Listen Now

In just a month, a new tech buzzword has entered the mainstream: ChatGPT, a form of generative AI that has moved the conversation forward on what artificial intelligence can do for humans. Today we discuss how ChatGPT and other similar chatbots could change the jobs of travel sellers. Is it a tool? Or a threat? In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin; Norm Rose, the founder of Travel Tech Consulting and a senior advisor at Phocuswright; and senior editor Jamie Biesiada debate ChatGPT’s importance, how it could be harnessed by travel advisors and how it might change travel search forever – or, at least, until the next technological advance. Episode guests: Norm Rose https://www.traveltechnology.com Jamie Biesiada https://www.travelweekly.com/jamie-biesiada Episode sponsor: This episode of the Folo is sponsored by ALG Vacations Related links: Open AI and ChatGPT: https://openai.com/blog/chatgpt/ Phocuswright: https://www.phocuswright.com Can ChatGPT be a travel planner? We tested it out https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Technology/Can-ChatGPT-be-your-travel-planner Arnie Weissmann’s column: Can artificial intelligence VIP a client? https://www.travelweekly.com/Arnie-Weissmann/Can-artificial-intelligence-VIP-a-client Capital One acquires Lola's team and technology https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Corporate-Travel/Capital-One-acquires-Lola-team-and-technology   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The idea of a hybrid work-vacation trip – “bleisure” in travel industry parlance -- was totally upended during the pandemic. With business travel on hold, many people began staying at business-oriented hotels for vacation trips. And many people began bringing work with them to resorts. Then when corporate travel did begin to return, it did so with a bleisure component – in some cases spouses and kids came along for long weekends or joined up for an extended vacation. And people on work-from-home or hybrid work plans became accustomed to traveling anywhere and adding in a few hours of work time. Today we’re going to talk about how these trends literally are changing the footprint of hotels and their amenities: From business suites at Caribbean resorts to leisure-focused amenity packages at big-city hotels. Co-hosted by Christina Jelski, Travel Weekly’s senior editor covering hospitality. www.travelweekly.com/christina-jelski Guests: Travis Jay Wilson, marketing director of the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/sandt-marriott-marquis-san-diego-marina/overview/ Janien Huistra, director of sales and marketing for the Renaissance Aruba https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/auabr-renaissance-wind-creek-aruba-resort/overview/ Anne Stingle, head of sales, marketing and brand communications for Rebel Hotel Company. https://www.rebelhotelcompany.com/portfolio This episode was edited for length and clarity.  Related articles: Google data highlights the growing interest in blended trips https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Technology/Google-data-shows-interest-blended-trips Working on vacation: Bleisure's flipside https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/The-flipside-of-bleisure-working-during-vacation Business hotels make room for leisure: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Making-room-for-leisure See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Folo by Travel Weekly host Rebecca Tobin kicks off 2023 with a look ahead. In this episode, editor in chief Arnie Weissmann talks about the big-picture perspective from travel executives from his Executive View interviews, as well as his thoughts on destinations in 2023 and the one-word trend that he thinks will define the new year. In the second half of the episode, we circle back to the reporters to talk about additional topics that could influence travel in 2023: Labor crisis, wifi connectivity, visa delays and more. Guests: Travel Weekly news editor Johanna Jainchill and senior editors Jamie Biesiada (retail, theme parks), Nicole Edenedo (tours, river cruise) Christina Jelski (hospitality), Robert Silk (aviation) and Andrea Zelinski (cruise). Continued reading: Travel Weekly’s Preview 2023: https://www.travelweekly.com/preview-2023 Executive View: Lindsay Ueberroth: https://www.travelweekly.com/Preview-2023/Lindsey-Ueberroth-CEO-of-Preferred-Travel-Group Executive View: Roeland Vos: https://www.travelweekly.com/Preview-2023/Roeland-Vos-CEO-of-Belmond Executive View: Valerie Dorsey: https://www.travelweekly.com/Preview-2023/Valerie-Dorsey-Charmed-Vacations-Cruise-Planners Executive View: Andrew Todd: https://www.travelweekly.com/Preview-2023/Andrew-N-Todd-CEO-of-the-Xanterra-Travel-Collection   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Folo by Travel Weekly kicks off 2023 with a look ahead: Travel Weekly’s reporting team gathered together to discuss some of the trends and topics that will influence travel this year. We start with a lightning round of one-phrase trends and then take a deeper exploration of what might dominate in the aviation, cruise, tour, hospitality and river cruise segments, as well as whether travel agents would see continued recovery. And in the final segment, Travel Weekly reporters identified the top destinations to keep an eye on in 2023. A first of a two-part series! Stay tuned for the second half of our discussion