Check-in Podcast by TMR

John Chernesky, the SVP of North American Sales at NCL, has spent more than three decades in travel, but only just celebrated his two-year anniversary with NCL. In this episode, Chernesky takes some time to talk to TMR's Dan McCarthy about raising twins, celebrating Prince, and grading NCL's partnership with the travel trade.

After relocating eight times in 17 years, Courtnie Nichols learned how to adapt and connect — skills that now drive her success as a travel advisor. She began her career in fundraising but made the leap into travel and never looked back. Today, she works on retainer, offering clients concierge-level planning and the long-term partnership they value.

In this episode, TMR's Daniel McCarthy chats with Jenn Lee, President and Chief Marketing Officer of TPI and Vacation Planners, about the evolving travel industry. Jenn shares insights on the growth of franchise models, the importance of creating a consistent consumer experience, and how AI is enhancing—not replacing—the role of travel advisors.

So many talk about the travel industry because of its ability to improve lives. Travel broadens horizons, exposing individuals to diverse cultures, traditions, and perspectives, fostering a greater understanding and appreciation for what else is out here, and giving families and friends the time and experiences they need but it can also change the lives of others.  Last month, as part of TMR's Travel Market Place conference in Toronto, editor-in-chief and vice president Daniel McCarthy was joined onstage by Max and Viktoriia Shkurupii and Cathy Scott of British Colombia's Departures Travel, to talk about a story of how the industry can change lives.  Hear their story, about an escape from war-torn Ukraine and new lives in Canada, on this episode of Check-In.

There's been a lot of talk about the launch of NDC by United and American Airlines this month, two moves that mark a turning point for travel agencies that ticket inside GDSs. NDC stands for New Distribution Capability, which is a travel industry-supported program that allows airlines to provide richer and more personalized content to travel agents and consumers. While the moves are both seen as steps towards the future of ticketing, they both come with a lot of baggage, and concern, from travel agencies. In this episode, TMR vice president and editor-in-chief Daniel McCarthy speaks with Paige Blunt, the Senior Manager of Direct Connect and ONE Order at the Airlines Reporting Corp on the impact of NDC on travel advisors and the future of retail ticketing inside GDSs. The talk includes ARC's role in the move to the NDC, and advice on how agencies should approach it.

From the valleys of COVID, to now what feels like an endless ascent, travel advisors have come a long way. Business is strong across the board, with advisors reporting more clients booking more travel at a higher price than ever before. No one has a crystal ball. But how long can it really last?  In this episode, Joshua Bush of Ave Two Travel joins TMR to talk about what he's seeing the industry right now when it comes to that demand, what luxury clients want right now, and what destinations are trending. In the conversation, Bush also talks about his roots in travel—his parents built Ave Two, formerly Park Ave Travel, because of their love of travel and eventually convinced him to leave his career in consumer finance to join them, a decision form which he has never looked back.   

Join TMR's Daniel McCarthy as he talk with Hedda Felin, the CEO of Hurtigruten, for an inspiring conversation about sustainability and leadership in the cruise industry. As a first-time cruise executive and one of the few female CEOs in the industry, Felin shares her unique perspective on how Hurtigruten is leading the way in sustainable cruising. Discover the challenges and opportunities that come with promoting sustainable tourism, learn how Hurtigruten is now targeting the North American market, and hear how the ringing in its 130th year in operation. From innovative ship designs to partnerships with local communities, Felin and Hurtigruten are setting a new standard for sustainability in the cruise industry. Don't miss this insightful conversation on the future of responsible tourism and what it takes to be a leader in the industry. Tune in now to the latest episode of Check-In.

Los Cabos is booming. According to the Los Cabos Tourism Board, the destination, which has long been one of the premier Mexico resort cities, is having its best year ever, with a 20% growth in arrivals over 2019. Over the past few years, Los Cabos has accelerated through the post-COVID boom that carried a lot of Caribbean and Mexican sun destinations and has succeeded by attracting a younger, more affluent consumer.  It has also succeeded in building a sustainable travel ecosystem and maintaining a balance between that tourism growth and attention to the lush, intricate environment that plays host to some of Mexico's best hotels and resorts.  Rodrigo Esponda, the managing director at the Los Cabos Tourism Board, joined TMR's Dan McCarthy on this episode of Check-in to talk about how his team, along with the stakeholders within the destination, have been able to work together to not only uplift Los Cabos as a premier travel destination but also work to make sure sustainability is part of all those conversations.

