Top Travel Agents in 2013

Aug 23, 2013

Many travel agents from the Western U.S. and Canada secured spots on two lists honoring the top travel agents around the world: Travel + Leisure’s “A-List of Top Travel Agents” and Conde Nast’s “The Top Travel Agents and Tour Operators of 2013” list.

Out of the 161 agents honored in Travel + Leisure’s 2013 list, to be published in the Sept. 20 issue of the magazine, 42 come from the West.

Conde Nast’s 2013 top travel specialists list, published in the August issue of Conde Nast Traveler, features 146 agents picked by Wendy Perrin, including 35 from the West.

One travel agent, David Rubin, based in Corona del Mar, Calif., is featured on both lists as a specialist for Gay and Lesbian Travel.

Travel + Leisure’s 2013 A-List of Top Travel Agents

Super-Agents
Jim Strong and Nancy Strong (Strong Travel Services, Dallas, TX)

Europe
France – Murielle Blanchard (Black Pearl Luxury Services, Salt Lake City)
Italy – Joyce Falcone (Joyce Falcone – The Italian Concierge, Aspen, CO)
Italy – Deborah Hyte (Altour International, Los Angeles, CA)
Italy – Colleen Lamont (Journeys Peak Travel, Portland, OR)
Scandinavia – Carol Arklind (Cadence, La Jolla, CA)
Switzerland – Ilene Koenig (Let’s Travel (a division of Plaza Travel), Santa Monica, CA)

United States and Canada
Hawaii – Carolyne Brandon (Altour American Express Travel, Newport Beach, CA)
Hawaii – Edward Phillips (Frosch, San Mateo, CA)
Napa Valley, California – Michelle Murre (Azurine, San Francisco, CA)

Mexico, Central, and South America
Galapagos Islands – Brian Morgan (Adventure Life, Missoula, MT)
South America – Carlos L. Fida (PanAmerican Travel Services, Salt Lake City, UT)

Africa
Katie Cadar (TravelStore, Los Angeles, CA)
Sandy Cunningham (Uncharted Outposts Safari & Travel Co., Santa Fe, NM)
Dana Welch (The Travel Society, Denver, CO)
Eastern and Southern Africa – Tim Lapage (Safari Experts, Park City, UT)

Asia
Janet Moore (Distant Horizons, Long Beach, CA)
China– Stan Godwyn (TravelStore, Sacramento, CA)
China – Laura Woo (West University Travel, Houston, TX)
Japan – Noriko Townsend (Altour American Express Travel/Japan In Style, Fort Collins, CO)
Southeast Asia – Jarrod Hobson (Asia Transpacific Journeys, Boulder, CO)
Southeast Asia – Sandee Litwin (Litwin Travel, Los Angeles, CA)
Southeast Asia – Rebecca Mazzaro (Asia Transpacific Journeys, Boulder, CO)
Southeast Asia – Patrick O’Connell (Asia Transpacific Journeys, Boulder, CO)
Southeast Asia – Darlene Ravin (Worldview Travel, Santa Ana, CA)

Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific
Australia – Catharina Apodac (Carefree Vacations, San Diego, CA)
Australia – Cassandra Bookholder (Camelback Odyssey Travel, Phoenix, AZ)
French Polynesia – Susanne Hamer (TravelStore, Los Angeles, CA)

Cruising
Paul Niskanen (Cruise Masters/Concierge Travel Advisors, Portland, OR)
Steven Shulem (Strictly Vacations, Santa Barbara, CA)
Ruth Turpin (Cruises Etc. Travel, Fort Worth, TX)

Family Travel
Sam McClure (Small World Travel, Austin, TX)

