The Western U.S. and Canada were well-represented in Travel + Leisure’s 14th annual A-List, which features the best travel agent specialists in the industry. Travel + Leisure chose candidates via a nomination system and a thorough vetting of the each agent’s qualifications and expertise.
Following are the 40 Western agents honored as being at the top of their respective fields.
Super Agents
Western Europe – Jim Strong and Nancy Strong (Strong Travel Services, Dallas)
United States and Canada
Hawaii – Carolyne Brandon (Altour American Express Travel, Cupertino, Calif.)
Hawaii – Marilyn Clark (Lighthouse Travel, Huntington Beach, Calif.)
Napa Valley – Michelle Murre (Azurine Travel, San Francisco)
Pacific Northwest – Sheri Doyle (Pacific Northwest Journeys, Seattle)
Africa and the Middle East
Africa – Sandy Cunningham (Outside Go, Santa Fe, N.M.)
Africa – Dana Welch (The Travel Society, Denver)
East & Southern Africa – Kent Redding (Africa Adventure Consultants, Denver)
Family Safaris – Leora Rothschild (Rothschild Safaris, Denver)
Namibia – Chris Liebenberg (Piper & Heath Travel, San Diego)
South Africa – Tamsyn Fricker (Travel Artistry Africa, Houston)
Southern Africa – Cherri Briggs (Explore, Inc., Steamboat Springs, Colo.)
Southern Africa – Teresa Sullivan (Mango African Safaris, Portland, Ore.)
Asia
China – Stan Godwyn (TravelStore, Sacramento, Calif.)
Hong Kong – Laura Woo (West University Travel, Houston)
Indonesia – Jarrod Hobson (Asia Transpacific Journeys, Boulder, Colo.)
Japan – Noriko Townsend (Altour American Express Travel/Japan In Style, Fort Collins, Colo.)
Myanmar – Rebecca Mazzaro (Asia Transpacific Journeys, Boulder, Colo.)
Southeast Asia – Andrea Ross (Journeys Within, Truckee, Calif.)
Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific
Australia – Cassandra Bookholder (Camelback Odyssey Travel, Phoenix)
French Polynesia – Susanne Hamer (TravelStore, Los Angeles)
Cruising
Cruising – Paul Niskanen (Cruise Masters/Concierge Travel Advisors, Portland, Ore.)
Cruising – Ruth Turpin (Cruises Etc. Travel, Fort Worth, Tex.)
Europe
France – Murielle Blanchard (Black Pearl Luxury Services, Salt Lake City)
Switzerland – Ilene Koenig (Let’s Travel, Santa Monica, Calif.)
Family Travel
Sam McClure (Small World Travell - Austin, Tex.)
Special Interest
Adventure – Susan Sparks (Points of Interest Travel, Aspen, Colo.)
Business Travel – Steve Orens (Plaza Travel, Encino, Calif.)
Culture/Education – Margery Hunter (Rudi Steele Travel, Dallas)
Destination Celebrations – John Clifford (International Travel Management, San Diego)
Fly-Fishing – Betsy Donley (Camelback Odyssey Travel, Phoenix)
Food & Wine – Keith Waldon (Departure Lounge, Austin, Tex.)
Food & Wine – Lynda Turley Garrett (Alpine Travel of Saratoga, Saratoga, Calif.)
Golf – Chad Clark (Chad Clark Travel Ventures, Phoenix)
LGBT Travel – David Rubin (DavidTravel, Corona del Mar, Calif.)
Luxury Travel - David Lowy (Renshaw Travel, Vancouver)
Luxury Travel – Andrea Malis (Camelback Odyssey Travel, Tucson, Ariz.)
Luxury Travel – Stacy Small (Elite Travel International, Los Angeles)
Spas and Wellness – Karen Benson (Camelback Odyssey Travel, Phoenix)
The Details
Travel + Leisure’s A-Listwww.travelandleisure.com/a-list
