The Folo by Travel Weekly

We're focusing on an emerging branch of artificial intelligence called agentic AI – that is, an AI tool that can, essentially, act like a booking agent, all the way up to making a reservation on the traveler’s behalf. It acts like an agent – but is it a threat to human travel advisors? And what does agentic AI mean for the OTA model, supplier customer service and travelers themselves? On this episode, McKinsey and Co.’s Vik Krishnan and Travel Weekly aviation editor Robert Silk talk with host Rebecca Tobin about the latest developments in agentic AI and travel and where the technology could lead us.  This episode was recorded Nov. 21 and has been edited for length and clarity.  Episode sponsor This episode is sponsored by Windstar Cruises https://www.windstarcruises.com Related links Agentic AI turns searches into sales https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Technology/Agentic-AI-turns-searches-to-sales Hotel and flight bookings are coming to Google's AI Mode https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Technology/Hotel-and-flight-bookings-coming-to-Google-AI-ModeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  Your travel advisor’s expert in-destination source: Their DMC This week we’re talking about destination management companies, or DMCs, which are companies embedded in specific locations that give travel planners an ultra-boost when it comes to planning a vacation there. Insider knowledge, special tours, recommendations, an expert shoulder to lean on – that’s what a DMC can provide. Here, senior editor for retail Jamie Biesiada and Haisley Smith, the senior vice president of partner relations at Internova Travel Group, talk about why advisors and clients are celebrating their DMC connections; why a client might choose a guided tour over a DMC-curated trip; pitfalls and the critical need to vet an in-destination partner; and what’s next for DMCs and advisors. Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Windstar Cruises https://www.windstarcruises.com Related links: Jamie Biesiada's cover story: DMCs help bring the wow factor https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/DMCs-help-bring-the-wow  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    It’s time for an update on Hawaii travel. On this episode, our contributing editor for Hawaii, Christine Hitt, talks about overall stats, Maui updates, a falloff in travel from Canada and Japan -- plus our favorite island destinations and the changes at the Hawaii Tourism Authority.  This episode was recorded Oct. 16 and has been edited for length and clarity.  Episode sponsor This episode is sponsored by Windstar Cruises https://www.windstarcruises.com Related reports Christine Hitt's Hawaii travel Insights: https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/Insights Maui's message: The comeback is on, so come back https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/Maui-message-The-comeback-is-on-so-come-back Inside the $6 million marketing campaign aimed at Maui's recovery https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/Insights/Maui-tourism-recovery-marketing-campaign-details Cruise lines sue Hawaii over new tax https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Cruise-lines-sue-Hawaii-over-new-tax Rebecca Tobin's home away from home in Hawaii https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/House-Without-a-Key-my-home-away-from-home-in-Waikiki  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we’re talking about a story that came to be after unveiling of Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ upcoming Skyview Regent Suite. It's a veritable mansion-at-sea with a private gym, sauna, bar and dining room that seats 12. And what's more surprising than the price? The fact that it was booked within one minute on 10 of 13 itineraries. Or perhaps that's not a surprise. Advisors tell us that there are countdowns to sales launches and wait lists for the newest crop of ultra-palatial, ultra big, ultra luxurious cruise ship suites. This week, as CruiseWorld kicks off in Fort Lauderdale, we go all-in on cruise, and with luxury advisor Carlos Edery and cruise editor Teri West, we look at what these top suites look like and what amenities they come with. Who are the customers and what do they want in a vacation? Is there a challenge of keeping up with guest expectations? And, of course, what might come next.  This episode was recorded Oct. 27 and has been edited for length and clarity. Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Windstar Cruises https://www.windstarcruises.com Related links:  Focus on Cruise cover story: The megasuite is bigger than ever https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/The-cruise-megasuite-is-bigger-than-ever Regent Seven Seas Prestige suite will reach for new levels of opulence https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Skyview-Regent-Suite-unveiled-for-Seven-Seas-Prestige From the archives: A look at luxury accommodations at sea (August 2005) https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/A-look-at-luxury-accommodations Luxury Cruise Connections https://luxurycruiseconnections.com/ CruiseWorld: https://www.cruiseworldshow.com  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel Weekly is proud to produce contributions from some very well-respected columnists -- people who really know the business. We have travel advisors and our own reporting staff, of course, but we also have a legal advisor, and many readers will know his name: Mark Pestronk.  