Humans of Travel

Hosted by TravelAge West - Hosted by Chelsee Lowe

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100

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Jun 2026

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EN-US

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 experiences — the highs and the lows — that make them human.

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June 16, 20268 min

Humans in the Hot Seat: TravelAge West Trendsetter Katy Caldwell-Cole (Saving the Day)

Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff of Humans of Travel, is running a 10-part mini-series on the 2026 TravelAge West Trendsetter Awards, which recognize some of the most forward-thinking and impactful travel advisors in the U.S. The Trendsetter Awards celebrate outstanding advisors across five unique categories: Best Targeted Marketing Idea Best Group Booking Effort Upward Bound: Rockstar Advisor Under 40 Saving the Day Best Use of Social Media This episode features Katy Caldwell-Cole, founder of Touring Folk, who was nominated in the Saving the Day category. Episode sponsor: Brendan Vacations RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE TravelAge West Wave Awards TravelAge West Trendsetter Awards Also From TravelAge West: In 3 Years, This Travel Advisor Built a $9 Million Business With Just 6 Clients. Here’s How. ABOUT YOUR HOST  Chelsee Lowe is Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She’s an avid reader, writer, interviewer and traveler. Los Angeles is her home base. The TravelAge West team also produces travel industry events, including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. ABOUT THE SHOW  TravelAge West’s award-winning 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.

June 1, 202623 min

Leigh Barnes Talks Meaningful Travel and Growing Intrepid's Brand Presence in the U.S.

Leigh Barnes is president of the Americas for Intrepid Travel, a small-group tour operator that’s been in business since 1989. Once known as a “social Jedi,” Barnes says he came to the travel industry at the right time and with the right digital skill set. He’s been with Intrepid more than 16 years now, and he’s leading the brand’s expansion in North America. On this episode of Humans of Travel, Barnes discusses the company’s mission to create positive change through sustainable and meaningful travel, and what that looks like in the U.S. specifically. Barnes also shares his pre-Intrepid path into digital marketing, a formative Everest Base Camp trek that reshaped his worldview and how travel trade sales continue to grow thanks to key partnerships and expanded sales support. This episode is sponsored by Brendan Vacations.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Intrepid Travel Intrepid’s Travel Agent Hub Intrepid’s U.S. National Park Tours Intrepid Active-ism Trips On TravelAge West: How — and Why — Intrepid Travel Is Working to Protect U.S. National Parks Right Now On TravelAge West: Intrepid Announces New Partnership With REI On TravelAge West: Intrepid’s Non-Profit Secures 501(3)(c) Status ABOUT YOUR HOST  Chelsee Lowe is Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She’s an avid reader, writer, interviewer and traveler. Los Angeles is her home base. The TravelAge West team also produces travel industry events, including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. ABOUT THE SHOW  TravelAge West’s award-winning 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.

May 18, 202634 min

Adam Duckworth on Building Travelmation, Motivating Advisors and the Joy of Good Popcorn

Adam Duckworth, founder and president of Travelmation, has been a Disney fan for as long as he can remember. His parents honeymooned at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort at Walt Disney World Resort, and Duckworth vacationed at the Florida theme park nearly every year in his youth. As an adult (and a father), a Disney trip remains his preference — he even rented out Grizzly Hall in Magic Kingdom's Frontierland for his 40th birthday celebration. And Disneyland popcorn? He’s a big fan of that, too. In this episode of Humans of Travel, Duckworth talks about all of the above and the launch of Travelmation, a thriving host agency with more than 2,700 travel advisors in its ranks today. With an education background and lots of experience rallying volunteers at his church, Duckworth has been — and continues to be — a cheerleader for so many people. Listen in for insights on leading others, Travelmation sales trends, how the agency supports regional community building and more. This episode is sponsored by Tourism Cares.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Travelmation Adam's Favorite First-Class Cookies On TravelAge West: Meet Gaynel Senka, Travelmation’s First-Ever $4 Million Agent On TravelAge West: An Inside Look at Travelmation’s First Accessibility Cruise ABOUT YOUR HOST  Chelsee Lowe is Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She’s an avid reader, writer, interviewer and traveler. Los Angeles is her home base. The TravelAge West team also produces travel industry events, including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. ABOUT THE SHOW  TravelAge West’s award-winning 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.

