73 episodes

Welcome to Trade Secrets, a podcast from the editors of Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, where travel advisors ask -- and answer -- questions. On each podcast, our editors will ask a veteran travel advisor to join them and field listeners’ questions. Topics will range from business advice to industry trends, history and more — as long as it’s travel-related, we want to address it! Find Trade Secrets wherever you get your podcasts, or at travelweekly.com/podcasts.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS:

Jamie Biesiada is a senior editor with Travel Weekly. She is an award-winning journalist, including being named the American Society of Travel Advisors’ 2019 Travel Journalist of the Year. Her roots are in community journalism, where she was the editor of several local newspapers and a regional entertainment magazine.

Emma Weissmann is a Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print and online magazine for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the host of the Humans of Travel podcast, where she interviews notable individuals in the travel industry about their lives — the highs and lows that make them human.


Theme song:
Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information

Trade Secrets Podcast Travel Weekly and TravelAge West

    • Society & Culture
    • 5.0 • 22 Ratings

Welcome to Trade Secrets, a podcast from the editors of Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, where travel advisors ask -- and answer -- questions. On each podcast, our editors will ask a veteran travel advisor to join them and field listeners’ questions. Topics will range from business advice to industry trends, history and more — as long as it’s travel-related, we want to address it! Find Trade Secrets wherever you get your podcasts, or at travelweekly.com/podcasts.

ABOUT YOUR HOSTS:

Jamie Biesiada is a senior editor with Travel Weekly. She is an award-winning journalist, including being named the American Society of Travel Advisors’ 2019 Travel Journalist of the Year. Her roots are in community journalism, where she was the editor of several local newspapers and a regional entertainment magazine.

Emma Weissmann is a Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print and online magazine for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the host of the Humans of Travel podcast, where she interviews notable individuals in the travel industry about their lives — the highs and lows that make them human.


Theme song:
Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop
License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information

    Why can't we be friends? Forming productive travel advisor-supplier relationships (feat. Vicki Freed and Jamie Margolis)

    Why can't we be friends? Forming productive travel advisor-supplier relationships (feat. Vicki Freed and Jamie Margolis)

    Welcome to the season four finale of Trade Secrets. This week, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada welcome Royal Caribbean’s Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales and trade support and service, and Jamie Margolis, owner of the Dream Vacations franchise Moms at Sea, during the second installment of a two-part series with Freed (listen to part one here). 

    During the episode, Freed and Margolis talk about the importance of forming — and maintaining — a good agent-supplier relationship, the “unicorn” cabins onboard Royal Caribbean ships that offer more space for less money, the value proposition of cruising and more.

    In two weeks, Trade Secrets will release a special episode about the making of the podcast. It will return for season five two weeks after that, on April 8.

    This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International. 


    Further resources

    Contact Vicki Freed by email or her personal cell phone, 305-458-0463

    Find Jamie Margolis and Moms at Sea online, on Facebook and on Instagram

    The last Trade Secrets episode, also featuring Vicki Freed

    From Travel Weekly, Agent Life: From Facebook group to franchisee: Moms at Sea’s fantastic voyage 

    Mentioned in this episode:


    The Taylor Swift cruise: From TravelAge West, Who is Marvelous Mouse Travels, and why is it hosting a Taylor Swift-themed cruise? 
    Sign up for Vicki’s Tips online 
    On Millie Schwartz, from Travel Weekly: At 90, Schwartz still drawn to selling travel 
    An example of Carnival’s Fun Ship cruise commercials from the 1980s


    Need advice?

    Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

    Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

     

    Theme song:

    Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

    Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

    License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 49 min
    Icon of the Seas: How big can a cruise ship get?

    Icon of the Seas: How big can a cruise ship get?

    Get ready for a cruise-filled episode of Trade Secrets. This week, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada welcome Royal Caribbean's Vicki Freed, senior vice president of sales and trade support and service, and Nick Weir, senior vice president of entertainment, onto the show. Hop aboard as we dive into everything from the brand-new Icon of the Seas — billed as the largest cruise ship at sea — to what it takes to entertain Royal’s millions of cruisers. This is the first of a two-part series featuring Freed; join us next time for a discussion on creating a strong advisor-supplier relationship.

    This episode is sponsored by Windstar Cruises. 


    Further resources

    Contact Vicki Freed by email or her personal cell phone, 305-458-0463

    Follow Nick Weir on X (formerly Twitter)

    Royal’s trade marketing hub (also home to the link to register for Vicki’s Coffee Talk)

    Vicki Freed on Humans of Travel: Royal Caribbean’s Vicki Freed on breaking into the cruise industry _ and meeting the boss who helped shape her

    Icon of the Seas coverage


    Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas takes thrills to the max
    Royal Caribbean sets a new cruise benchmark with Icon of the Seas


    Need advice?

    Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

    Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

     

    Theme song:

    Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

    Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

    License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 42 min
    Travel advisors, are you using the right tech stack?

    Travel advisors, are you using the right tech stack?

    Travel advisors, are you stuck in the technological past? In this episode of Trade Secrets,  Brian Shultz, chief information officer for Cruise Planners, joins hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada to talk about the latest in tech offerings for advisors, game-changing generative AI use cases and tools that can save you both time and money. 