Mark, a Washington-based travel lawyer, has been writing a Legal Briefs column, and before that, a column by a different name, for officially 40 years now, and he’s often quoted in our pages. So today we’re celebrating with an episode talking with him about travel, changes, the power of advisors and, of course, his time on Jeopardy.  Episode sponsor This episode is sponsored by Europe Express https://www.europeexpress.com At the end of this episode, stay on for a special, bonus discussion about the latest from Europe Express between CEO Parik Laxminarayan, and Mary Pat Sullivan, the executive vice president of marketing partnerships for Northstar Travel Group, Travel Weekly's parent company. Related links Latest Legal Briefs column: After 40 years, this much is constant https://www.travelweekly.com/Mark-Pestronk/After-40-years-this-much-is-constant From 2010: A quarter-century of legal advice from Mark Pestronk https://www.travelweekly.com/News-at-TW/A-quarter-century-of-pro-bono-advice-for-Travel-Weekly-readers Mark Pestronk’s Legal Briefs column archive https://www.travelweekly.com/mark-pestronkSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we’re headed to Chile, the home of this year's Adventure Travel Trade Association World Summit. Our adventurous editor in chief Arnie Weissmann attended the show as a guest speaker and participant on its adventure tours, and it seemed like a good opportunity for us to talk about Patagonia, penguins and pumas.  On this episode we tackle how the ATTA describes "adventure" travelers and what determines an adventure – also, why you should hire a guide; what to look for in the best outfitters; how overtourism may have contributed to the growth in adventure travel; and the thrills of adventuring on Chiloe Island.  This episode was recorded Oct. 17 and has been edited for length and clarity.  Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Europe Express https://www.europeexpress.com Related links: Travel Weekly’s adventure travel coverage https://www.travelweekly.com/adventure-travel Arnie Weissmann’s From the Window Seat column “Is Tuscany an adventure destination” https://www.travelweekly.com/Arnie-Weissmann/Is-Tuscany-an-adventure-destination The Adventure Travel Trade Association https://www.adventuretravel.biz/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

South Africa based contributor Dorine Reinstein has written often about conservation efforts and tackled overcrowding on safari tours. A video this summer that appeared to show safari trucks crowding and blocking the wildebeest migration in the Serengeti raised new questions for us about guest expectations; guide pressure points and the power balance between guests and guides; and how the travel trade can get involved. Joining us on this episode is Louise De Waal, a director and campaign manager at Blood Lions, and Anton Letegan, the managing director of EcoTraining. It’s an important, thoughtful discussion, and I want to add that both Louise and Anton urged me to emphasize that we’re looking to educate and create a dialogue on sustainability on the savanna – not to point fingers.  This episode was recorded Sept. 23 and has been edited for length and clarity. Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Europe Express https://www.europexpress.com Related links Dorine Reinstein's coverage for Travel Weekly: https://www.travelweekly.com/dorine-reinstein Safaris that go beyond the Big Five are catching on https://www.travelweekly.com/Middle-East-Africa-Travel/Safaris-that-go-beyond-the-Big-Five-are-catching-on The elephant in the room: Overturism in Africa https://www.travelweekly.com/Middle-East-Africa-Travel/Overtourism-in-Africa EcoTraining https://www.ecotraining.co.za/ Blood Lions: https://bloodlions.org/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our latest cover story is titled the 25 years that changed travel. We’re looking back at the first quarter century and the biggest events that had an outsized impact on the business, from mega-events that changed the world to milestone product launches and those business decisions that portended major shifts to come. In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin, editor in chief Arnie Weissmann and news editor Johanna Jainchill unpack the list and some of the decisions behind it, as well as those reminisces about the old times and what’s happening in travel today.  This episode was recorded Sept. 26 and has been edited for length and clarity.  Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by Europe Express https://www.europexpress.com Related links: The 25 years that changed travel https://www.travelweekly.com/25-years  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode we’re going to tuck in to a portion of the flying experience that you might be surprised to hear about: food. The aviation catering business is enormous, as our airlines editor Robert Silk determined when he walked the floor of a show devoted only to inflight eating and drinking. In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin, Silk and Joe Leader, the CEO of the International Flight Services Association, talk about the growth of good eating in all cabins, tech developments that make food service more efficient and more interesting, and why food tastes different at cruising altitude. Plus: Pre-ordering and new complimentary meal service on transcontinental routes.  Episode sponsor This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International https://www.travelinsured.com Related links: Airline food innovators have high aspirations: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Airline-food-innovators-have-high-aspirations International Flight Services Association: https://ifsa.aero/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we're doubling down on Las Vegas – specifically to its hotel occupancy numbers, which were surprisingly weak this summer. Our hotels editor Christina Jelski has been talking with Las Vegas tourism authorities about two new campaigns designed to drive interest: a splashy marketing campaign touting “fabulous Las Vegas” as well as a more targeted effort to lure travelers with value-add promotions.  With Christina, Kyle Owusu, director of credit research and lead expert/analyst for casino and gaming coverage at Octus, and Matt Powell, CEO of the Moroch advertising agency in Dallas, we look at: Who are Vegas’ missing travelers? Plus, whether Vegas is a luxury destination and why it's important to stay balanced for travelers at different price points, competition outside of Las Vegas, those new marketing campaigns -- and more. Episode sponsor This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International https://www.travelinsured.com Related links: Las Vegas hotels grapple with steep occupancy decline https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Las-Vegas-hotels-grapple-with-steep-occupancy-decline Las Vegas' new ad campaigns coincides with tourism slump https://www.travelweekly.com/North-America-Travel/Las-Vegas-new-ad-campaign-long-term-play 'Fabulous' at every price point is the new message from Las Vegas https://www.travelweekly.com/North-America-Travel/Fabulous-ad-campaign-for-Las-Vegas Caesars Entertainment's Q2 concerns soft summer for Las Vegas: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Caesars-Entertainment-reports-soft-summer-in-Las-Vegas-amid-declining-occupancy Octus https://octus.com/ Moroch https://moroch.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Folo by Travel Weekly is back with all-new episodes this fall. In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin talks to the Travel Weekly reporting team to get the lowdown on their top, favorite or most fun stories from the past two months, as well as what they’re focused on with coverage this fall. Among the topics: short-term bookings, inbound visitors to the U.S., celebrity (and Celebrity) sailings, Las Vegas' occupancy numbers -- and a few surprises from our team.  Featuring commentary from news editor Johanna Jainchill, retail editor Jamie Biesiada, cruise editor Teri West, tours and river cruise editor Binley Hineman and aviation editor Robert Silk.  This episode was recorded in parts during the week of Sept. 8 and has been edited for length and clarity. Episode sponsor This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International https://www.travelinsured.com Related links: Editor in chief Arnie Weissmann's column "The cost of an unwelcoming border" https://www.travelweekly.com/Arnie-Weissmann/The-cost-of-an-unwelcoming-border Travel advisors This summer's trend: Clients who book last minute https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Summer-2025-trend-last-minute-bookings Epic Universe spurs double-digit growth for Comcast in Q2 https://www.travelweekly.com/North-America-Travel/Epic-Universe-fuels-growth-Universal-Orlando-with-successful-opening The Trade Secrets podcast: Tech Summit https://www.travelweekly.com/podcasts/trade-secrets Cruise How Ritz-Carlton's celebrity-packed cruise benefits the luxury line https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Insights/Ritz-Carlton-celebrity-sailing-luminara Big Mexico projects could give Royal Caribbean an edge https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Royal-Caribbean-big-edge-Western-Caribbean A look at Celebration Key, Carnival's new private destination https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Carnival-Celebration-Key-review Tours How tour operators develop new tours https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Tour-Operators/Unearthing-new-tours River cruise Celebrity will bring familiar features to its river cruise product https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Celebrity-River-Cruises-familiar-brand-features Hospitality Las Vegas' new ad campaign coincide with tourism slump https://www.travelweekly.com/North-America-Travel/Las-Vegas-new-ad-campaign-long-term-play Los Angeles hotel and airport workers score a victory with increased pay https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Hotel-industry-fails-stop-30-dollar-minimum-wage-Los-Angeles Aviation Southwest to roll out free wifi fleetwide https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Southwest-rolling-out-free-WiFi-fleetwide Chapter 11 redux: Spirit Airlines' quest for financial stability https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Analysis-Spirit-Airlines-second-bankruptcy-filingSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This year, it's all about travel brands making their entry into Europe river cruising. We’ve been surprised this year by the number of established names moving in to the Rhine, Danube and beyond: Celebrity Cruises, Trafalgar and National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions among them.  