TravelAge West
Intel and Insights for Today's Travel Advisor

Explore TravelAge West

Destinations

Back
  • Africa & Middle East
  • Asia & South Pacific
  • Caribbean
  • Central & South America
  • Europe
  • Hawaii
  • Mexico
  • USA & Canada

Travel Types

Back
  • Family
  • Adventure
  • Cruise
  • River Cruise
  • Tour Operators
  • Luxury
  • Hotels
  • Culinary
  • Romance
  • Wellness
  • Sustainability

Directories

Back
  • Hotels
  • Cruise

Interactive

Back
  • Click & Win
  • Geo Quiz
  • Slideshows & Video
  • Wave Winner Videos

Professional Development

Back

Industry Insight

  • Business Features
  • Interviews
  • Events
  • Opinion
  • Tech
  • Podcasts
  • Coronavirus and Travel
  • Need to Know Research

Education

  • Certifications
  • Digital Guides
  • Fams
  • Thought Leadership
  • Advertiser Spotlight
  • Webinars
  • Quick Q's

Events

  • Global Travel Marketplace
  • GTM West
  • WAVE Awards
  • GTM by Northstar

Get Us in Your Inbox

I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.

Search TravelAge West

Clear Field
Emma Weissmann
Emma WeissmannContributing Writer
,
Jamie BiesiadaContributing Writer

Share

  1. Home
  2. Podcasts
  3. Trade Secrets

On the Ground in Maui: Should Travel Agents Send Clients to the Island Right Now?

Sep 25, 2023
Consortia/Host Agencies  Hawaii  Maui  Podcasts  Training and Education  Travel Agents  Travel News  
On the Ground in Maui: Should Travel Agents Send Clients to the Island Right Now?
Credit: 2023 Tori Hapin/Jenn Martins

Subscribe now using your favorite service:


One month after wildfires devastated Lahaina, Signature Travel Network decided to move forward with its annual Owners’ Meeting at the Grand Wailea, located on an unaffected part of Maui. 

This episode of Trade Secrets was recorded from Maui. Hear from Signature CEO Alex Sharpe, travel agency owners and supplier representatives from Allianz Partners, Travel Insured International and Pleasant Holidays as they share their thoughts about promoting travel to the island. Listeners will also learn about Signature’s relief efforts, and the resounding takeaway for travel advisors who have visited: Responsible, compassionate tourism is welcome on the Valley Isle.

Note: Although unaffected areas of Maui have remained open to tourism, the affected areas of West Maui will officially open on Oct. 8, according to Hawaii Gov. Josh Green. 

This episode is sponsored by Air France-KLM.

Credit: 2023 Jenn Martins

Further Resources and Related Reading

Coverage From TravelAge West
- Signature Travel Network to Proceed With Owners' Meeting in Maui
- On the Ground in Maui
: Signature’s Owners’ Meeting Highlights ‘Respectful, Compassionate’ Tourism to the Island
- Go, Postpone, Cancel or Move Maui travel?
 Advisors Share How They're Managing Upcoming Bookings

Get Us in Your Inbox

I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.

Coverage From Travel Weekly
- A visit to Maui, a Month After the Lahaina Fire: Aloha and Welcoming Hospitality for Visitors
- As Maui Thanks Agents and Urges Travel, it Plans a New Marketing Campaign

Ask a Question on the Podcast

If you're a travel advisor with a question about the latest travel news, trends, best business practices or more, please call our hotline and leave a message at 201-902-2098 or send an email to [email protected].

About the Hosts

Emma Weissmann is the Managing Editor of TravelAge West, a print and online magazine for travel advisors based in the Western U.S. She is also the host of the Humans of Travel podcast, where she interviews notable individuals in the travel industry about their lives — the highs and lows that make them human.

Jamie Biesiada is a Senior Editor with Travel Weekly. She is an award-winning journalist, including being named the American Society of Travel Advisors’ 2019 Travel Journalist of the Year. Her roots are in community journalism, where she was the editor of several local newspapers and a regional entertainment magazine.

About the Show

Trade Secrets, a podcast from the editors of Travel Weekly and TravelAge West, is where travel advisors ask — and answer — questions. On each podcast, our editors will ask a veteran travel industry insider to join them and field listeners’ questions. Topics will range from business advice to industry trends, history and more — as long as it’s travel-related, we want to address it! Find Trade Secrets wherever you get your podcasts, or at www.travelagewest.com/podcasts/trade-secrets.

Tell Us What You Think! forum

Related Content

Fam Trips: How Can They Help Your Business, Travel Advisors?

Fam Trips: How Can They Help Your Business, Travel Advisors?

  • Most Read
  • Most Shared
  1. Top Summer Travel Trends for 2026
  2. Carnival Glory and Carnival Magic Return to Service After Upgrades
  3. The 10 Best Luxury Golf Resorts in California
  4. Why Advisors Are Booking More Air
  5. 5 Southern Italian Beach Towns Beyond the Amalfi Coast

From Our Partners

More From TravelAge West

Classic beaches and high-energy cities are among some of the trends this season.

