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Our summer 2023 series revisits some of the best recent episodes of the Folo by Travel Weekly, our weekly podcast that "follows" the headlines to discover new angles on news and trends, hosted by managing editor Rebecca Tobin. Catch up on episodes you missed, and revisit your favorites here.
Episode sponsor
This August episodes of the Folo by Travel Weekly are sponsored by ALG Vacations
The July episodes of the Folo by Travel Weekly are sponsored by Lindblad Expeditions-National Geographic
This week's featured episode:
Clockwise from top left: Jamie Biesiada of Travel Weekly, Robert Niles of Theme Park Insider and Rebecca Tobin of Travel Weekly.
Retail editor Jamie Biesiada and Robert Niles, editor of Theme Park Insider, explore why Universal and Disney chose these routes and how external forces -- construction delays, DeSantis, space constraints -- play a role. What might we expect from the theme-park experience in the near future? And what might Disney do with the Galactic Starcruiser, aka the Star Wars hotel? (Published June 19.)
Previous episodes in our summer series:
Will pent-up demand for travel come to an end?
Clockwise from top: Johanna Jainchill and Rebecca Tobin of Travel Weekly, travel advisor Angela Hughes and Anna Zhou of Bank of America Institute.
Bank of America Institute
economist Anna Zhou and travel advisor Angela Hughes, the owner of
Trips and Ships Luxury Travel in Winter Garden, Fla., join host Rebecca
Tobin and news editor Johanna Jainchill. to discuss the big picture for travel demand
vs. retail spending, the job market and whether high prices are finally
starting to deter travelers. Are Covid-era terms like "pent-up demand"
and "revenge travel" still relevant -- is there a pent-up demand after
the pent-up demand? And is demand for travel finally starting to
moderate? (Published June 12)
Bonus sponsored episode
A bonus interview at the end of this episode features Ana Esteves, the vice president of hotel operations for sponsor Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic.
Riverside's startup
Clockwise from top left: River cruise editor Nicole Edenedo, with Jennifer Halboth, the president of Riverside Collection, Americas, and host Rebecca Tobin.
A new river cruise line, Riverside Luxury Cruises, has arrived on the
Europe rivers this summer, and it's especially noteworthy because it's
using the river cruise ships ships built and operated by the now-defunct
Crystal Cruises. Rebecca Tobin and river cruise editor Nicole Edenedo
talk with Jennifer Halboth, the president of Riverside Collection,
Americas, about how parent company Seaside Collection discovered and
acquired the Crystal ships, the direction Riverside will take, its plan
to position itself in the luxury market, river industry trends,
challenges and more. (Published Feb. 27.)
How bleisure changed hotels
Clockwise from top left: Christina Jelski, Travis Jay Wilson of the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina, Janien Huistra of the Renaissance Aruba, Rebecca Tobin and Anne Stingle of Rebel Hotel Company.
The idea of a hybrid work-vacation trip - called "bleisure" -- was totally upended during the pandemic. In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin and hospitality editor Christina Jelski talk about how these trends have changed the footprint of hotels and their amenities. Our guests are Travis Jay Wilson, marketing director of the Marriott Marquis San Diego Marina; Janien Huistra, director of sales and marketing for the Renaissance Aruba; and Anne Stingle, head of sales, marketing and brand communications for Rebel Hotel Company and based in New York. (Published Jan. 30.)
Another summer of 'airmageddon'?
Robby Silk and Rebecca Tobin of Travel Weekly and Brett Snyder of Cranky Concierge crossed their fingers for a smooth summer season of air travel.
Aviation editor Robert Silk and Cranky Concierge founder
Brett Synder discuss the possibility of seeing a repeat of last year's "
airmageddon." Where will the pain points be this summer? Was last year really that bad? What are demand and fares like for domestic, European and Asian travel? What’s to blame for those random flight cancellations, anyway? (Published May 29.)