Humans of Travel TravelAge West - Hosted by Emma Weissmann
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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 experiences — the highs and the lows — that make them human.
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Fora Travel’s Co-Founder, Henley Vazquez, on Bringing More Advisors Into the Industry
Two years ago, Henley Vazquez created Fora Travel, a host agency that caters to a select group of new travel agents: part-timers, side-hustlers or even those who are just looking to dip their toes into a career in travel, but don’t know where to start. As a travel advisor herself — and a former staff member at Town and Country Magazine and Indagare — Vazquez says her mission is to bring new blood into the travel industry and support people at every stage of their career.
In this episode of Humans of Travel, Vazquez shares the ins and outs of Fora — what she looks for in potential new advisors, why the model is appealing to non-full-time workers and what she says to people who think the barrier to entry for this career should be higher.
Listeners will also hear about Vazquez’s own relationship with travel, and what Fora has in the works for 2024.
This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Fora Travel
Special Code for Humans of Travel Listeners: Foratravel.com/joinus
Application Code: HumansofTravel
Follow Fora on Instagram: @helloFora
Vazquez’s Speedtalking with Fora Podcast, on YouTube:
From TravelAge West
Why Do Travel Agents Have to Chase Their Commissions?
Part-Time Travel Agent? Fora Aims to Professionalize New Agents (and Side-Hustlers)
These Suppliers Pay Travel Agent Commissions On Time
Part-Time Travel Agents Make Up a Third of the Travel Advisor Workforce
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. -
Humans in the Hot Seat: How Ashley Taylor's Former Career as a Hospice Nurse Made Her a Better Travel Advisor
Hello everyone, and welcome to Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of the Humans of Travel podcast.
Today, we are speaking with Ashley Taylor, a travel advisor at Key to the World Travel. She talks about her former career as a hospice nurse, and her transition to travel — and she’ll explain what she believes to be the connection between those two professions, in two very different industries. She'll also offer some advice for travel advisors just getting started in the business.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Key to the World Travel
Contact Ashley Taylor:
Follow on Instagram: @Ashleykttw
Email: Ashley.taylor@keytotheworldtravel.com
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. -
Humans in the Hot Seat: Why Karen Coleman-Ostrov Decided to Be a Franchise Owner
Hello everyone, and welcome to Season 5 of Humans of Travel. We are kicking off our fifth season with an episode of Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series of Humans of Travel.
Today’s episode features Karen Coleman-Ostrov, a franchise owner with Dreams Vacations. Coleman-Ostrov took her first cruise more than 30 years ago, and now specializes in cruising and owns a franchise with Dreams Vacations. Here, she’ll explain why she chose to become a franchisee (rather than an agency employee or an independent contractor), and what advisors should know when considering this business model.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Dreams Vacations
From TravelAge West: Which Travel Advisor Model Is the Best Fit for You?
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. -
Encore: Award-Winning Travel Photographer Mark Edward Harris on Life Behind the Lens
Award-winning travel photographer Mark Edward Harris has been to an astounding 102 countries — including many that evade the average traveler and, as he puts it, places that are “seldom seen and even lesser understood.”
Many times, Harris is traveling for business, on assignment for publications such as Vanity Fair, LIFE, The New York Times, Newsweek, Time, National Geographic Traveler, Vogue and TravelAge West, among others — and he’s the recipient of many prestigious photography awards for his work.
He’s also the author of several travel photography books, including “Inside Iran,” “North Korea,” “The Way of the Japanese Bath” and, most recently, a book about orangutans called “The People of the Forest.”
In this episode of Humans of Travel, Harris dives into some of his most thrilling adventures, from his time in North Korea and his coverage of the Tokyo Olympics to his experience photographing orangutans for “People of the Forest.” He also reflects on the times when it’s been more appropriate to put down the camera, and how he gets his subjects to trust him. Plus, he offers some advice for succeeding as a travel photographer.