May 4, 202630 min

Carson Kressley on Adventure, Humor and Championing Travel Advisors

On this episode of Humans of Travel, new host Chelsee Lowe talks with fashion and lifestyle pro Carson Kressley, who is well known from the Emmy-winning television series Queer Eye for the Straight Guy, as well as reality competition shows Dancing With the Stars and RuPaul’s Drag Race. Kressley discusses how curiosity and a love of exploration have shaped his life and career, including how a post-college move to New York City led to a job with Ralph Lauren and how a sense of humor has helped him carve his professional path. When he took a risk and joined the original Queer Eye cast, a long television career began. All the while, travel remained a constant passion. Kressley also looks back on childhood road trips to horse shows and family vacations planned with the help of AAA TripTiks. Today, he hands all the travel planning responsibilities over to travel advisors, and as ALG Vacations’ (ALGV) Travel Advisor Champion — a title he’s held for three consecutive years — he recommends other explorers do the same. ALGV estimates that Kressley has helped the company reach 130 million travelers in the last year, thanks to joint projects such as the “Carson Curates” and “Carson Checks In” social media series, both of which are available on ALGV’s consumer-facing website TravelAdvisorsGetYouThere.com. This episode is sponsored by Tourism Cares.  RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Follow Carson Kressley on Instagram ALG Vacations TravelAdvisorsGetYouThere.com Designs by Carson Kressley Via Ballard Designs Carson Judges on BBQ Brawl RuPaul’s Drag Race ABOUT YOUR HOST  Chelsee Lowe is Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She’s an avid reader, writer, interviewer and traveler. Los Angeles is her home base. The TravelAge West team also produces travel industry events, including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. ABOUT THE SHOW  TravelAge West’s award-winning 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.

April 20, 202637 min

The Handoff Episode: Emma Weissmann Passes the Mic to Chelsee Lowe

In this bittersweet episode of Humans of Travel, longtime host Emma Weissmann hands the mic to Chelsee Lowe, Senior Editor of TravelAge West. A former teacher, Lowe earned a Master of Education degree from UCLA and spent years in the classroom before dedicating her professional life to writing. After beginning with freelance work and a part-time editorial role at TravelAge West, she eventually rejoined the publication full time and found her niche profiling people who shape the travel industry — travel advisors, suppliers and beyond. She discusses her path from teaching to travel journalism and the value of patience and curiosity when uncovering someone’s story. Midway through the conversation, the tables turn, and Lowe steps into the host role and interviews Weissmann about her time at TravelAge West, growing up in a travel-industry family and the evolution of her career, from a just-out-of-college assistant editor to a respected journalist and beloved industry representative. Together, they reflect on the power of storytelling, mentorship and meaningful professional relationships. Fans of Weissmann can still catch her on the Trade Secrets podcast, as well as in Travel Weekly, where she is now Features Editor. This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Trade Secrets Podcast From TravelAge West: Meet Gaynel Senka, Travelmation’s First-Ever $4 Million Advisor From TravelAge West: This Travel Advisor Plans Literary Tours for Women — Here’s Why, and How It’s Going ABOUT YOUR HOST  Chelsee Lowe is Senior Editor of TravelAge West, a print magazine and website for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She’s an avid reader, writer, interviewer and traveler. Los Angeles is her home base. The TravelAge West team also produces travel industry events, including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala and the Napa Valley Leadership Forum. ABOUT THE SHOW  TravelAge West’s award-winning 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.

April 6, 202614 min

Humans in the Hot Seat: Sarah Little, Senior Vice President of Business Development for ASTA, on Becoming a Ship Godmother

Hey everyone, it's Emma Weissmann, the host of Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series from Humans of Travel. This Hot Seat episode features Sarah Little, senior vice president of business development for the American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA). Little has spent most of her career at ASTA fostering meaningful industry partnerships. Recently, she was honored as the godmother of AmaWaterways’ newest ship, AmaSophia. She attended the ASTA River Cruise Expo in March to participate in the vessel’s christening. In this episode, Little reflects on the unexpected phone call that marked this major career milestone and shares recommendations for advisors looking to grow their river cruise business. This episode is sponsored by the AmaWaterways. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE ASTA AmaWaterways From TravelAge West: ASTA River Cruise Expo 2026 Contact Sarah Little: slittle@asta.org ABOUT YOUR HOST  Emma Weissmann is the Executive 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, and the Editor-in-Chief of print publication AGENTatHOME.TravelAge West also produces events including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala ad the Napa Valley Leadership Forum.  ABOUT THE SHOW  TravelAge West’s award-winning 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.

March 23, 202614 min

Humans in the Hot Seat: Travel Advisor Natalia Yepes on Preparing for (and Handling) a Crisis

Hey everyone, it's Emma Weissmann, the host of Humans in the Hot Seat, a spinoff series from Humans of Travel. This Hot Seat episode features travel advisor Natalia Yepes, owner of Adventuresque Travel Boutique. As a former flight attendant for both American Airlines and United Airlines, Yepes is skilled in the art of handling difficult, sometimes dangerous situations, and navigating through them with ease and a sense of calm.  During this episode, she shares how her training has translated to her role as a travel advisor, and offers advice to fellow agents on how to manage their own crises in business. This episode is sponsored by the AmaWaterways. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Future Leaders in Travel Yepes on Instagram Adventuresque Travel Boutique  ABOUT YOUR HOST  Emma Weissmann is the Executive 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, and the Editor-in-Chief of print publication AGENTatHOME.TravelAge West also produces events including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala ad the Napa Valley Leadership Forum.  ABOUT THE SHOW  TravelAge West’s award-winning 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.

