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/

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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

 

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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/

 

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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/

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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-filing

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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/

 

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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-experience

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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/

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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-islands

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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/

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