Press
Don’t Go Anywhere Without These Expert Tips For Buying Travel Insurance
June 9, 2019 | Forbes
There’s no shortage of expert tips for buying travel insurance online. But where’s a pro when you really need one? That’s what Mike Mehta wanted to know when he contacted me recently. “Is travel insurance worth buying?” he asked. “Do you have any recommendations for reasonably priced travel insurance providers?” Read More >>
ASTA Legislative Day Brings Advisors to Capitol Hill
June 7, 2019 | Travel Market Report
This week, approximately 160 travel professionals convened at the nation’s capital to discuss issues and concerns regarding the travel industry with their state and local representatives, during the American Society of Travel Advisors’ (ASTA) annual Legislative Day event. Read More >>
Oldest agency has youth appeal
June 3, 2019 | Travel Weekly
Not too long ago, the travel industry had a pretty big, collective concern: that it would age out. “By and large, I think it’s a problem that we’ve largely solved,” said Troy Haas, president and CEO of Birmingham, Ala.-based Brownell Travel. “I think we benefit from the fact that the younger generation wants to do work that means something to them, and we do work that means something to people. These are careers that are enjoyable.” Read More >>
Susan’s Travel Trends: A Trip to Napa Valley
May 22, 2019 | Studio 4
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – North of San Francisco, California’s Napa Valley wine country is one of the world’s great destinations, especially for lovers of great wine, fantastic food, and beautiful views. Travel Advisor Susan Teeple calls a trip to Napa Valley, “the Mother ship trip.” Read More >>
Birmingham’s Best Places to Work for 2019
May 16, 2019 | Birmingham Business Journal
In a low unemployment rate environment, the battle for talent is key. That’s particularly true these days, as Birmingham employers in a range of industries are facing challenges finding skilled workers. It’s an employee’s market, and that makes it critical for companies to create a great workplace culture. Today, we’re unveiling a list of companies that have done just that – our 2019 Birmingham’s Best Places to Work. Read More >>
3 Things I Wish I Knew Before Starting a Travel Agency
May 15, 2019 | Travel Pulse
When you start your first business, three things are guaranteed to happen—you’ll work harder than you’ve ever worked in your life, your first sale will make you prouder than anything you’ve ever done, and every single person you know will have an opinion on your business. Read More >>
How 3 Travel Advisors Combat Overtourism
May 1, 2019 | Recommend Magazine
At last year’s USTOA Conference & Marketplace, when the results for the biennial economic impact study, conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLC (PwC), were released, we learned that overtourism had been newly added to the survey’s potential threats list because it’s a growing concern for USTOA active members. With that in mind, we reached out to travel advisors to get their take on the strategies they use to combat overtourism. Read More >>
Exploring the World from Above
Spring 2019 | Travel Advisor Magazine
FOR SOME, THE WINDOW SEAT IS A NIGHTMARE. FOR ME, IT’S MY HAPPY PLACE. The surreal happening of a never ending scroll of landscapes passing me by is one of my favorite memories of a trip. From the flat, cracked jigsaw pieces of the midwest desert, to the highest peaks of the Alps; the transparent, aqua waters of the Caribbean and the lush canopy of Central American jungle, I may have seen more of this world from above than on solid ground. But it’s not just the window seat that gets us these bird’s-eye views. Read More >>
Susan’s Travel Trends: The Bahamas
April 17, 2019 | Studio 4
AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – With the summer travel season on the horizon, a getaway could be in your future. Susan Teeple shares why the Bahamas is a great getaway. Read More >>
From One Million to Two in Travel Sales: How Advisors Can Jump the Hurdle
April 12, 2019 | Travel Market Report
Research shows that the jump from $1 million to $2 million in annual sales is among the toughest hurdles for travel advisors. But for those with the fortitude and drive to go for it, the next million is within your grasp, the experts say — and they have the data to back that up. Read More >>
