Travel Today with Peter Greenberg

Julian Lewis Jones, actor and keen Welsh fisherman, shares what it was like growing up on an island. Julian was drawn to sea fishing at an early age and his passion and love for all things “fishy” continues to this day! He reveals the best places to fish around Cardiff and gives a story about his fresh catch for actor/director Clint Eastwood. All this and more when we interview Julian Lewis Jones on this episode of Travel Today with Peter Greenberg from the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, UK. 

It’s not difficult to get Peter to Morocco, especially to the medina in Fez, up in the Atlas Mountains, and then, at the base of those mountains, the truly mystical experience that awaits in Marrakech.  This week's Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes to you from The Global Spa & Wellness Summit at the Four Seasons Resort Marrakech. Joining us this week in the “red city” will be wellness industry icon Donald Ardell who talks about the wellness movemnet. We also speak with Paul Price, CEO of Creative Realities, about how the spa and wellness industry (as well as other markets) are adapting and embracing cutting edge technology. And the bigger issue of the brave new world of disruptors in travel and tourism " what jobs and functions will be obsolete in just a few years (think taxi drivers). And author Alexis Jones, author and founder of I Am That Girl, about what women can do to protect themselves while traveling alone. All of that and more on this week’s episode of Travel Today from the 2014 Global Spa & Wellness Summit at the Four Seasons Resort Marrakech in Morocco.

Peter travels to the African country of Morocco, and more specifically Marrakech, bring this Travel Today with Greenberg to you from the 2014 Global & Spa and Wellness Summit. Magatte Wade, CEO and Founder of Tiossan, shares how the products of traditional medicine men from centuries ago inspire her skin care line. It is a knowledge that has been passed down in the oral traditions of Africa and it is helping to increase curiosity around the world about her culture.

Peter Greenberg ventures to Marrakech, Morocco to interview guests at the 2014 Global Spa & Wellness Summit. Alexis Jones, Author and Founder of I Am That Girl, discusses how she learned to make smart decisions while traveling alone, such as not drinking alcohol and choosing female-only hostels. She also talks about the rise of the wellness industry in relation to travel and how eye opening hosting the 2014 Global Spa & Wellness Summit has been.

This week's Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from the Adlon Kempinski Hotel in Berlin. Most people know of the hotel for Michael Jackson's famous baby-dangling incident, but there is so much more incredible history about the hotel sitting just outside the Brandenburg Gate. The original hotel Adlon opened in 1907, but was mostly destroyed near the end of World War II. The hotel as it stands today opened in 1997, but is modeled after the original design. Our broadcast found its way to the Adlon for this year's annual Virtuoso Symposium. Virtuoso is one of the travel industry's leading networks. This organization includes more than 330 agencies with 7,200 advisors in 20 countries throughout North and South America, the Caribbean, Australia, and New Zealand. Every year, Virtuoso holds its Symposiums in a carefully chosen destination that is relevant to today's travel and tourism. It's no surprise that Berlin was selected for 2014, placing in the top three European destinations for tourists last year. This week's guest list is quite a treat, and include the Adlon's bar manger, who has many stories to tell, and the CEO of Virtuoso, Matthew Upchurch just to name a few. All that and more on this episode of Travel Today.

Mathew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso, joins Peter to chat about what they both agree is the hottest city in Europe right now: Berlin. They also discuss changes in the travel agency sphere, and where things are headed in the future.

Franz Höckner, Bar Manager at the Hotel Adlon Kempinski, discloses his secrets about Michael Jackson's famous baby dangling stay. You'd never guess that there were 150 moonwalking doubles in the hotel with him! Franz is also a magician, and tells Peter how to win the famous nutshell game on the streets of Berlin.