    This episode is sponsored by Windstar Cruises. 


    Further resources and related reading:

    Meet Cruise Planners’ Brian Shultz 

    Cruise Planners’ website and franchise site

    Trade Secrets episode on generative AI: How do I use generative AI to improve my travel agency’s workflow?

    From TravelAge West:


    WTTC report: Artificial intelligence has the potential to ‘revolutionize’ travel and tourism
    How travel advisors can get ahead using artificial intelligence

    From Travel Weekly:


    Travel takes on generative AI
    At Ensemble event, confronting the emergence of AI in travel

    Travel advisor Lorryn Langton’s poem created with generative AI, made for a group headed to Puerto Vallarta and posted in their private Facebook page:

    T'was the night before Mexico, in the Midwest so cold, the women were bustling, their spirits so bold. With tequila in mind and pools to explore, they readied themselves for adventures galore.

    Sunshine awaited, a tropical delight, a respite from winter, a warm welcome sight. Catamaran sailings and whale spotting too, an escape from the cold, a dream coming true.

    The bags were all packed, passports in hand, visions of palm trees and white sandy land. To Mexico they'd go, leaving winter behind, A getaway to unwind, a paradise they'd find.

    Spa time awaited, relaxation in store, A pampering session, leaving stress at the door. In the warmth of the sun, with a breeze so divine, They'd sip on cocktails, letting worries decline.

    So, on the eve of departure, excitement so high, the women embraced, beneath the moonlit sky. To Mexico they'd journey, from the cold they'd break free, a holiday adventure, just as it should be.


    Need advice?

    Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

    Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

     

    Theme song:

    Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

    Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

    License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 45 min
    Decoding 2024: What trends will shape the travel advisor landscape?

    Decoding 2024: What trends will shape the travel advisor landscape?

    This week on Trade Secrets, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada gaze into their crystal balls to reveal what 2024 might hold for the travel agency community. They share what’s in and what’s out for this year, along with major trends that will shape the advisor landscape. They’ll even share some resolutions for themselves and for the podcast. 

    Here’s a preview of what’s in and what’s out, according to our hosts.

    Emma’s “in for 2024” list:


    Using a travel advisor!
    High prices for both accommodations and airfare.
    Europe: Italy, Greece and Portugal are all hot spots.
    Group and event travel.
    River cruising for younger generations.
    Authentic, immersive experiences.

    Emma’s “out for 2024” list:


    Peak-season travel (book shoulder season!)
    Last-minute trips (book early!)
    Leaving sustainability out of the conversation.
    Working to the point of burnout.
    Being afraid of technology that can actually help business.

    Jamie’s “in and out for 2024” list:


    In: Being a traveler. Out: Being a tourist (credit to Signature Travel Network’s Ignacio Mazza)
    In: 201 destinations. Out: 101 destinations (credit to Jetset World Travel affiliate Sarah Sullivan)
    In: Slow travel. Out: The quick, cram-it-all-in trip
    In: On-time flights. Out: Flight disruptions (fingers crossed)
    Out: Economy class. In: Business and first (this is an aspirational joke for Jamie, who almost always flies economy)


    Further resources:

    Trade Secrets episode on burnout, balance and more


    Need advice?

    Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

    Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

     

    Theme song:

    Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

    Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

    License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 29 min
    Encore: Top travel pros and their best advice for advisors

    Encore: Top travel pros and their best advice for advisors

    Trade Secrets is on a break right now, but will be back starting Jan. 29 with brand-new episodes. In the meantime, we wanted to share one of our favorite episodes from season four. It’s also one of the most popular.

    This episode was recorded at the ASTA Global Convention in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on May 2, 2023. Co-hosts Jamie Biesiada and Emma Weissmann rounded up some of the industry’s finest to offer their best advice to travel advisors. They touch on everything from sustainability, to entering the luxury market, and beyond.


    Further resources:

    The ASTA Travel Advisor Conference 2024 


    Need advice?

    Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

    Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

     

    Theme song:

    Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

    Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

    License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 37 min
    Trade Secrets presents Humans of Travel: Kristin Karst of AmaWaterways

    Trade Secrets presents Humans of Travel: Kristin Karst of AmaWaterways

    Trade Secrets is on a holiday break, but in the meantime, we wanted to share some of Travel Weekly and TravelAge West’s other podcasts with our listeners. This week’s episode is Humans of Travel, hosted by Trade Secrets co-host Emma Weissmann, featuring AmaWaterways’ Kristin Karst.

    If you’ve worked in the travel industry for any length of time, you’re probably familiar with 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.


    Need advice?

    Call our hotline and leave a message: 201-902-2098

    Email us: tradesecrets@travelweekly.com

     

    Theme song:

    Sock Hop by Kevin MacLeod

    Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4387-sock-hop

    License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

     

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

    • 45 min

Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5
22 Ratings

22 Ratings

ChrisA_STN ,

Love it!

I love this podcast. I love the natural balance and ease of the conversation between Emma and Jamie. They have wonderful guests and provide insightful updates. Thanks, ladies!

letsgo2020! ,

Great guests - such relevant content!

So grateful for another spot on necessity for my biz podcast! Thanks so much for investing in us and travel.

aka The Dreidel ,

5 stars

A must listen!

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