Millennial Travel Forum Los Angeles: Meet the Agents Attending
March 26, 2019 | Travel Pulse
With less than a week away, TravelPulse reveals the names of the 14 agents who will be traveling to Los Angeles for the United States debut of travAlliancemedia’s Millennial Travel Forum. Read More >>
Expert Tips for Packing Light
February 6, 2019 | Sonoran News
New York Times writer Susan Heller famously said, “When preparing to travel, lay out all your clothes and all your money. Then take half the clothes and twice the money.” Read More >>
Caribbean Spas: Four Luxury Hotels to Help You Recharge
January 10, 2019 | Luxury Travel Advisor
The holidays are over (whew). They seem to be meant to allow you to rest and recharge but often they’re the most stressful part of the year. Luckily, Luxury Travel Advisor has your back — and, with it, four suggestions for a Caribbean spa escape to help you actually rest and recharge. Read More >>
Luxury Travel Advisor’s Trendsetters
December 2018 | Luxury Travel Advisor
Welcome to our second “Trendsetters” issue, in which we highlight top advisors in the most prestigious luxury travel agencies across the United States and beyond. Read More >>
The Best Places to Visit in 2019 Before They Get Too Popular
December 2018 | Reader’s Digest
Fancy yourself a travel trailblazer? From up-and-coming destinations to hidden gems you didn’t even know existed, here are 15 locales to put on your radar ASAP. Read More >>
A New Take on Luxury Destination Weddings and Honeymoons
November 15, 2018 | Luxury Travel Advisor
Luxury destination weddings and honeymoons continue to evolve in their style as the bride and groom raise the bar on their expectations. For destination weddings, couples are planning more customized experiences for their guests, and the planning is beginning earlier and earlier. Read More >>
Susan’s Travel Trends: Getaway to Spain
November 14, 2018 | Studio 4
If you’re looking to travel overseas, our friend and travel advisor, Susan Teeple, suggests going to Spain. Read More >>
The 19 Best Places To Travel In 2019
October 25, 2018 | Forbes
What’s on your travel wish list for 2019? We tapped into some of the world’s top travel experts to find out where they want to go next. From a colorful beach town in Belize that is slowly becoming discovered to an unexpected European country with a vibrant new arts scene, here are the most exciting places to travel in 2019. Read More >>
ILTM North America Wraps Up in Mayakoba with Record Attendance
October 2, 2018 | Insider Travel Report
With North America continuing to be one of the world’s fastest growing luxury travel source markets, something that is expected to continue until at least 2025, ILTM North America last week welcomed 328 travel advisors (buyers) from 152 cities across Mexico, Canada and the U.S. and 328 exhibitors (suppliers) from 60 countries from around the world. Read More >>
Susan’s Travel Trends: Hot Spots for Spring Break 2019
September 19, 2018 | Studio 4
It might be fall, but it’s time to start thinking about Spring Break 2019. Our friend and travel advisor, Susan Teeple, offers up her three favorite spots to book now. Read More >>
Age 14: A Gap Year Around the World
August 2018 | Virtuoso Life
Zander Galli’s far-reaching gap year – between middle school and high school – opened his eyes to a world of wonders. Read More >>
Something Special
August 2018 | Travel Weekly
When Samantha McClure opened Small World Travel in Austin, Texas, in 1999, she wanted to focus only on family travel. But a more experienced agent gave her some advice: “You have to be all things to all people,” McClure recalled. “You have to book air, you have to do corporate, you have to do honeymoons.” Read More >>
See this local couple’s collection of travel treasures
August 8, 2018 | Birmingham magazine
Travel is a way of life for Haisley Smith. As the vice president of marketing and development at Brownell Travel, she has turned her passion into a career, as well as inspiration for decor in her Mountain Brook abode. Smith shares the space–and her love of globetrotting–with her husband, Carlton, and their daughters Adelaide and Winnie, and thanks to a recent renovation project, the home comfortably accommodates the family, as well as all their treasures from afar. Read More >>