next week. Guests: Travel Weekly news editor Johanna Jainchill, and senior editors Jamie Biesiada (retail, theme parks), Nicole Edenedo (tours, river cruise) Christina Jelski (hospitality), Robert Silk (aviation) and Andrea Zelinski (cruise). Continued reading: Travel Weekly’s Preview 2023 https://www.travelweekly.com/preview-2023 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We take a deep dive into our annual Travel Industry Survey, which examines business trends among travel agencies and travel advisors: From what they book and when to how much they make and how they market and communicate with clients. This year the research was conducted by Phocuswright, and nearly 1,400 advisors responded to the survey. To analyze and discuss some of the data, editor in chief Arnie Weissmann and Johanna Jainchill, our news editor and the driving editorial force behind the survey, join host Rebecca Tobin. This episode was recorded Nov. 20 and has been edited for length and clarity. Related: The 2022 Travel Industry Survey: https://www.travelweekly.com/Industry-Survey-2022 Phocuswright: https://www.phocuswright.com     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Bob Guccione Jr., Travel Weekly reporter Robert Silk and host Rebecca Tobin turn our attention to airline performance issues. Last week DOT fined airlines for failing to provide timely refunds during the pandemic. Frontier was the only U.S. carrier to be fined – why? Aviation editor Silk looks at the stats. Obviously through the pandemic there have been a multitude of flight cancellations. Later in the episode we discuss some of the reasons for this summer of "airmageddon" with Guccione, the editor in chief of Wonderlusttravel.com, who co-authored an article earlier this year headlined: "Are airlines profiting from the cancellations?". And here’s our PSA as Thanksgiving approaches: Airline passengers are entitled to a refund – not just a credit – if their flight is canceled or significantly delayed by their airline. Related reading: Agents chased refunds for Covid-era flight cancellations. Many say the DOT's fines aren't enough: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Agents-chased-Covid-era-air-refunds-Many-say-DOT-fines-arent-enough Bumping rates creep up as airlines manage oversold planes: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Airline-bumping-rates-creep-up Airlines vastly improve services to customers affected by cancellations https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Government/Airlines-improve-services-for-delays-cancellations Delta CEO apologizes for operational meltdowns in Q2 https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Delta-CEO-apologizes-for-operational-difficulties-in-Q2 For JetBlue and Spirit, weekend difficulties continued on Monday (April 4) https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/JetBlue-Spirit-high-cancellations   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the second half of a conversation that host Rebecca Tobin and retail reporter Jamie Biesiada with Jackie Friedman, the president of the host agency Nexion: a robust talk about the rise of the independent contractor is our podast episode today. A good deal of travel sales are handled by independent contractors, or ICs, and means that the advisor has their own business but affiliates with another, larger agency or a host agency for support, better commission tiers, training, marketing collateral and so on. One of the more surprising pandemic trends for agencies was a rise in the number of ICs, and Friedman has some thoughts on that; we’ll get into it here. On the news front, the U.S. Department of Labor has proposed a rule that would make it tougher for companies to categorize workers as ICs; and this rule is intended to help classify workers who are akin to employees. Two links below explore about how this rule might impact travel agencies with lots of ICs and, of course, the ICs, themselves. This episode has been edited for length and clarity.   More on independent contractors: Travel advisors are the 'great' kind of busy: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Avoya-growth-first-time-travel-advisors Host agency Avoya reports growth in first-time travel advisors https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Avoya-growth-first-time-travel-advisors ASTA formally suggests fees, blasts past membership goals https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/ASTA-unveils-credo-at-Global-Convention Travel advisors are well positioned in the rebound from Covid-19 https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Avoya-growth-first-time-travel-advisors   Labor Department updates: Labor likely won't target travel agencies over status of ICs https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Labor-likely-wont-target-travel-agencies-over-status-of-ICs Department of Labor’s criteria for determining IC status https://www.travelweekly.com/Mark-Pestronk/Labor-criteria-for-determining-IC-status   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Our annual CruiseWorld show brings to the stage the top executives from the major cruise companies. This year the CEOs of Carnival Corp., Royal Caribbean Group and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings talked with editor in chief Arnie Weissmann about their sales and product priorities against the backdrop of major news announcements: the elimination of some