With Lisa Fitzgerald, a river-cruise expert advisor and founder of Fitzgerald Travel, and river cruise editor Brinley Hineman, we’re exploring why each of these brands is approaching river, and how they’re doing it in different ways. We’ll also look at the popularity of emerging destinations around the world, and numbers from Viking, the biggest river cruise line.  This episode was edited for length and clarity. Since it was recorded on May 23, more information has been published about Celebrity's foray into river cruising -- and stay tuned for even more.  Episode sponsor This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International https://www.travelinsured.com Summer series This episode is the finale of our annual Summer Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. New episodes return to the Folo Sept. 15! Related reports New: Celebrity River Cruises reveals room categories and first itineraries https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Celebrity-River-Cruises-room-categories-first-itineraries New: Viking's advance bookings surge amid continued expansion https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Viking-sells-out-2025-capacity-expands-global-offerings Lindblad, Trafalgar, Waldorf: More companies are attracted to river cruising https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Insights/river-cruise-attracts-more-travel-companies River cruise lines are excited that Celebrity is wading into the business -- why? https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Insights/River-lines-react-to-Celebrity-Cruises-entry No slowing down for river cruising: 2026 looks better than 2025 https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/River-cruise-bookings-surging-for-2026?ct=river Dispatch, Riverside Debussy: An indulgent, fine-dining experience https://www.travelweekly.com/Blogs/Dispatch/Fine-dining-in-the-Vintage-Room-on-Riverside-Debussy?ct=river Fitzgerald Travel https://fitzgeraldtravel.com/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel Weekly’s annual Power List is a massive undertaking to identify and rank the biggest sellers of travel. And when we say big, we mean big: The minimum for inclusion this year was agencies that sold at least $125 million in travel in 2024. But among the 70 travel agencies that made the cut, which ones grew the most? In this episode we look at Departure Lounge, which moved almost 10 places in the rankings, after joining just last year. Host Rebecca Tobin and retail editor Jamie Biesiada talk with owner Keith Waldon about Departure Lounge’s founding as a travel agency/wine bar/coffee shop and how his experiences at Virtuoso shaped Departure Lounge. We also talk about how to find independent contractors and treat them right; why some advisors are making so much money; and the 2024 landscape and the 2025 prognosis.  Episode sponsor This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International https://www.travelinsured.com Summer series This episode is part of our annual Summer Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. This episode was recorded July 7 and has been edited for length and clarity. Related links Departure Lounge https://www.departurelounge.com The 2025 Power List https://www.travelweekly.com/power-list-2025 A 2017 column from Richard Turen that features Departure Lounge: "Rethinking the travel agency experience" https://www.travelweekly.com/Richard-Turen/Rethinking-travel-agency-experienceSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The last two episodes have covered news topics like economic uncertainty and the troubles at Newark, so this week we’re going in a different direction: Literary tourism. That is, tours and travel based on a favorite book or character. Think Bath for Jane Austen or Prince Edward Island for L.M. Montgomery. London, Paris and New York .... any place a book club can dream up, there's probably a literary tour (or could be one). In this episode we talk about why literary tourism is growing in popularity with tours editor Brinley Hineman and Active England’s head of commercial, Gaby Cecil. This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International https://www.travelinsured.com Summer series: This episode is part of our annual Summer Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. This episode was recorded  and has been edited for length and clarity. Related links True story: Literary tourism grows in popularity https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Tour-Operators/A-new-chapter-in-literary-tourism Active England Tours https://activeenglandtours.