Embracing Technology a Key for Agents
July 2018 | Travel Pulse
The words “travel agent” and “tech-savvy” don’t usually go hand in hand. Travel advisors have never been known as early adopters or, for that matter, committed users of technology tools designed to help them do business. Yet, these days increasing numbers of agents are giving the lie to that notion. We asked a handful of tech-savvy advisors to share their insights on how technology helps them do business, and which solutions are most useful. Read More >>
Brownell Travel features its top hotels in new web guide
June 11, 2018 | Travel Market Report
Brownell Travel of Birmingham, Ala., has created an online guide to its top hotels, the Little Brownell Book, available on its website. The guide features nearly 50 hotels with more to come later this year. According to Brownell, the hotels featured were chosen because they “have exceptional service, desirable locations, and will go above and beyond for Brownell guests.” Read More >>
Brownell Travel Launches “Little Brownell Book” of Top Hotels
June 11, 2018 | Insider Travel Report
Brownell Travel has launched the “Little Brownell Book,” a digital listing of luxury hotel reviews for its most tried-and-true properties worldwide. Brownell, which bills itself as North America’s first travel agency dating from 1887, says it has more than 130 years of data and intelligence to back up its insider hotel information. As a Virtuoso member agency, Brownell if offering even non-clients (and yes, its competitors) a peak at its “little black book” of hotels in the aptly named Little Brownell Book section on its website. Read More >>
Travel Agents Selling U by Uniworld Discuss Brand’s New Focus
May 17, 2018 | Travel Market Report
With neon-lit lounges, high-energy land excursions and a youthful marketing vibe, U by Uniworld has set sail this inaugural season minus its initial concept of selling only to Millennials… Read More >>
River cruising – Breaking the old stereotype
May 14, 2018 | Sonoran News
If you think river cruising is just for “old” people, toss that idea overboard. The industry is breaking the old stereotypes and offering activities for vibrant, active travelers who want more than to settle into a lounge chair on deck. River cruising is hot and getting more popular with younger travelers… Read More >>
Where Would You Send Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on Their Honeymoon
May 2, 2018 | The Virtuoso Life
With Royal Wedding fever at a high, we asked three Virtuoso advisors: Where would you send Prince Harry & Meghan Markle on their honeymoon? Read More >>
Travel Agent Talk: Jessica Hart
April 24, 2018 | Travel Age West
Traveling the globe with her own two children has provided Jessica Hart, owner of Los Angeles-based Travel By Hart, an independent affiliate of Brownell, a Virtuoso Agency, with an appreciation for the importance of sharing the world with kids. It has also given her a firsthand understanding of the special requirements necessary for family travel.. Read More >>
One agency’s recipe for success
April 16, 2018 | Travel Weekly
Brownell Travel is the oldest travel agency in the United States. Its roots are in a July 1887 trip to Europe aboard the SS Devonia with ten travelers led by Walter A. Brownell. Today, 131 years later, Brownell has served more than 75,000 clients. Read More >>
The Perfect Honeymoon Based on Your Personality
March 26, 2018 | Brides
The honeymoon is a time-honored tradition. It’s a chance to set off on your first adventure as husband and wife—both literally and figuratively. Many times it’s all about the journey, but in this case the destination does matter. Read More >>
Vow to WOW this Valentine’s Day – travel tips for love!
February 6, 2018 | Sonoran News
Cupid is practicing his aim and many of you are firmly in his sights. February is the time when men and women ask themselves the burning question, “How can I make this year very special for my Valentine?” We humans are all hardwired to care and provide for our loved ones. Read More >>
10 Genius Ways to Turn a Good Vacation Into the Getaway of Your Dreams
January 2018 | Coastal Living
The gurus of making dreams come true—luxury travel advisors from the Virtuoso network—share inside tips on how to capture that vacation magic in a bottle. Read More >>
Let’s Get Out There and Travel!