noncommissionable fares by Norwegian Cruise Line; Royal Caribbean Group’s Q3 profit; Carnival Corp.’s appeal for first-time cruisers. Host Rebecca Tobin turned to senior cruise editor Andrea Zelinski, who was covering the show in Fort Lauderdale, for her analysis of the news, the presentations from Carnival Corp. CEO Josh Weinstein and Royal Caribbean Group CEO Jason Liberty, and what travel advisors at the show were buzzing about. This episode was recorded Nov. 3, halfway through the show, and doesn’t include info on the conversation with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings CEO Frank Del Rio or the Presidents Panel with NCL chief Harry Sommer and Regent Seven Seas Cruises’ CEO Jason Montague, which took place Friday, so we’ve included articles in the links below. Related reports: At CruiseWorld, Norwegian Cruise Line execs explain NCF plan https://www.travelweekly.com/CruiseWorld-Coverage/Norwegian-Cruise-Line-execs-delve-into-NCF-plan Royal Caribbean CEO Jason Liberty on Q3 performance: 'We crushed it' https://www.travelweekly.com/CruiseWorld-Coverage/CEO-reacts-to-Royal-Caribbean-Group-Q3-earnings-report Carnival Corp.'s Josh Weinstein: Advisors can help us sell first-time cruisers https://www.travelweekly.com/CruiseWorld-Coverage/Carnival-CEO-Weinstein-Advisors-can-help-us NCL to pay noncommissionable fares on advance bookings: https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Norwegian-Cruise-Line-to-pay-on-noncommissionable-fares Think Tank: Advisors trade tips on social media https://www.travelweekly.com/CruiseWorld-Coverage/Advisors-trade-tips-on-how-to-turn-social-posts-into-travel-sales Complete CruiseWorld coverage https://www.travelweekly.com/CruiseWorld-Coverage   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We talk this week about how cruise vacations are sold – and by whom. It appears that cruise lines' direct sales have grown during the pandemic. We approached the topic from the travel advisor side and found quite a few reasons why this might be the case, and why advisors don’t seem to be that fazed. On this episode Jackie Friedman, the president of host agency Nexion, talks with Jamie Biesiada, Travel Weekly's senior editor for retail, and host Rebecca Tobin about why cruise lines might be seeing more direct bookings, why travel advisors are still crucial partners, the travel advisor proposition -- and how best to communicate that value to a traveler. This episode was recorded Oct. 25 and has been edited for length and clarity. Related reading Cruise lines’ direct sales keep rising, but travel advisors are unfazed https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Travel-agents-unfazed-rising-direct-cruise-bookings Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings expects a surge in direct bookings https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/NCLH-anticipates-surge-direct-bookings From November 2021: Have cruise sales shifted to direct? CEOs say yes, advisors ponder why https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Have-cruise-sales-shifted-to-direct   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week we’re focusing on accessible travel. In a recent two-part cover story series, our staff looked at ways that travel companies and categories like hotel, cruise and tour have made strides to accommodate disabled travelers. And we’re continuing the coverage this week with a report by Robert Silk about how often flyers who need wheelchair assistance receive “prompt and timely assistance” at the gate.  In the meantime, in this episode we’re having a robust discussion about what accessible travel means, what needs to be done for disabled travelers in tours and hotels, and where more progress needs to occur to make disabled travelers feel welcome and able to participate in group travel. Host Rebecca Tobin and Travel Weekly news editor Johanna Jainchill leads the discussion with John Sage, the founder of accessible-travel tour operator and agency Sage Traveling; Genny Freiman, the project manager for the Disability Opportunity Fund, which designed a hotel from top to bottom with disabled travelers in mind; and Matt Berna, president, North America, for Intrepid Travel. This episode was recorded Oct. 6 and has been edited for length and clarity Related reports: The state of accessible travel: The market overall, air and hotel: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/State-of-accessible-travel-2022-part-1 The state of accessible travel: Destinations, tours, cruise lines and what advisors need to know: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/State-of-accessible-travel-2022-Part-2 Wheelchair assistance falls short of flyers’ expectations: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Wheelchair-assistance-falls-short-flyers-expectations Pete Buttigieg: Airlines should create wheelchair space on planes: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Buttigieg-says-airlines-should-create-wheelchair-space-on-planes Accessible-travel specialist Wheel the World starts travel agent affiliate program: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Accessible-travel-specialist-starts-travel-agent-affiliate-program Is Africa a good choice for clients with disabilities? https://www.travelweekly.com/Middle-East-Africa-Travel/Insights/Accesible-travel-in-Africa-is-improving Our guests: Sage Traveling: https://www.sagetraveling.com/ Intrepid Travel: www.intrepidtravel.com