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We’re returning to a subject that continues to evolve: Cruise lines’ private islands and destinations. Even after this episode was recorded, Carnival opened its long-awaited Celebration Key and Norwegian Cruise Line announced big plans for Great Stirrup Cay. Royal Caribbean Group has often been at the forefront of these discussions, with its Perfect Day projects, a planned destination in the South Pacific and a hotel in Chile for Antarctica guests. In this episode, Jay Schneider, the chief product innovation officer for Royal Caribbean International, host Rebecca Tobin and cruise editor Teri West talk about the inspiration for Royal’s thrill-and-chill vibes, competition and the evolution of land-and-sea vacations in the Caribbean. Episode sponsor This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International https://www.travelinsured.com Summer series: This episode is part of our annual Summer Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. This episode was recorded May 29 and has been edited for length and clarity. Related links Perfect Day Mexico: Royal Caribbean previews its next frontier of fun https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Royal-Caribbean-previews-Perfect-Day-Mexico The Grand Lucayan overhaul is an $827M bet on cruise tourism https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Grand-Lucayan-Resort-overhaul-analysis Royal Caribbean expects to open its South Pacific destination in early 2027 https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Royal-Caribbean-renderings-for-Lelepa Holland America Line reveals plans for an upgraded Half Moon Cay https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Royal-Caribbean-renderings-for-Lelepa MSC Cruises will develop a private island adjacent to Ocean Cay www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/MSC-Cruises-developing-luxury-island-near-Ocean-Cay Carnival Corp.'s private-destination plan: Update, build and promote https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Carnival-private-destination-plan NCLH starts construction of a pier on Great Stirrup Cay https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/NCLH-starts-construction-of-Great-Stirrup-Cay-pier The evolution of cruising's private islands https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/evolution-of-cruising-private-islandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel advisors are often encouraged to seek out the more stable, and more lucrative, luxury market. But one question you might not have asked yourself is: What if you can’t speak the language? There’s definitely a right way to communicate with luxury-market clientele, both obvious and subtle. On this episode host Rebecca Tobin and senior editor Jamie Beisiada talk with travel experts from Embark Beyond: CEO Jack Ezon and advisor Laura Worth, who have identified this challenge – and created a series of training modules to help advisors follow the Billionaire’s Calendar; converse beyond travel in art, fashion and yachts; how to read luxury-brand tea leaves; and ways advisors can “fake it till they make it.” Episode sponsor This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International https://www.travelinsured.com Summer series: This episode is part of our annual Summer Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. This episode was recorded March 7 and has been edited for length and clarity. Related links:  Learning the language of luxury https://www.travelweekly.com/Luxury-Travel/Learning-the-language-of-luxury The surge in the six-figure vacation https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/The-six-figure-vacation-surge Embark Beyond on Travel Weekly's Power List https://www.travelweekly.com/Power-List-2024/Embark-Beyond Laura Worth of of Art & Travel https://www.artandtravel.net/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Despite what we’re hearing about close-to-home travel, Americans are still headed to Europe in large numbers and to tourism hot spots like Venice, Barcelona, Greece and Lisbon. Many of these places have also been the sites of protests over tourism – in Barcelona, for example, protesters were again using water guns to spray visitors in an attempt to make their concerns known. Travel advisor Miriam Martinez of Revigorate, who works with and advises American clients, joins tours editor Brinley Hineman and host Rebecca Tobin to talk about whether travelers are concerned about overtourism protests and anti-tourism sentiment; how advisors and tour companies are packaging and selling lesser-visited destinations to travelers; and possible solutions to overcrowded cities. Episode sponsor This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International https://www.travelinsured.com Summer series: This episode is part of our annual Summer Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. This episode was recorded June 30 and has been edited for length and clarity. Related links In Europe, tour operators and advisors plan around overtourism https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Tour-Operators/Tour-operators-and-advisors-plan-around-overtourism