March 9, 202639 min

Melissa Krueger: The CEO of Classic Vacations on Career Growth, Company Culture and Classic’s Tech-Forward Next Chapter

Melissa Krueger, CEO of Classic Vacations, has dedicated 30+ years to the travel industry. Serendipitously, her very first job in travel was with a French hotel group, where she regularly worked with travel advisors. Krueger quickly recognized that personal connections were far more important than product, and she brought that line of thinking to future roles in wholesale travel before moving to Classic Vacations. In this episode of Humans of Travel, Krueger reflects on the lessons that have shaped her as a leader, including building the right inner circle, being the kind of champion for others that you’d want for yourself and learning from the “scripts,” or examples, of others. Krueger also outlines Classic’s cultural pillars and discusses making career advancement moves to fit life stages. She also explains Classic’s ownership evolution, up to its recent acquisition by TBO, and previews the company’s continued digital transformation. Even with forward motion on the tech side, Krueger says that “trust, time and humanity” are and will remain foundational to Classic and the travel advisors it serves. This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Classic Vacations From TravelAge West: Classic Vacations to Be Acquired by TBO, an Indian Tech CompanyContact Krueger: officeoftheceo@classicvacations.com ABOUT YOUR HOST  Emma Weissmann is the Executive 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, and the Editor-in-Chief of print publication AGENTatHOME.TravelAge West also produces events including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala ad the Napa Valley Leadership Forum.  ABOUT THE SHOW  TravelAge West’s award-winning 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.

February 23, 202633 min

Archy Arushanyan: What Sets the Globus Family of Brands Apart From the Crowd (Sponsored)

Archy Arushanyan, senior director of national field sales for the Globus Family of Brands, left Ukraine at 18 years old with limited English skills and just $35 in his pocket. That risk surely paid off; after beginning his career in travel as an agent for Escape Travel, he steadily rose into leadership roles, including 20 years with Liberty Travel and GoGo Vacations before joining the Globus Family of Brands. In this episode of Humans of Travel, Arushanyan shares more about his career trajectory, reflects on what sets Globus apart in the tour operator space and speaks to the evolution of touring. He also reflects on recent challenges (including during the COVID-19 pandemic), offers insight into the supplier-advisor relationship and shares why agents are central to the company’s success. This episode is sponsored by the Globus Family of Brands. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Globus Family of Brands Globus Family Partners (Travel Agent Portal) ABOUT YOUR HOST  Emma Weissmann is the Executive 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, and the Editor-in-Chief of print publication AGENTatHOME.TravelAge West also produces events including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala ad the Napa Valley Leadership Forum.  ABOUT THE SHOW  TravelAge West’s award-winning 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.

February 9, 202628 min

Marc Kazlauskas: Meet Norwegian Cruise Line’s New President

Marc Kazlauskas, the new president of Norwegian Cruise Line, has long shown the instincts of a natural-born leader. He worked two jobs throughout high school — including a memorable stint caring for the seals and penguins at the New York Aquarium, which left a lasting impression on his guidance counselor — and has since built a wide-ranging career across the travel industry, spanning the hotel, cruise and retail travel sectors. In this episode of Humans of Travel, listeners will hear about Kazlauskas’ introduction to travel through a French travel agency, as well as his career path, which includes roles at Jolly Hotels, Avoya Travel and Chase Travel Group, among others. Now at the helm of Norwegian Cruise Line, Kazlauskas shares his vision for strengthening the brand’s luxury and family offerings, from private island enhancements to the debut of new ships such as Norwegian Luna and Norwegian Aura. He also discusses NCL’s decision to eliminate non-commissionable fares, and underscores the company’s continued commitment to travel advisors. This episode is sponsored by the Globus Family of Brands. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE Norwegian Cruise Line From TravelAge West: Norwegian Cruise Line Permanently Removes NCFs Contact Kazlauskas: mkazlauskas@ncl.com ABOUT YOUR HOST  Emma Weissmann is the Executive 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, and the Editor-in-Chief of print publication AGENTatHOME.TravelAge West also produces events including Future Leaders in Travel, Global Travel Marketplace West, the WAVE Awards gala ad the Napa Valley Leadership Forum.  ABOUT THE SHOW  TravelAge West’s award-winning 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.