All-Inclusive, All Authentic: Rewriting Resort Stories

When Jim Tedesco saw fire dancers performing at street corners rather than resort stages during his first post-pandemic trip to Mexico, he witnessed tourism's invisible economic lifeline suddenly exposed. The ALG Vacations VP brings intimate industry insights to No Tourists Allowed, revealing how all-inclusive resorts have evolved from "beans on a plate" budget experiences to luxury immersions that still maintain authentic connections to their destinations. Discover why a childhood room service order made a Jersey boy "feel like a king," how resort staff interactions can be your most meaningful cultural exchanges, and why those alarming headlines about Mexico's safety deserve crucial context you're not getting. Plus: more tantalizing clues about the mystery luxury cruise giveaway - where seals, whales, and possibly bears await one lucky listener!

Introduction and Luxury Cruise Giveaway

Welcome to No Tourists Allowed, a podcast where two travel industry executives with a combined 71 years on the inside of travel and technology give up their secrets to do the thing everyone wants to do. Travel better, pay less, and see more of the world. Here are your hosts, Mike Putman and James Ferrara.

Mike Putman: Hello, I'm Mike Putman.

James Ferrara: And I'm James Ferrara and welcome to No Tourists Allowed. We do have a special guest this week, a very senior executive in the travel industry. We're going to introduce you to him in just a moment.

He's one of the most thoughtful guys that we know in the travel business, so I expect we're going to have a really good conversation about quite a range of things related to travel. But before we get there, Mike, we have been teasing out our giveaway this season, and we've established a couple of things about it so far.

It is a luxury cruise for two people sharing a cabin. It is seven days in a balcony stateroom, which means you can walk out on the balcony. It sort of begs the question: what are you going to be looking at? That's kind of where we left off last episode. I have a couple of hints and you do too, Mike.

Mike Putman: One thing you could be looking at is seals. Possibly whales. I would say if you're really lucky, even possibly bears. You definitely will be looking at water. It's funny how that works on a cruise. And you will be looking at one of the great landscapes of the world.

James Ferrara: Without a doubt. So should we leave people guessing or are we going to reveal?

Mike Putman: I think we should leave them guessing for another week.

James Ferrara: Okay. For one week, you could take the clues that we've given you and I would add into that some history, some historic towns, and certainly some natural beauty. Think about that, and then our next episode we'll tell you where this cruise is going.

You and a guest could win this for free just for being a great listener and participant here at No Tourists Allowed. There are ways for you to get into the drawing on this multiple times.

Mike Putman: If you go to NoTouristAllowed.com, you'll find all the details there. You can sign up for our mailing list, which will get you another entry. There are other activities that we'll be releasing before the giveaway is complete.

It'll give you additional opportunities to get your name in the hat and increase your chances of winning this great cruise. I'm not going to say it yet, but you'll really enjoy it. Of all the cruises I've taken—and I think I've taken sixty-four now—the destination of this cruise was the most spectacular to me.

James Ferrara: It was one of my favorites also. I only ever did it once and I would like to do it again. I will say this: we said seals and whales, so you might think it is Antarctica. I'm going to rule that out.

There has been this video on social media all week of a cruise across the Drake Passage below South America over to Antarctica. It is a notoriously difficult passage with winds, currents, and storms. This video circulating on Instagram and TikTok is just horrific to watch as this ship pitches and rolls and goes underwater. Of course, it's an icebreaker and built for that, but it's really something to see.

Mike Putman: I don't think I would want to be on that one. So we're not going to send you guys there. No Drake Passage. You'll definitely like the destination.

Planning Summer Holidays in Europe

As we're coming into the middle of spring now, for any of those who have not planned their summer holidays, I really suggest you get on the ball now. There are some reasonable deals to Europe right now that will not be there very long.

I've already encountered some capacity issues in Europe on some travel I was trying to book. The timing of having good price airfares and the tightening of available inventory means now is your time to book.

James Ferrara: Also the dollar is quite strong, and people are reporting great deals for that reason too. You have a lot of purchasing power right now.

