Koepf, chief strategy officer for Cruise Planners, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report aboard Wonder of the Seas during the company’s annual convention about the franchise’s education and training philosophy. Koepf explains how Cruise Planners integrates online learning with in-person programs like Star University, Boot Camp and Tech Days to help advisors master marketing, sales and technology while building their b...

Theresa Salzitti, chief operations officer for Cruise Planners, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report aboard Wonder of the Seas during the company’s annual conference about new marketing tools for travel advisors. Salzitti explains how Cruise Planners’ “full surround sound” strategy—combining direct mail, digital campaigns, social media automation and AI-driven insights—helps member travel advisors reach the right clients m...

James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report talks with his tour guide Tom from Lip Smacking Foodie Tours about one of the company’s patented food tours in Las Vegas, this one featuring three restaurants—Sushi Samba, Sugarcane and Milos—in the Venetian and Palazzo resorts. As Tom explains, that’s only one of Lip Smacking’s food tours of Vegas. For more information, visit www.lipsmackingfoodietours.com.

Michelle Fee, founder and CEO of Cruise Planners, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report during the company’s annual convention aboard Wonder of the Seas about record sales, advisor success stories and new business tools. Fee explains how Cruise Planners supports its network through hands-on coaching, tiered incentives and AI-powered technology designed to save time and boost productivity. For more information, visit www.cru...

James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report interviews representatives of Les Trois Vallees French ski resorts about why they have one of the largest combined ski areas you can book in the French Alps. Those representatives include Gilles Leonard, director general and CEO, for Meribel Tourism; Justine Taglang, press officer for Val Thorens; and Anne-Laure Deves, press officer for Val Thorens. For more information, visit www.les3vall...

Massimo Baldo, vice president for Europe and the Maldives–Asia area at Palace Resorts, talks with Angela Hughes of Insider Travel Report at Baglioni Hotel Luna in Venice about Palace’s expansion into Europe through its acquisition of Baglioni Hotels & Resorts. He outlines the brand’s luxury repositioning, new culinary partnerships, the Baglioni tours program connecting its hotels in Venice, Rome, Florence and Milan, and plans t...

Kelvin Murray, director of expedition operations for HX Expeditions, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about his new role guiding the company’s next chapter after 130 years of exploration. Murray shares how HX combines comfort with authentic science-based expeditions and continues to lead responsibly in some of the world’s most remote regions. For more information, visit www.travelhx.com.