For people both inside and outside of the travel industry, the past few years have been marked by a lot of looking ahead instead of looking around. Despite the hurdles and gloom that have come with a once-in-a-century pandemic, looking ahead robs us of our most precious finite resource, and that is time. In this episode, TMR's Dan McCarthy talks with Holland America Line's Vice President of North America Sales Michelle Sutter about how she used her time during the pandemic and how she learned to let go of things out of her control. Sutter, a career travel industry veteran, initially landed in travel after career plans changed from working at a Swiss charter school to living and working onboard a cruise ship. She reflects on that change in this episode and also talks about what she sees as the biggest challenge for the industry going forward.

Melinda Fortunato, who recently took home the Travel Advisor of the Year Award at ASTA's latest Global Convention in San Francisco, has had a lot of wins throughout her career. Recognizing those wins has served her well through her decade-long travel industry.  In this episode, Melinda joins TMR Editor Dan McCarthy to talk about her career in travel, including how her background growing up in a military family led to her place as a travel advisor today. 

Growing up in Sao Paulo, and experiencing one of the world's most diverse cities, helped Meire Ramos, the Sr. Global Director of Sales Intermediary, Retail and Leisure at Marriott International, choose to spend her life in hospitality. But choosing a favorite hotel is a tougher task. In this episode, Ramos, from her home on San Marco Island, talks to TMR about growing up in one of the world's premier melting-pots, getting her start in hospitality in Miami, learning how to play Sr. Global Director of Sales Intermediary, Retail and Leisure at Marriott International -ball, and discovering just how important travel advisors are to the industry at large.

Serena Cook, the founder of Deliciously Sorted, a concierge company based out of Ibiza, has spent years making sure ultra-high-net-worth travelers get what they want out of a sojourn to Ibiza.  But knowing the ins and outs, and having connections to the best places to eat and party, of Ibiza, isn't all that's required of that job task. One of the most important things Serena has mastered in her years in business is how to communicate with, and exceed expectations of, her high-net-worth clients.  In this episode, Serena talks to TMR about her company including how she started by partnering the travel advisors, how Ibiza has changed throughout the years, and how best to talk to clients who are interested in not only spending a lot of money on a vacation, but also having a distinct, unique, far-from-ordinary vacation.  Disc Relationship Strategies: https://medium.com/@kylegillette83/which-disc-personalities-work-the-best-together-4f452c2ce277 Deliciously Sorted: https://www.deliciouslysortedibiza.com/ 

According to the New York Times: “The number of people to travel to space in recent years has increased, and the pace is expected to only accelerate as a market for private spaceflight missions with wealthy tourists takes shape. The tally includes brief suborbital flights, such as the Blue Origin launch in July that carried Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and its former chief executive, to the edge of space with three other passengers.”  One of those companies is Space Perspective, a company that touts itself as the world's first luxury spaceflight experience company. In this episode, TMR checks-in with Jane Poynter, the CEO of Space Perspective, to talk about her background in discovery, and her new company, which is expected to launch their first official, tourist space flights in 2024.  While there are a lot of companies pursuing tourist spaceflight, Space Perspective is different in the way it gets its guests to space (via a balloon) and the way it wants to treats its customers (a luxury experience). It's also different in its costs (starting at $125,000 per person).  Poynter talks about not only what makes Space Perspective different, but also her expectations for the future of tourist spaceflight, and what impact the democratization of space travel could have on the world.  Space Perspective: https://spaceperspective.com/ Jane Poynter's Human Experience https://archive.org/details/humanexperimentt00poyn link for Jane's bio: https://spaceperspective.com/the-crew

It's all hands on deck for so many travel agencies trying to keep up with post-COVID-19 demand right now. And while there are so many advisors and agencies going out of their way to serve clients, there is a need in the industry for one specific skill in particular. And there's no one currently to fill it.  In this episode, Robin Sanchez, the new president of Montecito Village Travel, talks about how important GDS and air booking skills are right now for host and corporate agencies around the country. 

