Alle Pierce is an Emmy award-winning host, travel influencer, river cruise ship Godmother and founder of Gals Abroad Getaways, a travel company that designs group trips for like-minded women.

Before diving into the travel industry, Pierce built a successful career in broadcast journalism as a local news reporter. During this time, she honed her storytelling and public speaking skills, which would later become the foundation for her next venture — helping companies and tourism boards craft compelling brand stories.

On this episode of Humans of Travel, Pierce reflects on her journey from television host to entrepreneur, shares insights from her favorite projects (including a recent role covering the 2024 Paris Olympics), and opens up about how she stays authentic in the fast-paced world of social media. She also delves into the inspiration behind Gals Abroad Getaways, the lessons learned from her travel advisor mother and her vision for the future of her company.

This episode was sponsored by AmaWaterways.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Alle Pierce's website and Instagram

Gals Abroad Getaways

Gals Abroad Getaways on Instagram

ABOUT YOUR HOST 

Emma Weissmann is the Executive Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly. 

TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. 

ABOUT THE SHOW 

TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Rose Gray, the business relationship director at Fox World Travel, got her start in the travel industry by walking into the agency her family used for their own personal vacations, and convincing them to hire her. At the time, she says that travel advisors were more “order-takers” and less “consultative,” and Gray would spend her days handwriting airline tickets and typing itineraries on a typewriter. She then spent the next 35-plus years in the industry, adapting to various technologies as the profession evolved, all while exploring and embracing new ideas.

Now, as the business relationship director and tour manager at Fox World Travel (the 25th Largest Travel Agency on Travel Weekly’s Power List), Gray still works with other advisors and traveling clients, albeit in a different way. She leads groups of clients all over the world as a tour manager for the agency, and is often found broadcasting her own radio show and podcast from the road.

In this episode of Humans of Travel, listeners will hear Gray reflect on her decades in travel; how her female role models helped shape her; how she has embraced new technologies (hello, artificial intelligence!); and her best advice for new-to-industry travel advisors on how to be successful and have a fruitful, long-lasting career.

This episode was sponsored by AmaWaterways.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Fox World Travel

Gray's Radio Show and Podcast

ABOUT YOUR HOST 

Emma Weissmann is the Executive Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly. 

TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. 

ABOUT THE SHOW 

TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is Emma Weissmann, Executive Editor at TravelAge West, and your host.

Over the coming weeks, we will be interviewing the finalists of the TravelAge West Trendsetter Awards, which were created to acknowledge the work of exceptional travel advisors. This year, TravelAge West honored travel advisors in five categories, and named a winner and a runner-up and each category.

Today, you’ll hear from the eighth travel advisor in this series: Lainey Melnick, the runner-up in the category of Saving the Day. In order to help her clients have their dream wedding in Antarctica, Lainey not only booked their trip, but she found an officiant to sail at the same time and coordinated with Atlas Ocean Voyages so that the wedding could take place on a landing. Ultimately, Lainey saved the day and her clients got their dream wedding.

This episode was sponsored by AmaWaterways.

Lainey's Trendsetter award was sponsored by Travel Insured International.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Dream Vacations - Lainey Melnick & Associates

ABOUT YOUR HOST 

Emma Weissmann is the Executive Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly. 

TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. 

ABOUT THE SHOW 

TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In addition to being a model, actress and licensed therapist, New Yorker Karmia Berry has always had a love for travel. In 2017, Berry decided to merge this love with her more than 25 years of experience working with youth communities by creating I Am C.U.L.T.U.R.E.D., a nonprofit organization that aims to empower marginalized youth communities through travel experiences, cultural exposure and mentorship.

In this episode of Humans of Travel, Berry shares the origin story of I Am C.U.L.T.U.R.E.D (which stands for Confident, Unique, Leading, Tenacious, Unstoppable, Regal, Educated and Daring), and reveals how her past experiences — both as a Black traveler, and through her jobs working with underrepresented populations — and as an employee, has helped inspire the birth of this organization. Listeners will also hear about the various components of I Am C.U.L.T.U.R.E.D’s curriculum (which includes mentorship, personal development, passport sponsorship, and coordinated group trips, among other programs) and how it has influenced high school students in the New York City area. Travel advisors and suppliers will also learn how they can directly help the organization’s mission through fundraising, trip sponsorships and more.