January 17, 2018 | Sonoran News
Do you ever feel left out of the conversation when your colleagues and friends share their fabulous travel stories and you have nothing to contribute? Like happiness, positivity and a good friend, travel is something we want in our lives, so much so that we talk about it all the time, and some of us will even post our travel bucket-list destinations on Facebook. You know who you are. Travel is the “new” luxury and it’s time you start adding more to your life. Read More >>
Where to Go and What to Do
January 2018 | Simply Buckhead
“I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list,” the writer Susan Sontag once said. While it’s wonderful to have a heightened sense of wanderlust, how do you narrow the vast planet down when planning your next trip? Do you want to take a slow train through Ireland, visit kangaroos in Australia or catch the northern lights in Scandinavia? Jessica Battista, a trip advisor with Brownell Travel in Buckhead, shared her picks for the hottest destinations of 2018 and why we want to go there, as well as this year’s top travel trends. Read More >>
Travelers, here’s what to expect in 2018
December 10, 2017 | K5 News
Fellow travelers, it’s not too soon to start thinking about your 2018 itineraries. Steven Scholnick is. He’s planning a trip to Europe with his wife next summer to celebrate their 50th birthdays, with stops in Amsterdam and Dublin. “I expect a larger police presence at popular destinations,” says Scholnick, a software engineer from Pittsburgh. Read More >>
The 15 Elements of Extraordinary Travel
September 6, 2017 | Furthermore
Furthermore and Cole Haan have partnered to bring you the elements of extraordinary in fitness, travel, nutrition, and mindfulness. We tapped our team of experts and high-performers to learn how to eat well at every meal, truly experience a vacation, and level up your workouts. Read More >>
Luxury Travel Trends for 2018
August 22, 2017 | Independent
Over 5,600 industry experts descended on Las Vegas for the annual Virtuoso Travel Week conference. Ianthe Butt reveals the trends that got tongues wagging. Read More >>
Why take this trip, with these people, now?
August 21, 2017 | Travel Weekly
When a client wants to take a vacation, one of the most natural questions an agent might address first is the where the client wants to go.But there are aspects of a trip that might be even more important, and Discover More, the travel-planning process developed by Brownell Travel in Birmingham, Ala., is designed to put the emphasis on more than just the “where” of travel. Read More >>
Explore these 10 incredible honeymoon destinations
July 19, 2017 | Birmingham Magazine
Planning your honeymoon can be one of the most exciting things surrounding your wedding. It gives you a chance to relax after all the craziness of wedding planning and fully enjoy being newlyweds. Read More >>
Amanda Foshee of Sojourns by Brownell Travel: FACES of Birmingham
July 16, 2017 | StyleBlueprint
Amanda Foshee loves exploring other cultures and lands through travel, and her work as a travel advisor at Brownell Travel allows her to share that same passion with her clients. Read More >>
Kerry Dyer Joins Brownell as Director of Talent Development
May 24, 2017 | Luxury Travel Advisor
Kerry Dyer, a celebrated luxury hotels executive, has joined Brownell Travel as director of talent development. Dyer, most recently director of sales & marketing with Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta and director of travel industry sales (the Americas) with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, will pioneer the role for Brownell. Read More >>
Get the story behind Birmingham’s century-old travel agency
May 18, 2017 | Birmingham Magazine
There are few things in Birmingham older than Brownell Travel.
Vulcan wasn’t sculpted until the 1904 World Fair. The historic Lyric Theatre wasn’t built until 1914, and across the street, the Alabama Theatre wouldn’t be built for another 13 years after. Even Sloss Furnaces, a company largely credited with pioneering the city’s development, only preceded Brownell by seven years. Read More >>
Want family travel to really count? Make a plan
May 22, 2017 | New York Times
When the first of her three children neared age 8, and school events and sports increasingly demanded the family’s time, Tracy Krechevsky, 52, a teacher in Wellesley, Mass., decided they needed a plan to make the most of their vacations. Read More >>
Why travelers are returning to travel agents
November 18, 2016 | USA Today
Sure it was fun, empowering, often money-saving in the early days, when online travel agencies like Expedia and Travelocity became a presence on the Web for price-shopping, and TripAdvisor, CruiseCritic and Hotels.com became fonts of reviews and opinions. Read More >>
Travel Agents Find Ways To Market Brexit
July 13, 2016 | Travel Market Report
