When developing a great luxury trip, it’s essential to turn to the experts—the specialized tour operators and destination management companies who can help you create the perfect trip for your clients. The companies represented on this panel are specialists in helping you choose the right destinations, accommodations, transportation and sightseeing to satisfy your high-end clients.

James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report moderates a panel that includes: Katheriona Dowling, managing director of Old Sod Travel Collection; Georgia Ridenhour, director of sales at Passages of Distinction; Maria Tuttocuore, sales consultant-North America for Going2Italy; and Bertrand Collignon, president and CEO of Decouvertes DMC France.

All our Insider Travel Report video interviews are archived and available on our Youtube channel (youtube.com/insidertravelreport), and as podcasts with the same title on: Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, PlayerFM, Listen Notes, Podchaser, TuneIn + Alexa, Podbean,  iHeartRadio,  Google, Amazon Music/Audible, Deezer, Podcast Addict, and iTunes Apple Podcasts, which supports Overcast, Pocket Cast, Castro and Castbox.

What’s the right resort or hotel for your luxury client? How do you uncover the perfect fit that will give your client the perfect stay? This panel of top resort executives gives you their best advice on what to consider when booking a hotel or resort. Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report moderates a panel, including Tina Lee-Anderson, director, leisure sales, Atlantis Paradise Island; Kelsie Chong, global account director, luxury sales, Caesars Entertainment; Miriam Sanchez, leisure sales manager, Casa de Campo Resort & Villas; Jaimie Robinson, leisure sales manager, Princess Hotels and Resorts Jamaica; David Astudillo, leisure sales manager,  Viceroy Hotels of Mexico; and Paulina Robbins, area director of business transient sales for JW Marriott in Austin.

Shahla Lalani, senior vice president-marketing and events, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report about the consortium's new series of events, including Ensemble Horizon to education its advisors and build a group culture. Lalani also details Ensemble's marketing programs, including an award-winning magazine, Range, published for the clients of agency members, as well as turnkey solutions for direct mail and digital marketing, For more information, visit www.ensembletravel.com. 

Eva Damato, senior director of luxury lifestyle marketing for Travel Leaders Network, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about the Luxury Leaders Alliance, which brings together the network’s top luxury travel advisors for networking, education, supplier partnerships and programming. D’Amato also discusses luxury travel trends in Europe, Africa and Asia; fam opportunities, supplier access and how advisors can learn more about the Luxury Leaders Alliance. For more information, visit www.travelleadersnetwork.com. 

Kristina Boyce, senior vice president-operations and member relations for travel consortium Ensemble, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at this month’s Ensemble Horizons conference about all the products and services Ensemble provides for its agency members. Boyce details everything from technology support with the comprehensive ADX booking system to training and more. For more information, visit www.ensembletravel.com. 

Countries, cities and regions are increasingly targeting the luxury travel market. How are they working with travel advisors and luxury suppliers to better define themselves as true luxury destinations? How are they marketing themselves as luxury destinations? In this panel, moderated by Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report, you’ll hear from Johanna Gonzalez, leisure sales manager for Discover Puerto Rico; Melanie Schinkel, Aussie specialist program manager-the Americas for Tourism Australia; and Mette Ejlskov Hansen, marketing manager-U.S. for VisitDenmark.

Lindsay Pearlman, president of Travel Leaders Network, talks with Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report about his first 11 months as president, the network’s focus on evolution, support for multiple CRM systems, AI tools, field support segments and smaller territories. Pearlman also discusses lead generation and why the 2027 EDGE conference will be outside the U.S. for the first time. For more information, visit www.travelleadersnetwork.com. 

Tour operators, guided vacation companies and FIT specialists often have the perfect luxury tour or FIT program for your high-end clients. These companies offer a variety of programs and tours that can satisfy the luxury clients. This panel features top luxury operators that offer a variety of destinations around the world. Alan Fine of Insider Travel Report moderates this panel, including Kerry Miller, business development manager for North America, ANZCRO; Ryan Grissett, regional director of sales, Collette; and Jim Marini, senior vice president of strategic partnerships, Railbookers Group.

James Kareka, vice president and managing director of trade brands for the new Evoke | Inspire, talks with Olivia Fleming of Insider Travel Report at the Pleasant Holidays Elite Experience in the Dominican Republic. Karaka tells us why Pleasant launched Evoke, a new brand focused on luxury travelers seeking immersive, personalized experiences. He also discusses shifting demand toward longer stays and experiential travel, the importance of concierge support and customization, and how the platform provides advisors with a single point of contact for 24/7 support. For more information, visit www.evokeinspire.com. 

Michael Johnson, president of Ensemble, talks with James Shillinglaw of Insider Travel Report at the Ensemble Horizons conference earlier this month at Resorts World Las Vegas. Johnson tells us how Ensemble has added more than 50 agencies, a number of preferred suppliers and new marketing programs, including an award-winning magazine for clients of Ensemble members. This Horizons conference, the fourth annual event since Ensemble was acquired and became a boutique consortium, was the most successful yet with roughly 1,000 attendees. For more information, visit www.ensembletravel.com.