Mike and I are recommending that you get away to Europe. Let us go to our special guest, Mike. I know you're feeling a little under the weather, so you sit the interview out and I'll bring you back in on the other side of it.

Mike Putman: Sounds good.

Interview with Jim Tedesco of ALG Vacations

James Ferrara: Welcome, Jim Tedesco, Vice President of Sales for ALG Vacations. Welcome, Jim.

Jim Tedesco: Thanks, James. I appreciate it.

James Ferrara: Great to have you here. We get to see each other at events, usually in some kind of black tie or monkey suit of one kind or another. So it's nice to spend a few minutes with you about a topic that all of our listeners love to hear about, which is vacations.

Rapid Fire Travel Questions

Before we get started, we do a little rapid fire personal questions about travel. It's a tradition here at No Tourists Allowed. So, do you mind if I hit you with a few? Window or aisle?

Jim Tedesco: I am an aisle person and I will tell you it's my biggest travel guilt because I'm only five-seven, but I prefer the aisle. I always feel bad if there's someone taller than me sitting in the middle or the window, but I'm an aisle guy. I like to get off the plane quick.

James Ferrara: Me too. I like to be able to lean out a little bit and get a little bit more room. I've got broad shoulders and I want to be able to come and go as I please. And I probably can't ask you what your favorite hotel brand or property is, huh?

Jim Tedesco: I'll tell you one of my favorites. The best thing about working in the industry is that when you get asked that question, it's an ever-evolving answer because you're always seeing something that knocks your socks off.

Most recently, one of my favorite hotels that I've stayed at is the newer Impression Isla Mujeres. It's a smaller hotel in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. A boat takes you from the marina over to the island. When you pull up, you do not even feel remotely like you're in Mexico.

You actually almost feel like you're in the South Pacific. It's beautiful. The views from the balcony are kind of like all surrounded by white stone. From standing in the room and looking out, it almost looks like a postcard because it's completely framed out. It opened within the last couple of years.

James Ferrara: Sounds beautiful. I'm a little jealous, so we'll have to check that out. And are you carrying on or are you checking your bags?

Jim Tedesco: I like to get off the plane as quick as possible and I like to get home as quick as possible. The only time I check a bag is if I absolutely have to or if it's a family vacation because then I have my wife and kids' stuff too. But I am a carry-on person through and through. I will find a way to make it a carry-on.

James Ferrara: Mike is with you on that. I don't know how you guys do it. I have size twelve feet; a couple of pairs of shoes fill up a suitcase. Have you done much cruising, Jim?

Cruising vs. Land Vacations

Jim Tedesco: You know what, I've only been on one cruise in my lifetime. It was years ago for a conference. I've never worked for a company that was cruise-focused, so I never really have been on many cruises.

James Ferrara: And of course you're in the business really of selling land vacations. But it's interesting that you've been on a cruise. What did you think about it?

Jim Tedesco: It has its pros. I think for some people they like to unpack once and see multiple places. Being on the land side, I always see the other side of it, where it's nice to unpack once and actually get to immerse yourself in a destination for a longer period of time.

I'll give credit to my cruise colleague companies. There are a lot now that do a great job of focusing more on the destinations and immersing the customers. I think they're starting to evolve and realize that there are some land customers that would benefit from some of the perks of a cruise.

I give the hotel brands a lot of credit too. They are starting to realize that all-inclusive doesn't necessarily have to be everything included. There are a lot of hotel companies now that have add-on type things where you can pay a little extra to get this other experience or that other experience.

I think both sides of the business are blending quite well to attract as many customers as possible. I didn't hate it, but obviously growing up in land vacations in terms of my eighteen years in the travel industry, I lean more partial to the land side.

Competition is what keeps us on our toes. I compliment where it's deserved because the cruise companies do a good job as do the hoteliers. There's plenty of business for everyone and plenty of people listening that enjoy both the hotel land vacation and the cruise vacation. There's no reason why they can't choose between both.