Within days of Britain’s historic June 23 vote to exit the European Union, U.K. specialist Ellen LeCompte was emailing her travel partners in England to check into pricing and availability for a hastily arranged garden tour in early September. It’s an unusually short planning window. But LeCompte, an independent affiliate for Brownell Travel based in Richmond, VA, wanted to jump on the great values afforded by a plummeting British pound. Read More >>
Celebrating July 4 — in South America
June 15, 2016 | New York Times
Instead of a stateside getaway for the long July 4 weekend, why not get into a different kind of American spirit by heading to South America? Courtney Regan, a South America specialist at Brownell Travel, an agency in San Francisco, says that in July, the continent offers a variety of trips for every kind of traveler. Read More >>
Britain’s EU exit creates opportunity and uncertainty
June 14, 2016 | Travel Weekly
It’s too early to tell exactly how Britain’s vote to leave the European Union will affect the travel industry over the long term, but right now is a great time for Americans to visit the U.K. because of the plummeting British pound. Following the vote to leave the EU, the pound plunged to a 31-year low, falling about 10% in a span of a few hours. Read More >>
5 Droolworthy Summer Travel Destinations
April 13, 2016 | Style Blueprint
We just put away our spring break suitcases and we’re back to the daily grind, but that doesn’t mean we also have to pack up our travel dreams. Plus, a world-class vacation calls for world-class planning, which means you should start brainstorming your next great adventure now! Our local leaders in travel planning, Brownell Travel, share five stellar summer travel destinations, as well as their insider tips for getting the most out of each destination. Read More >>
A Lofty View
March 2016 | Virtuoso Advisor Insight
If you were to imagine a beautiful villa with sweeping sea views, just steps away from vibrant nightlife with top entertainment or a magnificent spa, you would only just begin to describe Royal Caribbean’s bi-level Oasis-class suites. Read More >>
An Odd Couple? Traditional Agent Finds Success Online
February 16, 2016 | Travel Market Report
Attracting new customers via the Internet is tough going for many travel agents. Converting online prospects into loyal revenue-generating clients is tougher still. Not so for travel consultant Jessica Ourisman of Ourisman Travel, an independent affiliate of Brownell Travel. Fully 90% of Ourisman Travel’s clients first come to the agency via the Internet. Read More >>
Anthem of the Seas review
December 2015 | Virtuoso Traveler
Claiming a host of first-at-sea features, Royal Caribbean’s Quantum Class ships are as innovative as their name implies. As the line prepares to launch its third Quantum Class vessel, Ovation of the Seas, in spring 2016, we asked a Virtuoso Travel advisor to share her insights on its sister ship, Anthem of the Seas. Read More >>
OK, you’re an expert. But are you a designer of life?
August 24, 2015 | Travel Weekly
It wasn’t like a scene out of “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”; it was breakfast at Tiffany’s. At 8:15 a.m., Linda Allen of Harrison, Ark., was standing in front of a display case filled with glittering bijoux of every shade, cut and clarity, surrounded by people sipping champagne and nibbling on passed plates topped with caviar and gold leaf. Read More >>
Offbeat Ways to Make Travel Affordable
When Marie Koski of Springfield, Mass., was in Tuscany, cleaning pottery and bronze items that were more than 2,000 years old, she knew she was on the right trip for the right price. Read More >>
Five Great-Value Cruises from U.S. Ports This Spring
March 19, 2014 | Conde Nast Traveler
These April and May voyages set sail from U.S. ports—which means many of you can drive to the ship. Here are my top picks when it comes to that hard-to-find combo of good itinerary and good price. Even better than the unusual cruise values for this summer are a few cruise deals that have popped up this spring. Read More >>
Found: Your Great-Value Summer Vacation
March 17, 2014 | Conde Nast Traveler
Dear fellow parents: Now that we’ve made it through planning spring break, we can turn our attention to summer vacation. One option to consider—since it will offer particular value for your dollar this summer—is a family cruise. Read More >>
Guilt Trip? Ease the Pain of Separation
January 2014 | The Costco Connection
For the parent who travels for business, nothing feeds guilt like a long goodbye with a sobbing child wrapped around his or her leg. Traveling away from the comforts and relative predictability of home can be stressful enough, but factor in a child’s anxiety and life “up in the air” can seem downright painful. Read More >>
Margret Propper Named Godmother of UN-CRUISE Vessel
May 2013 | Seattle PI
