The Folo by Travel Weekly podcast: Our summer series

Our summer 2022 series revisits some of the best 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.

Subscribe now using your favorite service:



This week's featured episode: Stories from 'The Royal Tour'

"The Royal Tour," a one-hour PBS special hosted by travel journalist Peter Greenberg, showcases a country's tourism spots, history, culture, food, personal stories and current events, but with a twist: The country's head of state is Greenberg's tour guide. On this episode, Greenberg and Travel Weekly editor in chief Arnie Weissmann talk about the origins of the Royal Tour, its protocols, some of Greenberg's greatest memories and the most stirring moments of their time filming a "Royal Tour" in Tanzania This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations.

Previous episodes in the series:

How to keep travel advisors motivated

Power List agents Chad Burt of OutsideAgents.com and Kari Dillon of Marvelous Mouse Travels trade strategies they used to keep their travel agents motivated, positive and productive during the push and pull of the pandemic. In this episode we talk about implicit marketing, traveling to sell travel, talking to clients with empathy and using that powerful tool: listening. This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations.

Traveling in order to sit down

Nearly two years ago, one of our reporters, Robert Silk, fulfilled a personal project: At times called the desert sit, or competitive sitting, or extreme sitting, he went to the desert and sat in one spot for an entire day. The interest in extreme sitting was renewed via an article written by Laura Kinniry for Atlas Obscura, and in this episode the two talk about the philosophy and practicalities of traveling in order to just sit. Originally published May 2. This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations.

A look at LGBTQ+ travel: advancements and challenges

In this episode, Tobin and writer Abeni Jones dive into an important discussion on why travel can be a fraught exercise for some LGBTQ+ travelers, especially transgender and gender-nonconforming people, changes at the TSA, how some travel companies are taking a holistic approach to inclusion, and how people and organizations could do better. Originally published June 20. This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations.

Why this tour operator charges a booking fee

One tour operator, eager to reduce the number of window shoppers, has taken a - sometimes controversial - page from the travel advisors' playbook. We get into the subject with Authentic Vacations CEO Simon Russell and Travel Weekly tour editor Nicole Edenedo. Originally published May 30. This episode is sponsored by ALG Vacations.

Black cultural travel

We go beyond Nicole Edenedo's cover story with two Black women who are prominent in travel to talk about their backgrounds; their travel products and how they specifically examine and celebrate Black history and experiences;  the power of Black business and social networks; inspiration; and their passion for what they do. Featuring Jennifer Tosch of Black Heritage Tours and Meryanne Loum-Martin, the owner of the Jnane Tamsna boutique hotel in Marrakech, Morocco. Originally published April 4.

Top travel trends

Where do people want to travel -- and, perhaps more importantly, WHY do they want to travel? In this episode, host Rebecca Tobin and American Express Travel president Audrey Hendley talk about the big picture as well as some of the reasons people are back on the road. Originally published March 28.

Family travel and the three C's of priorities

We return to the topic of family travel. Hotels editor Christina Jelski and  Rainer Jenss, the founder of the Family Travel Association, dive into some of the nuances of this very big travel market, as well as the "three C's" that families look for in a vacation. Originally published April 11.

JDS Travel News JDS Viewpoints JDS Africa/MI