Travel TV Host Denella Ri'chard Talks Favorite Destinations & DEI. Plus, Decoding Low Cost Airfares, & Cruises from $100! With Jessica 'The Deal Expert'

Are low cost airlines really saving you money? How to decode those too-good-to-be true fares from Spirit, Allegiant & Frontier. Special guest Travel Exec & TV Host, Denella Ri'chard, talks about her favorite destinations, outdoor adventures she never thought she would have, and crossing things off her “Living List” (not Bucket List). We enjoy a candid dialogue about diversity and inclusion, and the values of travel. Travel marketing guru Jessica Deverson delivers on the deals with cruises from $100, and Caribbean all inclusive savings. Plus why river cruising is so hot, and what’s the big deal about cruise line private islands, anyway?

Follow Danella Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/travelingwithdenella/

Welcome to No Tourists Allowed, a podcast where two recognized travel industry executives with a combined 69 years on the inside of travel and technology give up their secrets to the thing everyone wants to do: travel better, pay less, and see more of the world. Enjoy today's episode.

Mike Putman: Hello, I'm Mike Putman.

James Ferrara: And I'm James Ferrara. Welcome to No Tourists Allowed. This is episode number five-ish, six. Is that right?

Mike Putman: Five, I think, mate.

James Ferrara: Five. Okay. Very good. Well, we're glad you have joined us. We have a very special guest tonight that will be joining us, Denella Ri'chard. I think you guys will really enjoy hearing from our very gifted speaker.

We also have our own Jessica Deverson, who will be bringing us lots of very valuable deals. We've got a couple of tips that we want to talk about tonight as well. So James, why don't you take it away?

The Changing Economics of Airline Tickets

James Ferrara: Hey, thanks, Mike. Yeah, we have a great show coming. One of the things I wanted to get out first, because you and I spend a lot of time and effort on solutions for booking. Mike and I spend basically every day working on some level of solution for getting the most competitive airfares and the latest features and bells and whistles of booking air.

We're deep into the technology all the time. It's equal parts thrilling and frustrating.

Mike Putman: Absolutely frustrating. I'll have to say this: it's a real shit show right now. It used to be that travel agencies in the eighties and up until the mid-nineties used selling airline tickets as a profit center.

I can remember my days of owning a brick-and-mortar company, we used to even give people credit. We would have corporations that would book all the corporate travel through us. We would have to pay for those tickets right away with the airlines, but we would provide a line of credit or billing system to these corporations because we were earning a commission.

If the commission was ten percent less the taxes, it was a good business. If you had a business that was doing $20 million a year in airline tickets, you were making $2 million worth of commissions.

In 1996, Delta came out and said they were going to cap the commissions. Instead of earning a percentage, you could earn a percentage unless it goes over fifty dollars. If it does, then you only earn fifty dollars.

A lot of airlines then jumped on the bandwagon almost instantaneously, which was a little bit strange because it was a very competitive business, but they all jumped on the bandwagon within forty-eight hours. Some people have used the word collusion about this.

There were lawsuits at the time. Over time, travel agents began not selling airline tickets because after Delta's move, they took another move which said we're going to take the commissions to zero. Travel agents today, and a lot of our listeners may not know this, generally do not earn a commission on the airline tickets that they sell.

James Ferrara: That's correct. It really turned my business on the travel agency side inside out back in the nineties.

Mike Putman: The really unfortunate thing out there is that there are still people doing this today. There are lots of corporate management companies and they're charging fees, which is okay.

The way that airline business works in the US is that if you have a travel agency and a customer comes in, you accept the credit card and pass that number through a secured system to the airline. The airline charges that credit card.

The agency doesn't make any money. Now, if that happens to be a fraudulent transaction, that liability comes back to the agency. As an agent, not only are you not making any money, but you are taking on a huge liability for the value of that entire ticket price.

Navigating Low-Cost Carrier Fees

James Ferrara: That's just one of the insider issues in air. There's not a lot of transparency here for customers. I think customers think, "Book me an airline ticket," and they don't have any idea of the complexity and lack of remuneration.