Protesters spray tourists with water guns in Spain https://www.travelweekly.com/Europe-Travel/Protestors-spray-tourists-with-water-guns-in-Spain Cruise industry navigates a new wave of port taxes https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Cruise-industry-navigates-new-wave-port-taxes Previous Folo episodes Is the term 'overtourism' being overused? https://www.travelweekly.com/Podcasts/Folo/overtourism-overusedSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The opening of Universal Orlando Resort's Epic Universe park earlier this year has created new opportunities for theme-park lovers for the first time in nearly 25 years. What's so special about the new Epic theme park? In this episode, retail editor Jamie Biesiada walks host Rebecca Tobin through innovations in ride technology, the queues and other Epic details - favorite or most surprising rides? -- and we talk about theme park performance in 2025 overall so far. And we discuss a few new tidbits from Walt Disney World's Cool Kid summer promotion and disclose details of a new nighttime parade. Summer series: This episode is part of our annual Summer Series, where we feature some of our favorite recent Folo by Travel Weekly discussions. This episode was recorded May 30 and has been edited for length and clarity. Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions https://www.expeditions.com/ Related links: Jamie Biesiada's Cover Story: An Epic opening for Universal Orlando Resort https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Epic-Universe-opening-analysis-Universal-Orlando Exploring the enchanting details at Epic Universe https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Enchanting-details-Epic-Universe Waiting in line at Epic Universe: Which has the best queue https://www.travelweekly.com/Blogs/Dispatch/Best-queue-experience-Epic-Universe It's an Epic era for Universal Orlando, and Celestial Park sets the tone https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Epic-Universe-new-era-Universal-Orlando-Resort Walt Disney World's summer promo leads to a magic resort stay https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/The-magic-of-a-resort-day-at-Disney-World Dispatch, Orlando: Discovering Disney's 'Cool Kid Summer' https://www.travelweekly.com/Blogs/Dispatch/Discovering-Disney-Cool-Kid-Summer New Disney 'Starlight parade' opens at Magic Kingdom https://www.travelweekly.com/North-America-Travel/Disney-Starlight-nighttime-parade-debuts-at-Walt-Disney-World-Resort A Disneyland park is coming to Abu Dhabi https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Disneyland-park-coming-to-Abu-Dhabi    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Travel Weekly’s annual Power List is a massive undertaking to identify and rank the biggest sellers of travel. And when we say big, we mean big: The minimum for inclusion this year was agencies that sold at least $125 million in travel in 2024. But among the 70 travel agencies that made the cut, which ones grew the most? In this episode we look at Departure Lounge, which moved almost 10 places in the rankings, after joining just last year. Host Rebecca Tobin and retail editor Jamie Biesiada talk with owner Keith Waldon about Departure Lounge’s founding as a travel agency/wine bar/coffee shop and how his experiences at Virtuoso shaped Departure Lounge. We also talk about how to find independent contractors and treat them right; why some advisors are making so much money; and the 2024 landscape and the 2025 prognosis.  This episode was recorded July 7 and has been edited for length and clarity. Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions https://www.expeditions.com/ Related links: Departure Lounge https://www.departurelounge.com The 2025 Power List https://www.travelweekly.com/power-list-2025 A 2017 column from Richard Turen that features Departure Lounge: "Rethinking the travel agency experience" https://www.travelweekly.com/Richard-Turen/Rethinking-travel-agency-experience    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s getting to be mid July, but as you’ll hear from this episode, the summer travel season – both booking and traveling – is far from over. With our guest Melissa Krueger, the CEO of Classic Vacations, we’re going to talk about all things summer-travel and summer-trend related: A comeback in Maui, traveling to Italy, a surprise getaway in the U.S. and, of course, what this season's close-in  booking window means for travelers and sellers. And: What is JOMO, and how can you apply it to your next vacation?  This episode was recorded July 10 and has been edited for length and clarity. Episode sponsor:  This episode is sponsored by National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions https://www.expeditions.com/ Related links: Classic Vacations https://www.classicvacations.com Tour operators and advisors plan around overtourism https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Tour-Operators/Tour-operators-and-advisors-plan-around-overtourism Inside the $6 million marketing campaign aimed at Maui's recovery https://www.travelweekly.com/Hawaii-Travel/Insights/Maui-tourism-recovery-marketing-campaign-details    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.