James Ferrara: I agree with you. It's all about the customer and it doesn't have to be either-or. As a lifelong travel advisor, that's my answer too.

Jim Tedesco: The golden rule of cruising is don't arrive the day that it's departing. So there are land components to cruise vacations too. We can certainly help advisors book their customers on the pre and the post side of cruising.

We want to make sure you get matched up to a hotel that fits the vibe you're looking for. Spend a couple of days in Miami or San Juan, wherever the cruise is starting from or coming back to. That can be a big part of it for people also.

Understanding the ALG Vacations Business Model

James Ferrara: Let's talk about the brand a little bit because ALG Vacations—ALG is Apple Leisure Group—is maybe not so well-known to our listeners because you market through professional travel advisors. Although anyone who's done a bit of traveling, particularly all-inclusive traveling, has probably come across your brand.

Jim Tedesco: A lot of people from the consumer side of things get a little confused on exactly what we do. The best way to describe it is that we work with all of the travel advisors that are out there.

Your individual advisor that you work with may do 20 room nights a year at a hotel where we do a far greater number. As a result, we're actually able to negotiate better rates that we can then pass on to travel advisors with a commission built into that price.

You may look at the hotel direct and you may look at the advisor, and that price point should be the same or better with a commission built into that already. You're not paying any extra from a price point perspective.

A lot of advisors look to middle companies like us, the tour operators and wholesalers, to book vacations. While you may not be familiar with ALG Vacations and the brands that comprise our company, the industry is very familiar with it because they understand they are able to give the customer a better overall experience from a breadth of product and a commission as well.

James Ferrara: Well, and the truth is ALG Vacations is one of the largest leisure organizations in the world. Tell us a little bit about what brands are involved.

Jim Tedesco: We have six different brands. We have Travel Impressions, Apple Vacations, Funjet Vacations, and Blue Sky Tours, which focuses mainly on Hawaii. The other brands focus more on Mexico, the Caribbean, all-inclusive, as well as domestic US, Europe, and what we call rest of world—South Pacific, Asia, and so on.

Then we license and work alongside United Airlines Vacations and Southwest Vacations. Those six brands are what comprise the parent company, the overarching brand of ALG Vacations.

Mexico and the Caribbean are our bread and butter. But we've evolved through the years and expanded our product range to include Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and parts of Asia. We're really starting to realize that there's a lot of customers that want something more, and we're growing to accommodate that so advisors can book everything with us.

James Ferrara: Every year, Mexico and Jamaica are the top destinations. Montego Bay and Cancun are always at the top. So you're in the right place, and then you've got everything else as well. You are also part of the Hyatt family, yes?

Jim Tedesco: Correct. About three years ago, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts acquired us, which has been a breath of fresh air. They're such a wonderful company to work with and they've been really good partners in helping our business find new strategies.

Prior, we were owned by a series of investment companies. It's great when you have that type of backing, but we were always waiting for our forever home. We were in "renting facilities," so to speak, in the sense of owners.

With Hyatt, that was the big pat on the back to say you're in your forever home now and they're going to take good care of you. They really have. They've been great owners so far.

James Ferrara: Very high-quality organization. Now there is a Hyatt Inclusive Collection of properties, but those are not the only hotel properties that you deal with. You sell every brand.

Jim Tedesco: Oh yeah. We sell all the big guys. Hyatt is obviously just one of many. The relationships in the travel industry are really what keep this industry moving forward.

I'm very proud that our company, myself, and our team meet people throughout the industry. You take great pride in the relationships that you build and we're very lucky that we have good relationships with so many hoteliers.

When you have those relationships, everyone benefits. The advisor benefits, the customer benefits, and we can negotiate additional amenities into certain packages. It's a full circle win-win for everyone and it really is the foundation of the travel industry. It's a very large industry, but it's a very small industry at the same time.

James Ferrara: It's an industry where people still matter. Travel is the most human thing there is, very emotional, so the idea that relationships still matter makes a lot of sense. Can you mention a few brands just so our listeners get a sense of what we're talking about?

