From ASTA’s fight against American Airlines’ distribution strategy to the Taylor Swift effect on the travel industry, 2024 was bursting with headlines that affected travel advisors. This week on Trade Secrets, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada talk about the major travel trends and events that shaped the agency landscape. Further resources Mentioned on the show: Trade Secrets episode featuring Andrea Grisdale and a discussion on Italy Trade Secrets episode featuring David...

Balancing work responsibilities with the needs of personal life has become exponentially more difficult for travel advisors as workloads have increased. But it’s also critically important to find time for friends, family and hobbies outside of work, and to develop systems at work that improve efficiency and allow you to step away. What kind of boundaries should you set, and how can you enforce them? What can you automate to take more things off your plate? Hear all about this and more on this...

What’s the difference between a tour operator and a destination management company (DMC)? How can advisors find DMCs to work with, and what are the top do’s and don’ts of working with them? What if a contact at a DMC ghosts a travel advisor? Hear the answers to these questions and more in this week’s episode of Trade Secrets, where co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada chat about all things DMCs with Andrea Grisdale, CEO and founder of I.C. Bellagio in Italy. This episode is sponsored...

This week, Trade Secrets takes on the world. Jennifer Doncsecz of VIP Vacations returns to the podcast to discuss her specialty: destination weddings and honeymoons. She talks about everything from getting started selling destination weddings and honeymoons, to turning those travelers into clients for life. Then, she answers a number of listener questions about destinations, ranging from the benefits of visiting a spot before selling it, qualifying for fam trips and where to send clients...

In this episode, the final in a three-part series of Trade Secrets recorded on the road at Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada welcome Azamara CEO Dondra Ritzenthaler. She discusses leaving her retirement to helm the small-ship luxury cruise line, the importance of suppliers listening to trade partners, luxury travel sales techniques and what sets luxury cruise lines like Azamara apart. This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways.  Further resources ...

Trade Secrets is on the road again, this time at Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas. In the second episode of a three-part series recorded on-site in Las Vegas, Megan Vatnsdal, owner of Onyx & Evergreen Travel and affiliate of Four Hundred, talks about how she’s spent the past few years building her luxury-focused agency. She and co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada cover everything from building a book of business, to getting in front of luxury clients, to using events to network. ...

Trade Secrets is on the road again, this time at Virtuoso Travel Week in Las Vegas. In the first episode of a three-part series recorded on site, Virtuoso executive vice president David Kolner shares updates on Virtuoso’s annual event, how advisors are selling so much right now, the different habits of each generation and what the term “luxury” means to him. Kolner also talks about Maui recovery and what travel advisors can do to help the island. This episode is sponsored by Allianz...

This week, Chad Burt of Outside Agents joins Jamie Biesiada and Emma Weissmann of Trade Secrets for our annual “mailbag” episode, featuring travel advisor listener questions on a variety of topics. During the episode, we’ll dig into advanced use cases of generative AI, airline loyalty, host agency affiliations, picking a travel advisor specialty and more.  This episode is sponsored by Allianz Partners USA.  Further resources and related readings Outside Agents on the web  Outside Agents’...

New travel advisors, look no further than this episode of Trade Secrets for advice on everything from setting up your business, to finding clients, to prioritizing fam trip destinations. Co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada are joined by KHM Travel Group’s Bill Coyle, vice president of agent engagement, to tackle listener questions on that and more. This episode is sponsored by Iberostar Hotels & Resorts.  Further resources Connect with KHM Travel Group online, on Facebook, on...

Travel advisors, how do you handle it when a client has unrealistic expectations? What if they ask to stay at a property you wouldn’t recommend (especially if they serve truly lackluster midnight hotdogs)? What do you do when their budget is unrealistic for the trip they want? Or, what if they have a really bad experience while they’re in-destination? Get advice on all that and more in this week’s episode of Trade Secrets, where co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada are joined by Abbey...

Trade Secrets is on the road for a special, three-episode series recorded on the ground at the ASTA Travel Advisor Conference in Dallas. In this episode, the final in the series, co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada welcome Eric Dresin, the secretary general of the European Travel Agents’ and Tour Operators’ Associations (ECTAA), onto the show. They chat about the travel agency landscape in Europe, the phenomenon of Europe’s travel “planners” (who don’t actually book travel) and more....

Trade Secrets is on the road for a special, three-episode series recorded on the ground at the ASTA Travel Advisor Conference in Dallas. In this episode, part two in the series, travel advisors can learn all about how to get on TV, and why it’s the best marketing tactic a small business can employ. Vacation Planners International’s Jenn Lee, Gifted Travel Network’s Vanessa McGovern and ASTA’s Erika Richter — all experts in media relations — offer tips, advice and beyond. This episode is...

Trade Secrets is on the road for a special, three-episode series recorded on the ground at the ASTA Travel Advisor Conference in Dallas. In this episode, part one in the series, hear ASTA CEO Zane Kerby’s take on American Airlines’ decision to change course on its NDC implementation after listening and responding to the travel agency community, as well as why ATSA is making changes to its Verified Travel Advisor (VTA) certification program. Then, hear from two advisors on their own journeys...

When it’s time to expand your business, what’s the best way to do it? Should you hire independent contractors, employees or assistants? Then, once they’re onboarded, how do you effectively train — and, subsequently, trust — your new people? All that and more is covered in this week’s Trade Secrets, when co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada talk business expansion with Julie Lanham, president of Vacations to Remember in Augusta, Ga. Thanks to our friends at Jetset World Travel for...

Marketing is an important part of most travel advisors’ businesses. This week on Trade Secrets, Christina Vieira of Showcase the World Travel discusses finding your “why,” identifying ideal clients and reaching those clients on the platforms that make sense. She also discusses the importance of a good email marketing plan, automation and more with co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada. Thanks to our friends at Key to the World Travel for helping us solicit travel advisor questions this...

When the State Department upgrades its travel advisory for a destination, or updates an advisory with new information, it can make clients a little jumpy. How should travel agents navigate the situation? Get the answer on this week’s episode of Trade Secrets, when co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada are joined by travel advisor Brittany Shuford of Darling Destinations in Birmingham, Ala. Thanks to our friends at OutsideAgents.com for helping us solicit travel advisor questions this...

Welcome to season five of Trade Secrets. In this episode, hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada welcome Nexion Travel Group president Jackie Friedman on the show to talk about the value of travel advisors. They discuss the modern history of the profession and the evolution from “agent” to “advisor,” then answer listener questions about standing out from the crowd, how advisors can sell their own value and what makes a good elevator pitch. Thanks to our friends at WorldVia for helping us...

How is the Trade Secrets podcast made? Find out all the behind-the-scenes details in this special episode with co-hosts Emma Weissmann and Jamie Biesiada. From the show’s origin, to scripting, to editing and posting, take a peek behind the Trade Secrets curtain. This is a special episode of Trade Secrets between seasons four and five. Season five will return in two weeks, on April 8. This episode is sponsored by Travel Insured International.  Further resources Email Emma Weissmann and...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...