This week's episode of Travel Today comes from the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. Highlighting the best of Southern food's newest influences. Joining Peter at the festival is Andera Reusing, owner of the Lantern, an Asian and Southern food fusion restaurant. Then Greenberg talks with Atlanta Fire Chief Kelvin Cochran about fire safety his recruitment by President Obama to assist FEMA. Also, Greenberg sits down with Kristen Hard founder of the Atlanta Cacao Company talks about her journey to bring the best chocolate to her customers. Then he is joined by Steve McHugh who explains how his time in Wisconsin and New Orleans is still reflected through his menu. Then, festival co-founder Dominque Love talks about the vision of the festival and the educational atmosphere that they strive for at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. All that and more on this week's episode of Travel Today with Peter Greenberg.

Chef Steve McHugh from San Antonio Texas joins Greenberg in Georgia for the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. The executive chef and owner of Cured talks about his Wisconsin roots and how cheese curds have made it onto his menu. He also talks about his New Orleans influences. After Hurricane Katrina, McHugh headed to Louisiana to help start a restaurant to boost the area's economy.

The Atlanta Cacao Company co-founder owner, Kristen Hard, joins Greenberg at the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival. Hard explains how her love of sailing lead her to a discovering an obsession for chocolate. As the first female bean to bar shop owner in the Continental United States, she strives to bring only the best quality product to her customers. One thing that initially dismayed customers was that she didn't carry milk chocolate in her store. Hear her thoughts on milk chocolate and what brings her to the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, on this segment of Travel Today with Peter Greenberg.

Peter Greenberg heads to Hainan Island, off the southern most region of China where we interviews travel experts from the 14th Global Summit of the World Travel & Tourism Council. Joining him this week is Pilar Guzman, Editor-in-Chief of Conde Nast Traveler. She discusess the recent "2014 Hot List." The list considered over 500 new hotels in 400 cities and 93 countries to bring readers the top 33 to debut in the last year. Then he talks with the Editor-in-Chief of Travel Weekly, Arnie Weismassmann. Weissmann discusses the history of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), and what it says about travel and tourism as a whole that the convention has been held in China three times in the past 5 years. All that and more on this week's episode of Travel Today.

Arnie Weissmann, senior vice president and editor-in-chief of Travel Weekly, discusses the history of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), and what it says about travel and tourism as a whole that the convention has been held in China three times in the past 5 years. Hint: The industry is spreading like wildfire, and with a population of 1.3 billion people, China isn't slowing down anytime in the foreseeable future.

Pilar Guzmán, editor-in-chief of Condé Nast Traveler, sits down with Peter Greenberg to discuss the magazine's recent ?2014 Hot List.? The list considered over 500 new hotels in 400 cities and 93 countries to bring readers the top 33 to debut in the last year. But it's not all glitz and glamor; tune in to hear Peter and Pilar's biggest hotel pet peeves, and why they promise to give you the ?nickel and dime list? in 2014. That and more from the WTTC in Hainan Island, China.

Peter Greenberg heads off the coast of Southern California to Catalina Island. Joining him on this week's Travel Today is the president of the Catalina Express, Greg Bombard, about everything boats and what to do in Catalina once you are on the Island. He also chats with Alison Wrigley Russack, great-granddaughter of William Wrigley, Jr. who bought the Santa Catalina Island Company in 1919. She shares family and island history with Peter. Then Brian Bray, the City of Avalon's Harbor Master, discusses the popular Avalon Harbor and you guessed it...boats! All this and more on this week's episode of Travel Today with Peter Greenberg.

Brian Bray, the Harbor Master of Avalon, joins Peter on Catalina Island. The Harbor Master discusses the rules and regulations of boating and docking at Catalina Island. On Catalina Island, they are serious about preserveing the water quality near the island. He explains how they even go as far as to put dye into the toilets of ships that dock there, to make sure that they are not flushing into the ocean near the island. If boaters are caught, they are banned from docking at the island for a year. The bacteria levels have been incredibly lowered since implementing this and other regulations. Learn more by listening to this episode of Travel Today.