The Schoolhouse Hotel: https://theschoolhousehotelwv.com/accessibility/ The Disability Opportunity Fund https://www.thedof.org/ Intrepid Travel: https://www.intrepidtravel.com   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As more places in the U.S. have legalized or decriminalized marijuana, and more travelers are interested in using marijuana during their vacations, are cannabis-friendly hotels on the rise – and have they gotten more luxurious? In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin and senior hotels editor Christina Jelski talk with Jim Roberts and Brian Adkinson, the co-owners of the Madrones and the Brambles, two boutique properties in Mendocino County, Calif., where their onsite dispensary and cannabis program has taken inspiration from wine tourism. Plus, we discuss how the tourism sector is growing and how hotels and inns can balance appealing to both marijuana users and guests who don't partake. This episode was recorded Oct. 11 and has been edited for length and clarity. Related links Cannabis-friendly hotels target high-end travelers https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Sophisticated-World-class-Cannabis-travel-is-growing-up Jamaica cannabis dispensary touts 'world-class' experience https://www.travelweekly.com/Caribbean-Travel/Jamaica-cannabis-dispensary-promises-world-class-experience Consuming weed in Las Vegas is about to get easier https://www.travelweekly.com/North-America-Travel/Las-Vegas-weed-lounges-will-open-soon The Madrones and the Brambles hotels in California: https://www.themadrones.com/#come-stay-the-madrones https://www.themadrones.com/the-brambles   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Under the Biden Administration, the DOT has put out several proposals related to rules for airlines, passengers and travel advisors. Two of the biggest are about refunds and fee disclosures: In the first, when flyers should be entitled to refunds and in the second, when air ticket sellers – like travel agents -- should disclose fees like bags, change fees, and how much it would cost for families to sit together. And there are other rulemakings in the works, plus a new online dashboard on airline policies for delays and cancellations. In short, it seems like a lot is going on. But what does it mean, what do advocates think needs to be clarified in order for flyers and agents to truly benefit, and how can people get involved in the comment process before the DOT issues its final rulemaking? Host Rebecca Tobin and Travel Weekly senior editor for aviation Robert Silk talk about these issues with Eben Peck, the executive vice president of advocacy at the American Society of Travel Advisors, and Bill McGee, a consumer advocate who is now with the American Economic Liberties Project. This episode was recorded Thursday Oct. 6 and has been edited for length and clarity. Related Travel Weekly reports: DOT's fee-disclosure plan is met with opposition: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Government/DOT-fees-disclosure-plan-met-with-widespread-opposition Wheels up: The new airline dashboard is good. It could be better https://www.travelweekly.com/Robert-Silk/Digging-into-airlines-controllable-delay-loophole At the DOT, ASTA lays out opposition to air-ticket refund plan https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/ASTA-talks-with-DOT-on-air-ticket-refunds Airlines improve their services to customers impacted by cancellations: https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Government/Airlines-improve-services-for-delays-cancellations DOT proposes giving flyers more opportunities to get a refund https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Government/DOT-proposed-rules-airline-refunds DOT rulemaking dockets: Air ticket refunds: https://www.regulations.gov/docket/DOT-OST-2022-0089 ASTA: Update on state and federal campaigns: https://www.asta.org/advocacy/stateAndFederalCampaigns American Economics Liberties Project: DOT's effort to secure airline refunds is an important change for consumers: https://www.economicliberties.us/press-release/dot-effort-to-secure-airline-refunds-is-an-important-change-for-consumers/         See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode we’re talking about holiday travel, but a special niche, specifically river cruises that hit the big Christmas markets in Europe. The Christmas-market cruises came to our attention last year when Tauck president Jennifer Tombaugh was a guest on a family-travel Folo episode and talked about the cruises with enthusiasm. But shortly after that episode was published, new Covid restrictions arose in Europe, markets were canceled and borders were closed, which put the cruises on hiatus for another year. But now in 2022 the itineraries are expected to go ahead as scheduled, so we've brought Tombaugh back to talk about bookings, demand and the "magic" of a December Danube cruise. She is joined by river cruise expert Lisa Fitzgerald, of Fitzgerald Travel, and our river cruise editor Nicole Edenedo. Related: River cruise insight: Christmas market sailings in Europe are filling up fast https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Insights/Christmas-market-river-cruises-in-Europe-selling-fast Europe insight: Making the most of Vienna's Christmas markets: https://www.travelweekly.com/Europe-Travel/Insights/Making-the-most-of-Vienna-Christmas-markets From November 2021: With