This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

I am C.U.L.T.U.R.E.D. (Confident, Unique, Leading, Tenacious, Unstoppable, Regal, Educated, Daring)

Makeup and Breakup (YouTube), Streaming on a network called Allblk.

Coming to America (Berry’s favorite film)

Berry on Instagram: @Karmiaberry, @iamculturedinc

www.Karmiaberry.com

LinkedIn Karmia Berry

ABOUT YOUR HOST 

Emma Weissmann is the Executive Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly. 

TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. 

ABOUT THE SHOW 

TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is Emma Weissmann, Executive Editor at TravelAge West, and your host.

Over the coming weeks, we will be interviewing the finalists of the TravelAge West Trendsetter Awards, which were created to acknowledge the work of exceptional travel advisors. This year, TravelAge West honored travel advisors in five categories, and named a winner and a runner-up and each category.

Today, you’ll hear from the seventh travel advisor in this series: Ann DeMers, the winner in the category of Saving the Day. After booking a family vacation on a Disney cruise, Ann got a call from the family saying they had arrived at their hotel in Cocoa Beach the night before the cruise, but they realized they left all of their legal travel documents at their home. Ann saved the day by booking herself on a nonstop flight first thing that Sunday morning from Rochester, New York, rented a car at the Orlando airport, drove to Port Canaveral, and hand-delivered the documents to the customer before their cruise. I hope you enjoy hearing Ann's story.

This episode was sponsored by AmaWaterways.

Ann's Trendsetter award was sponsored by Travel Insured International.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Email Ann: [email protected]

Dream Vacations/Best Travel Partners

ABOUT YOUR HOST 

Emma Weissmann is the Executive Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly. 

TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. 

ABOUT THE SHOW 

TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Veranda Adkins, co-founder of the Association of Black Travel Professionals (ABTP) is passionate about making the travel industry more inclusive.

In addition to helping run ABTP, Adkins is also a travel advisor with Travel Legacy, and prides herself in coaching entrepreneurs and being an influential speaker. Through her personal website, clients can book a multitude of different coaching tools to improve their business needs due to her more than 22 years of experience in the industry.

In this episode of Humans of Travel, listeners will hear Adkins reflect on her days as a young girl traveling with her mother before joining the travel industry as a human resources representative for Travel Impressions. She’ll explain how she decided to leave her corporate job behind to become a travel advisor, and what ultimately led her to start ABTP during the pandemic.

Finally, listeners will hear Adkins’ take on the area of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) within the travel industry, and how industry professionals can put inclusivity at the forefront of their businesses.

This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

https://verandaadkins.com/events/

https://www.abtprofessionals.org/leadership/

ABOUT YOUR HOST 

Emma Weissmann is the Executive Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly. 

TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. 

ABOUT THE SHOW 

TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is Emma Weissmann, Managing Editor at TravelAge West, and your host.

Over the coming weeks, we will be interviewing the finalists of the TravelAge West Trendsetter Awards, which were created to acknowledge the work of exceptional travel advisors. This year, TravelAge West honored travel advisors in five categories, and named a winner and a runner-up and each category.

Today, you’ll hear from the sixth travel advisor in this series: Kirsten Andrade, the winner in the category of Best Targeted Marketing Idea. After Disney unveiled their Genie+ system, some guests were confused and frustrated. Recognizing a need for more resources, Kirsten leveraged her agency’s expertise to create a solution. Her already popular Facebook group developed the first-ever consumer-facing Genie Masterclass aimed at comprehensively teaching the system, leading to increased sales and new loyal followers.

This episode was sponsored by Allianz Partners.

Kirsten's Trendsetter award was sponsored by Princess Cruises.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Favorite Grampy Travels

ABOUT YOUR HOST 

Emma Weissmann is the Managing Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly. 

TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. 

ABOUT THE SHOW 

TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dee Ravenell, a former travel advisor, is now Senior Assistance Coordinator for Allianz Partners.

On this episode of Humans of Travel, Ravenell will share  stories of how travel insurance can save the day, what she has learned during her time at Allianz and what travel advisors in particular need to know about travel insurance.

This episode was sponsored by Allianz Partners. It was hosted by Kenneth Shapiro, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of TravelAge West.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

The Allyz Travel Smart App

ABOUT YOUR HOST 

Emma Weissmann is the Managing Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly. 

TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. 

ABOUT THE SHOW 

TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you’ve worked in the travel industry for any length of time, you’re probably familiar with Kristin Karst. The co-owner and executive vice president of river cruise line AmaWaterways, Karst is a staple at most travel industry conferences, perhaps best known for her bubbly personality, welcoming demeanor and close, personal relationships with travel advisors.

However, many travel industry colleagues may not know Karst’s unique backstory. She was born and grew up in Dresden, a German town along the Elbe River, in what was formerly Eastern Germany, under a regime that mostly kept Karst and her family isolated from the Western World.

In this episode of Humans of Travel, Karst reflects on a childhood spent under the Socialist Unity Party of Germany, and how the limited travel her family was able to do allowed her to gain an appreciation for all that Eastern Europe had to offer and fostered an early love of tourism.

Karst will also dive into what it was like when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, and how she got her start in the travel industry as a leisure manager at American Express Travel, a role that she kept until she moved to Southern California and met Rudi Schreiner, her husband-to-be and the former president of Viking Cruises.

Listeners will hear Karst reflect on the early days of AmaWaterways, how she keeps her work-life balance in check and what’s behind her unwavering positivity.

This episode is sponsored by Apple Leisure Group Vacations. 

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

AmaWaterways' debut in Colombia

TravelAge West’s 2023 WAVE Awards (AmaWaterways took home wins for River Cruise Line with the Highest Client Satisfaction; Best River Cruise Line for Families; and Best River Cruise Line for Luxury.

Get in touch with AmaWaterways:

1-800-626-0126

ABOUT YOUR HOST 

Emma Weissmann is the Managing Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly. 

TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. 

ABOUT THE SHOW 

TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel. This is Emma Weissmann, Managing Editor at TravelAge West, and your host.

Over the coming weeks, we will be interviewing the finalists of the TravelAge West Trendsetter Awards, which were created to acknowledge the work of exceptional travel advisors. This year, TravelAge West honored travel advisors in five categories, and named a winner and a runner-up and each category.

Today, you’ll hear from the fifth travel advisor in this series: Maurice Smith, the runner-up in the category of Best Targeted Marketing Idea. Maurice created a television segment called ATL & Co. On the Go With Eugene Toriko, which airs on 11Alive’s Atlanta and Company. The segment showcases partner hotels, destinations, and experiences that embody the agency’s mission, which is to inspire travelers to make choices that support environmental conservation, cultural preservation, and positive community impact, elevating awareness around sustainable tourism and encouraging a shift toward more mindful travel.

This episode was sponsored by Allianz Partners.

Maurice's Trendsetter award was sponsored by Princess Cruises.

RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Maurice's agency website: Eugene Toriko

Eugene Toriko on Instagram

Eugene Toriko on LinkedIn

ATL & Co. On the Go With Eugene Toriko

ABOUT YOUR HOST 

Emma Weissmann is the Managing Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the co-host of Trade Secrets, a podcast created with sister publication Travel Weekly. 

TravelAge West also produces national trade publications Explorer and Family Getaways, as well as events including the Future Leaders in Travel Retreat, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. 

ABOUT THE SHOW 

TravelAge West’s podcast, “Humans of Travel,” features conversations with exceptional people who have compelling stories to tell. Listeners will hear from the travel industry’s notable authorities, high-profile executives, travel advisors and rising stars as they share the highs and lows that make them human.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.