Spring Travel Trends to Know for 2026

The member-owned cooperative has grown from a small Southern California group to a global network of travel advisors.

Signature Travel Network Celebrates 70 Years of Growth

Internova Travel Group's recent sustainability initiatives demonstrate that environmental consciousness can also be good business.

Internova Travel Group Is Finding That Sustainability Can Drive Advisor Sales

Amid geopolitical uncertainty, people are turning towards domestic travel in a bid to mitigate unforeseen safety and logistical concerns.

Top Summer Travel Trends for 2026

Couples are putting destinations first, prioritizing immersive and experience-driven celebrations.

Fora Reveals How Couples Are Reimagining Destination Weddings and Honeymoons in 2026

A travel advisor to musicians and ultra-high-net-worth clients, Caldwell-Cole regularly accompanies clients on their travels — including a spontaneous trip to Istanbul she pulled together in less than 48 hours.

In 3 Years, This Travel Advisor Built a $9 Million Business With Just 6 Clients. Here’s How.

Seventy-nine percent of advisors say their clients are more frequently choosing to travel during off-peak periods.

How Travelers Are Approaching Sustainable Travel in 2026, According to Virtuoso

Editorial: How Travel Advisors Can Help Clients Travel Smarter

Editorial: How Travel Advisors Can Help Clients Travel Smarter

Hawaiʻi Loves Travel Advisors

Hawaiʻi Loves Travel Advisors

Webinar | Watch Now

More Stories Like This

The Trade Secrets Tech Summit will feature technology companies from Host Agency Reviews' Travel Agency Software Profiles.

The Trade Secrets Tech Summit: Technology Travel Advisors Need to Succeed

Read The Story
Bonus Episode: Trading Social Media for Substack (Feat. SmartFlyer’s Kayla Douglas)

Bonus Episode: Trading Social Media for Substack (Feat. SmartFlyer’s Kayla Douglas)

Read The Story
Season 5 Finale: Emma and Jamie's Top 25 Predictions for Travel in 2025

Season 5 Finale: Emma and Jamie's Top 25 Predictions for Travel in 2025

Read The Story
2024 Rewind: What Trends Shaped the Travel Industry — and Impacted Agents — This Year?

2024 Rewind: What Trends Shaped the Travel Industry — and Impacted Agents — This Year?

Read The Story
How Do I Find and Maintain Work-Life Balance as a Travel Advisor? (Feat. Stephanie Lee)

How Do I Find and Maintain Work-Life Balance as a Travel Advisor? (Feat. Stephanie Lee)

Read The Story
What Are Destination Management Companies, and How Can Travel Advisors Best Work With Them?

What Are Destination Management Companies, and How Can Travel Advisors Best Work With Them?

Read The Story
Destination Weddings, Honeymoons and Beyond (Feat. Jennifer Doncsecz)

Destination Weddings, Honeymoons and Beyond (Feat. Jennifer Doncsecz)

Read The Story
Trade Secrets at Virtuoso Travel Week, Part 3: How Can Travel Advisors Get 'Commissions With a Comma?' (Feat. Dondra Ritzenthaler)

Trade Secrets at Virtuoso Travel Week, Part 3: How Can Travel Advisors Get 'Commissions With a Comma?' (Feat. Dondra Ritzenthaler)

Read The Story
Trade Secrets at Virtuoso Travel Week, Part 2: As a Travel Advisor, How do I Break Into the World of Luxury Travel Sales?

Trade Secrets at Virtuoso Travel Week, Part 2: As a Travel Advisor, How do I Break Into the World of Luxury Travel Sales?

Read The Story
Trade Secrets at Virtuoso Travel Week, Part 1: What Are the Latest Trends in Luxury Travel? (Feat. David Kolner)

Trade Secrets at Virtuoso Travel Week, Part 1: What Are the Latest Trends in Luxury Travel? (Feat. David Kolner)

Read The Story
TravelAge West

About TravelAge West

  • About Us
  • Contributors
  • Sales Team
  • Contact Us
  • My Profile
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Data

Advertise

  • Advertise With Us
  • Write For US
  • Media Kit
  • Upload Ad Material
  • Digital Ad Specifications
  • Reprints
  • Subscribe to Print

Stay Connected to TravelAge West

Get Us in Your Inbox

I accept the T&C and Privacy Policy.


Northstar Travel Group

Northstar Travel Group

  • Travel Weekly
  • Travel Weekly Asia
  • TravelPulse
  • TravelPulse Canada
  • TravelPulse Quebec
  • Meetings & Incentives
  • Travel Technology
  • Corporate Travel
  • Hotel Investment
  • Data Products
  • AGENTatHOME

Copyright © 2026 Northstar Travel Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. 301 Route 17 N, Suite 1150, Rutherford, NJ 07070 USA | Telephone: (201) 902-2000

Load Carousel Here
Load Video Here