Jim Tedesco: Obviously we have the Hyatt Inclusive Collection, which is Secrets Resorts, Dreams Resorts, Sunscape Resorts, and the Impression brand. But we also sell the Riu Hotels & Resorts, Iberostar, Grand Palladium, Karisma Hotels & Resorts, and the Hard Rock Hotels All-Inclusive Collection.

I actually just came back from AVA Resort Cancun, which is their newest resort. We're doing our annual conference next year at the Hard Rock in Cancun. That's a great facility and a great hotel.

The Evolution of All-Inclusive Resorts

James Ferrara: All-inclusive got a boost during the pandemic because the cruise industry voluntarily shut down, and yet people still wanted to travel. We saw a lot of people who had never been to all-inclusive resorts before try them out.

Our business tripled for them, and then those people got a taste and stayed with it. The convenience and value are very appealing. We've seen a huge boom in that particular model. What do you think about all-inclusive today?

Jim Tedesco: I think all-inclusive has evolved really nicely through the years. As Ray Snisky, our president, will sometimes say: it's not beans on a plate anymore.

There used to be this concept that all-inclusive was just cheap food and you're paying basically to be able to load your plate up at the buffet as many times as you want. The perception and the reality have evolved where now you can get really good food, good service, and great additional amenities at these hotels.

The best part is that you can get it at a variety of different price levels. You can stay five-star luxury—and there are some really good five-star luxury all-inclusive hotels out there—or you can stay three-star, pay a fraction of that, and still get good service, a beautiful beach, and wonderful pools.

It allows you to customize a vacation to a budget and to what the customer is looking for. Because they've evolved the food and amenities, you are getting a good value for that price point.

I love taking advisors who sell a lot of cruises to all-inclusive hotels. One of the first things they recognize when we tour a room is: "Oh my God, this room is so big!" They're used to cruise cabins being so small.

They really see the value because you're paying similar or less in some cases, but you're getting a room that's double the size with more amenities and restaurant options that you're not paying an upcharge for.

James Ferrara: Customers like the certainty of knowing what the vacation is going to cost. Cruises can sometimes have a reputation where it's not what you pay to get on the ship, it's what you have to pay to get off, which could double the cost.

People respond to this idea that I don't have to carry my wallet around or worry about being nickel-and-dimed. I've never had a lower-end experience in all-inclusive. The only outlier is the old style from forty or fifty years ago, where Club Med was the progenitor of it all. It was a bit like going to summer camp.

Jim Tedesco: Even Club Med has come a long way. But if you look at some of the three to four-star all-inclusives, you're going to get the same things you'd get at a five-star, just at a slightly different level.

You're still getting a spa, but it might not be the over-the-top spa with all the bells and whistles. You're still getting restaurants, but you might have to make reservations at the lower-tier ones or have a limit on how many specialty nights you get.

The real value of all-inclusive is that you know what you're getting into and there's very little on site outside of maybe the spa that you would have to pay for in advance.

I did not grow up with money. We did not travel that much. Being able to take my family on the vacations that we take now, I consider myself very blessed. I grew up in Jersey and we went to the Jersey Shore every year. There's nothing wrong with that, and I still go every year, but we didn't have the money to fly.

I remember my very first plane ride was to Disney in seventh grade. My second was to what was the Sheraton Cable Beach in Nassau. Then it became the Meliá Nassau Beach, and now I think it might be part of the Baha Mar complex.

That was our very first all-inclusive. It wasn't an over-the-top fancy one, but gosh, I thought the coolest thing was ordering room service for lunch. We knew we couldn't afford room service anywhere else. We felt like little kings.

Those are the memories you remember. No matter the budget, you're making those memories. We create stories that last a lifetime. I always say your passport should be the greatest book you ever read. It doesn't matter what you paid for those vacations.

Trending Destinations and Global Travel Hotspots

James Ferrara: I love that. We're going to pull that quote out and use it. So where are those stories playing out now? What are the hotspots?

Jim Tedesco: We do a ton of Cancun. Cancun has always been the pioneer of creating value and they're building everywhere. New hotels are popping up left and right, from adults-only to family all-inclusives.