According to Adroit Market Research, the global travel insurance market, which was estimated to be worth about $21 billion in 2019, is expected to close to double by 2028 with a projected worth of $40 billion that year. To get a full understanding of what's driving that growth, and what's to come, TMR this week spoke to Richard Aquino, the vice president and head of sales at Allianz Partners, one of, if not the, largest travel insurance providers in the world.    Acquino has been with Allianz going on 18 years now, and has experienced the highs and lows of the industry along the way. In this episode, he talks with TMR's Dan McCarthy about what's trending now, what advisors need to know to sell insurance the best they can, and more. 

In this episode, TMR's Dan McCarthy talks to Travel Institute President Diane Petras about her thoughts on the present and future of travel agencies. With so much travel demand right now, and the industry still in the process of recovering numbers from the 2020 drop, there is a need to bring new blood into travel and make a career as a travel advisor or travel agency owner compelling. It's a big task for the industry, and a responsibility that is going to be shared among all stakeholders, but Petras says there is good news already in that battle, including a lot of new interest in the career.

In this episode, Lauri Reishus, the president and CEO of Airlines Reporting Corporation, or ARC, joins TMR's Dan McCarthy to talk about where the industry is right now, including the latest ARC data, and what's in the way of a full recovery, including commentary on ticket prices, NDC and GDS adoption, and more. Reishus, who was named president and CEO of ARC in January 2021, also touches upon her time as a ticketing travel agent, and why she thinks so many C-suite-level people in travel share that kind of experience.

Rick Stiffler, the senior vice president of global sales with Preferred Hotel Group, has spent over two decades as part of the team that has crafted a portfolio of the world's best hotels. In this episode, he talks to TMR's Dan McCarthy about his favorite hotels, what makes a great hotel, his path into the travel industry, and lessons he would tell his younger self.   

Virgin Voyages, a month out from the launch of its second ship, continues to make waves in the cruise industry. From an all-inclusive fare to an adults-only policy, Virgin is making itself known as one of the standout companies in cruising. But what drives the team guiding Virgin forward? John Diorio, the vice president of North American sales for Virgin Voyages, joins TMR to talk about his career in travel, including his time at Mark Travel, and what makes Virgin Voyages so special. 

ALGV's Jacki Marks has always been brave. It's something that was instilled in her during her early days in travel working for the LaMacchia family. Taking risks and going to where the puck is going, rather than where the puck is, has long been the recipe for success for Marks and her teams. In this episode, Jacki joins TMR to talk about that philosophy along with growing up in Wisconsin, getting into travel, and her role during the 2018 merger with Apple Leisure Group.

From South Africa, to managing a California-based Days Inn, to now, the president of Luxury Gold and Insight Vacations, Guy Young's career in travel has taken him a long way. In this episode, Young speaks to TMR's Dan McCarthy about his career in travel, TTC's dedication to conservation, and advice for those just getting into the industry now. 

Expedia Cruises President Matthew Eichhorst shares a history with so many people within travel—his road into the industry came because he saw the passion that the people within the industry shared, passion that helped them succeed both pre-COVID and through the pandemic.  Prior to joining Expedia Cruises, Matthew spent 20 years as an entrepreneur before a chance introduction led to him joining the industry where he has spent his last two decades.  In this episode, TMR's Dan McCarthy checks-in with Matthew for a short conversation about his entry into the industry, what he learned about travel advisors during COVID-19, and what's on his travel bucket-list for the next few years. 

Tauck's longtime president Jennifer Tombaugh just recently celebrated the two-decade mark with the U.S.-based tour operator. Being in charge of a portfolio of products as wide ranging as Tauck isn't an easy task, but Jennifer's experience has helped her along the way. In this episode, Jennifer talks to TMR about that experience, including her time living in Singapore, and also talks about the biggest challenges the industry will face over the next decade.