Christmas markets closed, river cruise lines cancel or alter sailings https://www.travelweekly.com/River-Cruising/Christmas-markets-close-river-cruise-lines-cancel On this episode: Jennifer Tombaugh, president of Tauck: https://www.tauck.com/blog/from-tauck-president/ Lisa Fitzgerald, founder of Fitzgerald Travel: https://fitzgeraldtravel.com/about Nicole Edenedo, river cruise editor, Travel Weekly: https://www.travelweekly.com/nicole-edenedo Rebecca Tobin, Travel Weekly managing editor and host: https://www.travelweekly.com/rebecca-tobin   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we’re talking about a Travel Weekly cover story by Andrea Zelinski that examined traditional cruise line categories -- contemporary, premium and luxury -- the buckets that each line fell into based on price, size, amenities, vibe and historical positioning.Over time, the industry has gotten bigger and ships more sophisticated, new types of cruising have created new categories and broken down old barriers, prompting Zelinski and Mike Estill, the COO of the Western Association of Travel Agencies, to debate how the categories have blurred – and whether they are still relevant -- and how this impacts the way travel advisors assist their clients with making the right vacation choice. This episode has been edited for length and clarity. Related reports: Defying cruise categorization: https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Defying-cruise-categorization Dress up, dress down, enjoy your cruise evening: https://www.travelweekly.com/Cruise-Travel/Insights/dress-up-dress-down-on-a-cruise   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why has it been so expensive to travel? For a good chunk of 2022, the talk has been the of high prices in travel as demand -- particularly for Europe -- came roaring back. But meanwhile, inflation, economic uncertainty and fluctuating gas prices have had the potential to rattle consumer confidence. Have these factors taken a toll on travelers’ appetite to get back out and see the world? In this episode, hotels editor Christina Jelski speaks with Tom Foley, the senior vice president of business intelligence for Inntopia, and Beth Washington, the founder of the travel agency Getaway Guild, part of SmartFlyer. They look at how prices have changed, how travelers have reacted to higher costs, whether incentives like gas vouchers are useful, and the role that data can play in helping a travel advisor guide clients to an affordable vacation. Related reading: With high inflation and gas prices, hotels roll out late-summer deals https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Hotel-News/Hotel-deals-late-summer-inflation-gas-prices Getaway Guild travel agency: https://www.getawayguild.com/ Inntopia and DestiMetrics: https://corp.inntopia.com/intelligence/destimetrics/   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why are airport terminals the way they are? Aviation editor Robby Silk’s cover story, “Now departing from the ordinary,” looked at new ways that airport designers, operators and architects are building a new generation of terminals with expansive high ceiling, lots of windows and open space, greenery, intuitive wayfinding, local flavor and the latest in technology.  On this episode, Silk and Regine Weston, an airport planner for Arup, talk about some of the decisions behind upgrades and changes, why designers are thinking about passenger stress levels, ways to make the concourse experience more engaging, how sustainability factors into nearly every decision and what travelers might expect to see on their next journey through LAX, Denver, Pittsburgh, Seattle or New York LaGuardia.  Our summer 2022 series revisits some of our favorite Folo by Travel Weekly episodes. This episode was originally published June 12. It has been edited for length and clarity. Related reports:  New airport designs are a departure from the ordinary https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Now-departing-from-the-ordinary Sustainability and airlines: Green skies will come again https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Green-skies-will-come-again No line, and a train car to myself with Denver Airport’s touchless app https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/No-line-and-a-train-car-all-to-myself-with-Denver-Airport-touchless-app Delta touts new LaGuardia terminal building as blending beauty and function https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/First-look-Delta-new-LaGuardia-terminal Dispatch: Dining at Newark Airport’s Terminal C https://www.travelweekly.com/Blogs/Dispatch/Dispatch-Dining-at-Newark-s-Terminal-C   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"The Royal Tour," a one-hour PBS special hosted by travel journalist Peter Greenberg,  showcases a country’s tourism spots, history, culture, food, personal stories and current events. But with a twist: The country's head of state is Greenberg’s tour guide. To have a president, prime minister or member of the royal family show a journalist and camera crew around their country seems like an incredible opportunity, not to mention one filled with logistical hurdles. Both Greenberg and Travel Weekly editor in chief Arnie Weissmann join the Folo to talk about the origins of the Royal Tour, its protocols, some of Greenberg’s greatest memories and the most stirring moments of their time filming a "Royal Tour" in Tanzania. Our summer 2022 series revisits some of our favorite Folo by Travel Weekly episodes. This episode was originally published April 18. It has been edited for length and clarity. Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations. https://www.algvacations.com Related: Tanzania in the spotlight https://www.travelweekly.com/Middle-East-Africa-Travel/Tanzania-in-the-spotlight The Royal Tour https://petergreenberg.com/category/the-royal-tour/   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As was the case last year, editor Jerry Limone looked at our annual Power List, our ranking of the biggest travel sellers in the U.S., for agencies that made big gains or wrote about innovative approaches to selling travel – and this year he zeroed in on OutsideAgents.com and a new agency on the list, Marvelous Mouse Travels. Originally we thought this episode would focus on straight business talk, but right away the conversation got more about the “soft and fluffy” – that’s Chad Burt of OutsideAgents’ phrase – as he and Marvelous Mouse founder Kari Dillon traded strategies they used to keep their travel agents motivated, positive and productive during the push and pull of the pandemic. In this episode we talked about implicit marketing, traveling to sell travel, talking to clients with empathy and using that powerful tool: listening. Our summer 2022 series revisits some of our favorite Folo by Travel Weekly episodes. This episode was originally published June 26, 2022. It has been edited for length and clarity. Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations. https:/www.algvacations.com Related reading: The 2022 Power List: https://www.travelweekly.com/power-list-2022 Marvelous Mouse Travels: https://marvelousmousetravels.com/ OutsideAGents.com https://outsideagents.com/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today we’re examining a type of travel activity that I don’t think you’re going to find on a tour or a cruise shore excursion list yet. Nealy two years ago, one of our reporters, Robert Silk, fulfilled a personal project – at times called the desert sit, or competitive sitting, or extreme sitting, he went to the desert and sat in one spot for an entire day. The activity combines travel with some of the trends that became paramount during the pandemic. Being outdoors and distant, mindfulness, disconnecting from devices and accomplishing longtime goals. The interest in extreme sitting was renewed via an article written by Laura Kinniry for Atlas Obscura, and one from La Repubblica in Italy and so we brought the two of them together again, to talk about the philosophy and practicalities of traveling in order to just sit. Our summer 2022 series revisits some of our favorite Folo by Travel Weekly episodes. This episode was originally published May 2, 2022. It has been edited for length and clarity. Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations www.algvacations.com Related: How to explain a day desert sitting: Social distancing as an endurance sport https://www.travelweekly.com/Blogs/Dispatch/How-to-explain-a-day-desert-sitting-Social-distancing-as-endurance-sport Meet the man who wants to make sitting an extreme sport https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/competitive-sitting-extreme-sport Dispatch, Antarctica: Surrounded by humpback whales https://www.travelweekly.com/Blogs/Dispatch/Antarctica-Surrounded-by-whales   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode we’re talking about our annual Focus on LGBTQ+ Travel cover story, and we’re doing it in a personal way. Host Rebecca Tobin speaks with freelance writer Abeni Jones, who brought both personal perspective and strong reporting to last year’s story, "Traveling while Transgender," and this year’s piece on what travel companies are doing to make travel more inclusive and safer for people in the LGBTQ+ community – and more that needs to be done. In this episode, Tobin and Jones dive into an important discussion on why travel can be a fraught exercise for some LGBTQ+ travelers, especially transgender and gender-nonconforming people, changes at the TSA, how some travel companies are taking a holistic approach to inclusion, and how people and organizations could do better. Our summer 2022 series revisits some of the best Folo by Travel Weekly episodes. This episode was originally published June 20, 2022. It has been edited for length and clarity. Episode sponsor: This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations https://www.algvacations.com Related reports Focus on LGBTQ+ Travel, 2022: A more inclusive welcome https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Focus-on-LGBTQ-travel-2022 Focus on LGTBQ+ Travel, 2021: Traveling while transgender https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Focus-on-LGBTQ-Travel-Traveling-while-transgender U.S. issues first passport with a nonbinary gender option https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Government/US-issues-first-passport-with-nonbinary-gender-option Proud Experience focuses on the growing LGBTQ market https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/Proud-Experiences-focused-on-growing-LGBTQ-market LGBTQ leaders encourage genuine engagement from travel companies https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Travel-Agent-Issues/LGBTQ-leaders-encourage-genuine-engagement-from-travel-companies   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.