Unveiling UN-CRUISE Adventures for its combined fleet of upscale yachts and expedition vessels, InnerSea Discoveries/American Safari Cruises inaugurated two boats in time for a full summer of adventures in Southeast Alaska. Read More >>
America’s oldest agency is one of its most progressive
The owners of Brownell Travel of Birmingham, Ala., the oldest leisure travel agency in the U.S., have done something remarkable: They have created a cutting-edge service methodology and a model corporate culture, either of which could be featured at a TED conference or as a case study for the Harvard Business Review. Yet Brownell still embraces its 125-year-old principles, traditions and history. Read More>>
Biz hub Panama hopes to lock into leisure market, too
September 15, 2011 | Travel Weekly
Panama, for all its charms, is perhaps best known to U.S. travelers as a place to pass through on their way to somewhere else, whether via its famed, century-old canal linking the Atlantic and Pacific oceans or the much newer Tocumen Airport, now Central America’s busiest transit air hub. Read More >>
Brownell Travel
July 31, 2011 | Luxury Travel Advisor
Today’s face of Brownell Travel would be somewhat unfamiliar to its founder, Walter T. Brownell, who set up the company in 1887. The new headquarters, which opened this year, sits in one of the poshest retail districts of Birmingham, AL, rubbing elbows with Brooks Brothers and Saks Fifth Avenue. Read More >>
Finding cruise deals in a recovering economy
February 18, 2010 | CNN
The jaw-dropping cruise deals of 2009 have all but dried up. This year travelers will have to work harder to find a way to save on floating escapes. Read More >>
Charting a New Path, Brownell Shifts Focus in Changing Travel Industry
December 8, 2006 | Birmingham Business Journal
Brownell may be one of the oldest travel agencies around, but it is by no means stuck in the past. Founded in 1887, the company has changed with the times, and as the evolution of online travel planning has absorbed business from standard full-service agencies, Brownell is thriving as a specialty operation catering to leisure travelers with a taste for far-flung adventure and upscale amenities. Read More >>
Brownell Travel Consultants Tapped to Sell the Ultimate Vacation – A Trip to Space
December 2006
Troy Haas, CEO of Birmingham-based Brownell Travel, and Vicki Upchurch, a Brownell Travel Consultant, have been chosen amid a select group of travel consultants in the country authorized to sell the next hot travel destination – Outer Space. Read More >>
OLD, BUT NOT OLD-FASHIONED
The luxury of a niche agency
February 14, 2005 | Travel Weekly
Customers looking for standard cruises wont find what theyre looking for at Leslie Fambrinis travel agency. And she wouldnt have it any other way — because Fambrini focuses on one sector of the cruise industry and one sector only: luxury. Read More >>
Making custom a custom
September 30, 2002 | Travel Weekly
Going ashore has many meanings. To a number of agents, it means customized excursions that yield additional earnings for the agency while providing more trip satisfaction to cruise customers. The concept is not exactly new. Ask Meg McGriff North, executive vice president of Brownell Travel in Birmingham, Ala., who said any “true consultant” with experience and connections has long been offering special land arrangements to discerning travelers. Read More >>
Home Away From Home, the offices of Brownell Travel
My Turnstone Blog
It’s rare that I come across a commercial office space that feels just like home. Sure there are elements that bring in a “homey” type vibe like your favorite colors from home or a piece of furniture. A lot of times when someone wants to bring in the feeling of home they do so in a not so aesthetically pleasing way. An entire office space that feels like home(and is stylish too), however is a bit more rare. Here is an inside view of the Brownell Travel, my favorite home away from home office space. Read More >>
Motivational Travel, The most Rewarding Perk
Business Alabama
In ever-tightening economic times, CEOs must ask: Are corporate retreats worth the expense? Mary Pat Kaufmann, Vice President of Brownell Motivation travel agency in Birmingham, says, “Even as budgets are cut and expenditures decrease, many companies continue holding corporate retreats. “With a well-planned program, employees feel as though they’ve been treated to a luxurious, yet purposeful, vacation. A dull one might as well be another day at the office. Read More >>
Worldly Success, Brownell Independent Advisor Sam McClure
Travel Agent Central
For sheer audacity, it’s hard to beat Sam McClure’s niche: round-the-world travel for families. A year-long, 30-country trip, with small groups of friends and relatives occasionally join ing the core family for part of the trip, isn’t some thing you’ll find in any brochure. Read More >>