Of the travel agents listed on Travel + Leisure magazine’s “A-List of 137 Top Travel Agents,” 41 are agents located in the western United States — up from the previous year. Below are the names of T+L’s top travel agents in the West, with their respective areas of employment and expertise.
Super-Agents
Jim Strong and Nancy Strong (Strong Travel Services, Dallas, TX)
United States and Canada
Alaska - Edward Phillips (Summit Travel Group, San Francisco, CA)
Hawaii - Carolyne Brandon (Altour American Express Travel, Palo Alto, CA)
Europe
Italy - Deborah Hyte (Altour, Los Angeles, CA)
Italy - Sally Watkins (Century Travel & Cruises, Austin, TX)
Italy - Joyce Falcone (Italian Concierge, Aspen, CO)
Scandinavia - Carol Arklind (Cadence, La Jolla, CA)
Switzerland - Ilene Koenig (Let’s Travel, Santa Monica, CA)
Latin America
Mexico - Marianne Braly (Now Voyager Travel, Huntington Beach, CA)
South America - Carlos Fida (Pan American Tours & Travel, Salt Lake City, UT)
South America - Jerry Greenberg (Cassis Travel, Los Angeles, CA)
Australia, New Zealand
Australia - Catharina Apodac (Carefree Vacations, San Diego, CA)
Australia - Cassandra Bookholder (Camelback Odyssey Travel, Phoenix, AZ)
French Polynesia - Susanne Hamer (TravelStore, Los Angeles, CA)
French Polynesia - Mark Hoyer (American Express Travel, Houston, TX)
Asia
Bali - Diane Embree (Michael’s Travel Center, Westlake Village, CA)
Burma - Rebecca Mazzaro (Asia Transpacific Journeys, Boulder, CO)
Burma - Darlene Ravin (CWT Vacations, Centennial, CO)
Hong Kong - Laura Woo (West University Travel, Houston, TX)
India/Sri Lanka - Sandee Litwin (Litwin Travel, Los Angeles, CA)
Japan - Noriko Townsend (Japan in Style, Fort Collins, CO)
Southeast Asia - Wido Shaefer (TravelStore, Los Angeles, CA)
Africa and the Middle East
Africa - Katie Cadar (TravelStore Platinum, Los Angeles, CA)
Africa - Sandy Cunningham (Uncharted Outposts Safari & Travel Co., Santa Fe, NM)
Africa - Dana Welch (Travel Society, Denver, CO)
Middle East - Janet Moore (Distant Horizons, Long Beach, CA)
United Arab Emirates - Lindsey Wallace (Linara Travel, Eagle, ID)
Cruises
Cruises - Ruth Turpin (Cruises Etc. Travel, Fort Worth, TX)
Family
Family - Katthy Hannon (American Express Travel, Dallas, TX)
Family - Kay Merrill (Are We There Yet? Family Adventures, Larkspur, CA)
Family - Ana Maria Pickens (My Little Swans, Hillsborough, CA)
Business Travel, Hotels and Spas
Spas - Karen Benson (Camelback Odyssey Travel, Phoenix, AZ
Special Interest
Culture/Education - Margery Hunter (Rudi Steele, Dallas, TX)
Culture/Education - Paul Niskanen (Cruise Masters/Concierge Travel Advisors, Portland, OR)
Food/Wine - Lynda Turley Garrett (Alpine Travel of Saratoga, Saratoga, CA)
Gay/Lesbian - David Rubin (David Travel, Corona del Mar, CA)
Hiking/Walking - Doris White (Cadence, La Jolla, CA)
Honeymoons - Georgia Morgan Johnson (AMT American Express Travel, West Covina, CA
Adventure - Betsy Donley (Camelback Odyssey Travel, Phoenix, AZ)
Yachts/Villas - Sara Ryan Duffy (SRD International, Los Angeles, CA)