For African Travel's Sherwin Banda, the travel and hospitality industries found him, not the other way around. The industries provided an escape for Banda, a way out to a different life out of the regular constraints he faced growing up.   In this episode, Banda shares his story, from his humble beginnings in apartheid-era South Africa to now overseeing one of the leading Africa-focused tour operators in the industry. He talks about what he loves about Africa and how travel, a force for good, is one of the driving forces in preserving the continent's environmental beauty.

With almost four decades in the industry, Royal Caribbean's Vicki Freed is a cruise industry icon, but getting into the travel industry wasn't always the plan for Royal's senior vice president of sales and trade support and service. In this episode, Vicki talks to TMR's Dan McCarthy about how hearing a conference keynote by Carnival's Bob Dickinson changed the course of her career and changed her aspirations from IBM to CCL.

Uniworld CEO Ellen Bettridge shares a start in travel to so many successful people in travel—her first job in travel was as a frontline, retail advisor. In this episode, Ellen talks to TMR's Dan McCarthy about that start and about the confidence she brought with her from that original position to other stops throughout her career from Amex to Silversea to Azamara, and now to Uniworld. 

While there are so many factors that go into being able to keep consistent success in the travel industry, one of the ones that may be overlooked is anticipating change. In this episode, Michelle Fee of Cruise Planners speaks about how, as a frontline travel agent in the 1990s, she saw where the travel trade was trending and bet on those instincts, creating Cruise Planners, one of the industry's most notable host agencies that is just three years away from celebrating its 30th anniversary.  **Subscribe, like, and comment for more #travelagent content**  Subscribe to TMR's daily newsletter here: https://www.travelmarketreport.com/tmr-sign-up  Follow Dan McCarthy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMcCarthy_NY 

Jenn Lee, the vice president of sales and marketing at Travel Planners International, is one of the most vocal and vibrant personalities in the travel trade, but her road to success has not been a straight line.  Lee, who now lives just a short distance from the Florida hometown she grew up in, speaks about her history in the travel industry during this episode of TMR's Check-In. Lee recounts her career, including going from an hourly employee of the Publix supermarket chain to becoming the first-ever employee of Marriott Vacation Club, and now leading one of the fastest growing marketing and support agencies in the travel trade. 

AmaWaterways' Kristin Karst has come a long way, both physically and metaphorically, since her humble beginnings in Dresden, Germany.  In this episode, Kristin joins TMR to talk about her childhood, including growing up in Eastern Germany prior to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and how she ended up working in hospitality. She also talks about growing AmaWaterways into the river cruise powerhouse it is today, including the philosophies that make the company so successful, and the future of the business. **Subscribe, like, and comment for more #travelagent content**  Subscribe to TMR's daily newsletter here: https://www.travelmarketreport.com/tmr-sign-up  Follow Dan McCarthy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMcCarthy_NY

What makes someone successful in dealing with the changes in roles, and locations, that a long career in the travel industry can bring?  In this episode, TMR editor Daniel McCarthy talks  Chris Austin, the current chief sales officer at Explora Journeys, the new luxury cruise brand from the MSC Group. Austin's 30-plus-year career in travel spans segments, from hotels (Austin spent almost two decades at Starwood Hotels) to established luxury cruise lines (he's the former SVP of global sales and marketing at Seabourn).  Austin speaks about his time growing up in Bournemouth, England, his most recent move from Seattle to Miami, and why he pursued a career in travel in the first place.  **Subscribe, like, and comment for more #travelagent content**  Subscribe to TMR's daily newsletter here: https://www.travelmarketreport.com/tmr-sign-up  Follow Dan McCarthy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMcCarthy_NY

Being comfortable taking risks has long been part of the formula for success for so many entrepreneurs and for GTN's Vanessa McGovern, it was no different.  Vanessa joined TMR's Dan McCarthy for Check-In episode 7 to talk about her career in travel and how being comfortable taking risks, including leaving her home country of Canada, has helped her go from a youth counselor aboard a Celebrity Cruise ship to one of the industry's leading entrepreneurs. **Subscribe, like, and comment for more #travelagent content**  Subscribe to TMR's daily newsletter here: https://www.travelmarketreport.com/tmr-sign-up  Follow Dan McCarthy on Twitter: https://twitter.com/DMcCarthy_NY