Special Interest
Spas and Wellness – Karen Benson (Camelback Odyssey Travel, Phoenix, AZ)
Culture/Education – Margery Hunter (Rudi Steele Travel, Dallas, TX)
Destination Celebrations – John Clifford (International Travel Management, San Diego, CA)
Food and Wine – Lynda Turley Garrett (Alpine Travel of Saratoga, Saratoga, CA)
Gay and Lesbian Travel – David Rubin (DavidTravel, Corona del Mar, CA)
Weddings and Honeymoons – Doug Easton (Celestielle, West Hollywood, CA)
Adventure – Susan Sparks (Points of Interest Travel, Aspen, CO)
Adventure – Doris White (Cadence, La Jolla, CA)
Fly-Fishing – Betsy Donley (Camelback Odyssey Travel, Phoenix, AZ)
Private Jet Travel – David Lowy (Renshaw Travel, Vancouver)

Conde Nast Traveler’s 2013 Top Travel Specialists List

North America and the Caribbean
Alaska- Michelle Glass, (Entree Alaska, Seattle, WA)
American Southwest and Rocky Mountains- Caroline Wood (Brownell Travel, Bozeman, MT)
Canada- Marc Telio (Entree Canada, Vancouver)
Cuba- Adam Vaught (Geo Ex, San Francisco, CA)
Hawaii- Susan D. Tanzman (Martin’s Travel and Tours, Los Angeles, CA)
California: Napa/ Wine Country- Jackie Richmond (Wine Country Concierge, Napa, CA)
California: Southern- Jay Johnson (Coastline Travel Advisors, Los Angeles, CA)
Pacific Northwest- Sheri Doyle (Pacific Northwest Journeys, Seattle, WA)
U.S. National Parks- Mary Behr (National Parks Revealed, Kenwood, CA)

Central and South America
Costa Rica- Irene and Richard Edwards (Greenspot, Billings, MT)
Ecuador, the Galapagos, Patagonia, and Peru- Tom Damon (Southwind Adventures, Littleton, CO)

Europe
Belgium and the Netherlands- Harmina Mulder (The Travel Society, Denver, CO)
France- Howard Lewis (Protravel International, Beverly Hills, CA)

Middle East
Egypt and Jordan- James R. Berkeley (Destination & Adventures International, Beverly Hills, CA)

Asia
Bali- Diane Embree (Michael’s Travel Centre, Westlake Village, CA)
Bhutan-Brent Olson (GeoEx, San Francisco, CA)
India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Tibet- Sanjay Saxena (Destination Himalaya, Novato, CA)
Japan- Nancy Craft (Esprit Travel & Tours, Telluride, CO)
Nepal- Antonia Neubauer (Myths and Mountains, Incline, NV)
Tibet- Vassi Koutsaftis (GeoEx, San Francisco, CA)
French Polynesia and the Cook Islands- Kleon Howe (The Art of Travel, San Diego, CA)

Cruises
Antarctica and the Arctic- Chuck and Lynn Cross (Polar Cruises, Bend, Oregon)
Large Affordable Ships- Tom Baker (The Cruise Center, Houston, TX)
Luxe Small Ships- Leslie Fambrini (Personalized Travel Consultants, Los Altos, CA)
Small Ship Expeditions- Ashton Palmer (Expedition Trips, Seattle, WA)
Small Ship Expeditions- Todd Smith (AdventureSmith Explorations, Tahoe City, CA)
Yacht Charters- Mary Crowley (Ocean Voyages, Sausalito, CA)

Special Interest
Urgent Airline Assistance- Brett Snyder (Cranky Concierge, Long Beach, CA)
Family Travel- Kay Merrill (Are We There Yet? Family Adventures, Larkspur, CA)
Gay/ Lesbian Travel- David Rubin (DavidTravel, Corona del Mar, CA)
Rail Travel in North America- Sylvia and Ted Blishak (Train Travel Consulting at Accent on Travel USA, Klamath Falls, OR)
Private-Jet Trips to Uncharted Places- Kate Doty (Geo Ex, San Francisco, CA)
River Rafting- Mindy Gleason (O.A.R.S., Angels Camp, CA)
Scuba Diving- Meg Austin (The Travel Society, Denver, CO)
Skiing and Snowboarding- Jana Emery (Ski.com, Aspen, CO)