We do a lot in Punta Cana as well. The Miches area is a new area developing about forty-five minutes to an hour from the airport. Beautiful beaches and a lot of new hotels over there.

Montego Bay continues to really redefine a lot of the hotels they have there and renovate. We do a lot to Aruba. Aruba has seen new development; Iberostar just opened up a new one there, and Secrets is opening a new one in a couple of months. There's a Hyatera that is gorgeous as well.

Aruba is not an all-inclusive island, pretty much, but it's another type of experience because the island is known for its cuisine. You don't have to stay all-inclusive there. In areas like Palm Beach or Eagle Beach, you can walk out the front door of the hotel and have tons of restaurants at your fingertips.

We do a lot to Vallarta and Cabo as well. Mazatlán is an area of Mexico that I think if you were to come back in five years, you're going to see a ton more hotels. There is a lot of construction. There's a Dreams Mazatlán that I stayed at last August that was great.

James Ferrara: What about outside of Mexico and the Caribbean? Do you have a spot you think is particularly interesting?

Jim Tedesco: Fiji is one I love. The South Island of New Zealand is probably one of my favorite trips I've ever taken. The biggest city there is probably Christchurch, and they have maybe two hundred thousand people. The second biggest is fifty thousand.

Fifty thousand is really not that much compared to neighborhoods in the States. It's just vast lands. I was shocked when I was there; they said bring a hat and gloves. I'm in New Jersey in ten-degree weather thinking, "Okay, yeah, right." And then it snowed.

I didn't realize at the time that Queenstown in the South Island is a gorgeous ski town area.

James Ferrara: This is on my bucket list because they used New Zealand for things like Lord of the Rings. I've always wanted to see that landscape.

Jim Tedesco: Croatia is another one I love. I did Game of Thrones in Belfast too. They have an incredible facility where they did a lot of filming and built stuff for those shows.

James Ferrara: That's a whole other kind of travel—pick your favorite movie or series and go find where they filmed it.

Jim Tedesco: I used to work for a company based in London, so I went there quite a bit. It was always cheaper for me to fly the Saturday overnight flight rather than the Sunday morning flight, so I'd always have a free day on Sunday to be a tourist. I feel like I've done almost every tourist attraction in London.

One of my favorite experiences still to this day—and I'm a big tennis fan—is the tour of Wimbledon. It is hands-down one of my favorite sporting tours. I highly recommend taking the tube over to London. Even if the tournament isn't happening, they do the tour year-round.

I'd recommend doing it when it's not going on because we got to go to the media room, the locker rooms, and the players' cafeteria. Having watched it so many years on TV, it was really cool to see in person.

Debunking All-Inclusive Myths and Connecting with Locals

James Ferrara: London is a second home to me and I've never done that. You've given me a great idea. There are two myths I want to deal with regarding all-inclusive vacations.

One is that because this is "No Tourists Allowed," we want to help people travel in more authentic ways. Something I hear about all-inclusive resorts is that you don't get a sense of place because you never get off the property. How do you feel about that?

Jim Tedesco: Your vacation is what you make it. If you want to "flop and drop"—just soak in the beach and pool and have your drinks—that's fine. But no one's saying you can't get off the property.

There are tons of excursions. From something like swimming with the dolphins to doing a city tour. In Mazatlán, we did a city tour and got to see all the sites and history. There are opportunities to see those things.

On the other side, flip the script. All those people at the resort bringing you your drinks or cleaning the rooms are locals. Talk to them.

Travel is far greater than just vacation memories. Tourism is the number one economic sector in a lot of these destinations. They rely so heavily on your vacation dollar. They want you to have a good time and they want to interact with you.

Ask them what their life is like. You'll start to realize the money you spend is creating jobs, infrastructure, and a way of life they wouldn't have had otherwise. They're so appreciative of it.

Those conversations will give you an understanding of what's outside the gates. Maybe you bring school supplies. For my fortieth birthday, I said no gifts, but everyone was to bring school supplies.