INSIDE THIS EPISODE
1:00 Meet Mark Edward Harris, award-winning travel photographer 2:30: How did Harris get interested in photography, and travel photography specifically?
9:20: Harris gives us the scoop behind the photo on the cover of his book "North Korea."
12:15: It's not all about pressing the shutter, according to Harris.
15:15: Harris talks about the ethics of travel photography — and when it's more appropriate to put the camera down.22:00: Harris offers advice for wannabe travel photographers. 27:45: What camera/equipment does Harris recommend? 31:00: Harris explains how to best shoot action shots and speaks about his time covering the Tokyo Olympics 35:00: Harris talks about finding stories in his own backyard, rather than going to far-flung locales. 36:30: What’s next for Harris?
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
Harris’ Instagram
Harris’ Website
Harris’ Books:
The People of the Forest
The Way of the Japanese Bath
North Korea
South Korea
The Travel Photo Essay: Describing a Journey Through Images
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. -
Encore: The ATTA’s Shannon Stowell on Defining Adventure and the Importance of Responsible Tourism
Since 2004, Shannon Stowell has been at the helm of the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) — the largest global network of adventure travel leaders in the industry — which includes tour guides, operators, lodges, advisors, destination management organizations, media and more. He believes that tourism has the potential to be a powerful and protective force – if it’s done right.
In this episode of Humans of Travel, Stowell takes listeners on a journey through some of his life’s biggest adventures, from making the natural landscapes of Salida, Colo., his playground as a teenager to taking his first international trip to Fiji and experiencing an especially impactful trip to Kurdistan (in Northern Iraq) a few years ago with his son, Ashton.
Stowell also explains the nuances of the term “adventure travel,” which is defined by the themes of cultural immersion, physical action or natural experiences (or a combination of the three), and how his own definition of adventure travel has shifted due to a recent health scare.
Listeners will also learn about the ATTA’s mission of promoting sustainable travel — including how members of the travel industry can get onboard with this initiative — and the future of the adventure travel segment as we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
ATTA: www.adventuretravel.biz
Tomorrow’s Air (permanent carbon recapture subscription): www.tomorrowsair.com
Contact the ATTA: Info@adventuretravel.biz
ATTA’s free community membership program: https://www.adventuretravelnews.com/atta-opens-doors-with-new-free-community-membership-program
Stowell's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonstowell/
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. -
Encore: USTOA’s Terry Dale on Farm Living, Responding to 9/11 and Transforming the ‘T Word’ (Touring)
Most people in the travel industry have crossed paths with Terry Dale, who has served as the president and CEO of the U.S. Tour Operators Association (also known as USTOA) since 2011. But many may not know that although he currently resides in Brooklyn, N.Y., Dale’s roots are firmly planted in Brooklyn, Iowa, a town of 900 that served as the backdrop for his childhood on the Dale family farm.
In this episode of Humans of Travel, listeners will learn about Dale’s early vacations (to Iowa’s State Fair) and his entrance into the travel industry via an entry-level job with Cedar Rapids Tourism in Iowa. They’ll also hear about the career growing pains Dale faced as he hopped between tourism boards in the U.S. (including a tense run-in with the mayor of Providence, R.I.) and how he navigated 9/11 as the executive vice president of NYC & Co.
Finally, Dale will share more information about USTOA’s 50th Anniversary, and how the association and the traditional travel style of touring (what he calls the “T word”) has evolved since he joined the association.
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE
United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA)TravelAge West article on USTOA's 50th Anniversary
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.
Customer Reviews
Great Show
A must listen for travel advisors. Weismann is a talented host and I love hearing the backstory of industry leaders.
Great Episode with Whitney!
Our industry voice is so well articulated by Whitney. She gives some nuggets for all new or established advisors in here. Go find them you will be glad you did. Can’t wait for THE HIVE!
Fun and illuminating
I like how the podcast provides a new perspective into the travel industry. The guests have had such a variety of backgrounds and the host asks thoughtful questions to explore each guest’s unique experience.