Marriott is the largest hotel company in the world, a massive public company that has a bigger international presence than almost every other travel company. But, at its heart, it remains very much a family business.    In this episode, TMR editor Dan McCarthy talks with Brian King, the current president of Marriott's Caribbean and Latin America divisions. King has spent his entire career at Marriott, from his humble beginning at a Marriott-owned, and now-defunct, theme park near Chicago, to now helping Marriott expand into an all-inclusive powerhouse in the Caribbean.    King talks about how it feels to work for a company like Marriott, what makes Marriott different, and the legacy of Arne Sorenson.  **Subscribe, like, and comment for more #travelagent content** 

How does someone go from dreaming about being the first female Secretary of State to a 30-plus year career in travel? For Betsy O'Rourke, the Chief Marketing Officer at Xanterra, that's exactly what happened. In this episode, Betsy talks about her career in travel and her time with companies such as Hilton, Wyndham, Royal Caribbean, and more, including what she loves most about the industry. She also touches on her favorite National Parks and how, when she was part of US Travel Assocation, her and her team helped lift the industry back up after 9/11. 

More than 12 months after COVID-19 came to North America, TMR's Dan McCarthy sits down for a short chat with MMGY Co-Founder Peter Yesawich. In April 2020, during the onset of the pandemic, Peter spoke to TMR about COVID-19 and gave four predictions on how the crisis would impact travel and how the industry would ultimately recovery. Now, in the midst of that recovery, Peter and Dan revisit those predictions and talk about Peter's career in travel. Aside from founding MMGY, Peter has appeared as a commentator on travel trends in publications including the New York Times, wall Street Journal, CNN, CNBC, BBC, and more. 

Perhaps no other city in the United States had been as adversely affected by COVID-19 as New York City. A New York post headline from the summer of 2020 said that “New York City is Dead Forever” because what the pandemic had done to the city. But that's something that New York has heard before, and something that the city will, no doubt hear again.  On this episode, TMR's Dan McCarthy checks-in with Reginald Charlot, the managing director tourism market development with NYC & Company, the city's tourism arm that is going to be tasked with helping bring tourists back to New York City, something that is going to be crucial to its return.  Reginald speaks about how NYC tourism has changed throughout the pandemic and what the future looks like for the Big Apple. 

How can you put a global pandemic in perspective? It's not an easy thing to do, but it's something that became the task for Scott Koepf in March 2020. A week prior to COVID hitting North America, Scott, a senior vice president at Cruise Planners, underwent brain surgery, something that he expected to be his “big” event for his 2020. Little did he, or the rest of the world, know what kind of impact COVID would have. In this conversation, Scott reflects on his career in travel and how a backpacking trip he took with his friends in his early 20's led him to a 40-year career in the industry. He speaks about how he has dealt with the impact of COVID, both professionally and personally, and how he cannot wait to get back on the road.

When you and your family have built careers, and a major luxury agency, in the travel industry, how do you react when the world is shut down and borders are closed seemingly overnight? In this conversation, Jennifer-Wilson Buttigieg, the co-president and owner of Valerie Wilson Travel in New York City, talks about her experience over the last 12 months and whether or not she ever felt the urge to get out of the industry, especially as business went down more than 90% during last year. Jennifer talks about how her family went from Iowa to London and then to New York City, all the while been driven by “the travel bug” that has drawn so many into the industry.

In 2019, at the height of the industry's surge pre-COVID,  the travel industry accounted for $8.9 trillion in contribution to the world's GDP annually (more than 10% of the global GDP), along with 330 million jobs, or 1 in 10 jobs around the world. Its impact touched all corners of the global economy, connecting people from all corners of the world with friends, family, colleagues, cities, and countries that they would otherwise have no connection to.  While the industry could lose more than 100 million of those jobs because of COVID, it is important now, more than ever, to remember the faces and names behind those numbers, the ones who worked to build, and will now have to work to rebuild, the industry. Those individuals are the subject of TMR's new Check-In Podcast, an informal look into the lives of the people making travel dreams come true, the ones working inside and outside of the travel trade to move things forward for those 300 million people or so working inside the industry.  Episodes, released every two weeks, are available on all major streaming platforms.