I packed up two giant suitcases and brought them to Cancun. Our destination management company helped me bring them to a school for special needs students that was severely underfunded. I donated all of it directly to that school.

James Ferrara: Beautiful.

Jim Tedesco: Not everyone will do that, but those little things tie you into that destination and make you feel like you're making a bigger impact. You could just bring little trinkets. If you hear a worker has a kid, give them a coloring book or some crayons to take home. It will make a world of difference.

There are ways you can flip the script and not even leave the resort and still feel like you're connecting to the destination.

James Ferrara: That's absolutely right. Attempt to speak the language, too. Don't just assume everyone is going to speak your language. It's a respectful thing to do.

Safety Concerns and Informed Travel Decisions

The other myth I want to deal with before we run out of time is safety. People get concerned about headlines regarding Mexico, Jamaica, or the Dominican Republic. What would you say to those travelers?

Jim Tedesco: I'm never going to convince someone to go somewhere where they feel unsafe. However, I will always challenge them to turn on the news. I would probably be shocked if you don't have a similar story happening in your own backyard.

Maybe it's me coming from the New York area where I could turn on the 10 o'clock news and, if I were overseas, I'd say, "I ain't going there either." It's not to say it's 100% safe, but you should always be aware of your surroundings.

Don't wander off by yourself without a guide into a local town you don't know. Go with a trusted company through your advisor or the hotel, not with some random person on the beach. Talk to the hotel and get advice on what is safe.

James Ferrara: Someone said to me recently that the Dominican Republic had been raised to a Level 2 travel advisory and they didn't want to go. I said, well, the United States is a Level 2.

Americans are often bad at geography. Through the whole Israeli conflict, people were telling me they didn't want to go to Turkey. I have to take out the map and show them that Israel is here and Turkey is a totally different place.

Jim Tedesco: We do that even within Mexico. People don't realize how large Mexico really is. In some cases, it's like saying don't go to Iowa because something happened in New York.

I wouldn't venture out into New York City by myself at two in the morning; why would I do it in Punta Cana at two in the morning? Always understand where you're going and who you're going with.

That's the value an advisor brings. They can find you a reputable company to do things with. There's no reason to wander off by yourself unless it's a city where you feel comfortable. I won't convince someone to go if they don't feel safe, but I will challenge them to rethink what is making them feel that way.

James Ferrara: If you're booking through a reputable advisor and vacation company, and staying at a reputable hotel brand, you are using good sense. In popular resort areas, the Mexican government and police know how precious these areas are to the economy. They are heavily guarded. It's different than being up on the border or in the mountains.

Jim Tedesco: It's our job to provide as much information as possible so advisors and customers can make the most informed decision. Our job is not to convince; it's to give information so you feel comfortable.

No matter where you go, I recommend travel protection. People say they aren't going to cancel, but it's not about that. It's about what if you trip and fall by the pool. It's for the things you don't plan. You shouldn't not go somewhere because of a couple "what ifs" that may never happen.

Conclusion and How to Join the Giveaway

James Ferrara: Always have travel insurance, guys. Jim, it's been wonderful to have you. It's been a great discussion. You're a good sport and an expert, so we'd love to have you back.

Jim Tedesco: Anytime. I appreciate the time.

James Ferrara: Thanks again. We'll see you soon. Well, that was some great info from Jim. I hope all you listeners enjoyed the interview. I had to fly solo, but I did well. Jim was a great interviewee and has a lot of interesting thoughts. Mike, I think that's another episode for us.

We have more on our giveaway next time. We've also got some very timely topics we're going to talk about, including the whole tariff situation and what that means for people in travel.

Mike Putman: Let's plan on that. Thank you guys for listening or viewing if you're watching it on YouTube. No Tourists Allowed is available wherever you might find your podcasts. Please continue to watch, tell your friends, and don't forget to register on NoTouristAllowed.com for your chance to win this exciting cruise to somewhere where you might see seals, whales, and water for sure.

James Ferrara: Thank you everybody.