The one I really wanted to bring to the fore today is this idea of low-cost carriers. Mike and I have spent a lot of time making sure that we can offer low-cost carriers to our customers, which is not so typical.

You will find that these low-cost carriers—the names that you might know like JetBlue, Southwest, Frontier, Spirit, Allegiant here in the United States, or Ryanair in the UK—often do not appear in typical travel websites. They don't want to pay to be part of that distribution system where airlines publish their fares because there's a cost involved.

They are trying to drive customers directly to their own websites. Mike and I have found ways to bring those low-cost airline tickets directly to customers, but there are some things to watch out for. There's a "new math" out there for low-cost carriers, and we want customers to be aware of it.

Mike Putman: Awareness is key. You might see a low ticket up front, but then there are the fees that James is going to share with you.

James Ferrara: We've actually done a bit of checking. I'm using some information from Travel Weekly. It looks like the low-cost carriers have significantly upped the bag and seat selection fees.

They are not transparent about what money goes where, but they've made a move that enables them to keep the base fares in check. They can publish a really low-looking fare, and that's what grabs attention from customers. If you go to a travel booking website or a meta-search website like Kayak, that's what it's showing you is that low base fare.

But what it's not showing you is the other fees and the things that get added onto that fare.

Mike Putman: We used to call this bait and switch. It's not exactly bait and switch, but it is on the borderline.

James Ferrara: Everyone knows that fares have been going up since the beginning of this year. But if we take a look at Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant—the ultra-low-cost carriers—the ancillary revenue per passenger is up.

Ancillary fees are up as much as twenty-one percent from 2019 before the pandemic. Unlike traditional carriers like Delta, American, or United, the ultra-low-cost carriers don't charge a standard published fee for bags like $25 or $35.

Instead, the prices to check a bag or to bring a carry-on vary according to demand. They use an algorithm changing the costs depending upon how the planes are filling up.

Mike Putman: That's exactly right.

James Ferrara: Our message to you as a traveler or a travel professional is to make sure you're shopping around carefully. I know that forty-seven dollars for an airline ticket looks like a great deal, but you need to get a full picture of the pricing rather than just that base airfare.

Travel Weekly did the research and wrote that in May, they selected a $150 July 4th ticket from Louisville, Kentucky to Denver. To that $150 ticket, they added $130 in cost for the carrier's "perks bundle." That included a single checked bag, a single carry-on, and a seat assignment—not a premium seat, just a seat to know where you're going to sit.

So what looked like a $150 ticket was actually almost twice that.

Mike Putman: I was going to Orlando on Allegiant and the airfare was attractive, but what was more attractive was it was a nonstop flight. But my wife, no matter how much coaching I've ever given her, cannot pack in a roller board.

She has to check a bag. She has lots of lotions and liquids, so it will never go through. Then because my youngest daughter's seven years old, we all have to sit together.

The tickets were close to $130 for each person, but my bill with Allegiant was $1200. It was very significant. That's what they're doing. It's just their model of doing business.

James Ferrara: During the first week of July, a search conducted on Frontier's website got a $60 fee for a carry-on and a fee of $55 for a checked bag. The whole flight was less than a hundred dollars for the base fare. This more than doubled the cost.

Prices are higher, too, if you don't purchase at the time you're booking the flight. If you come back later and decide to add the bundles or add any of these perks individually, the price is actually higher. That legacy airline flight may actually turn out to be less.

Mike Putman: Very good food for thought, James. Hopefully our listeners will take that to heart because there are times when you can pay a lot more up front but end up paying less in the overall travel transaction.

Travel Frustrations and Local Hospitality

James Ferrara: Now Mike, before we bring on our special guest, you yourself are a featured traveler this week. You're actually on the road.

Mike Putman: I am. I try to be positive in all that I do. If you quizzed a hundred of my friends, ninety-five percent would say he's positive. I had a bad experience last week and this week I had a worse experience.

I don't want to set myself up for being a negative person because I really do enjoy traveling, but this week I am really pissed off, specifically with British Airways. I hope you're listening.

I took a flight from JFK on Friday to London and then to Edinburgh. I'm over here to play golf for a while and I'm over here with a bunch of friends meeting me. The intent is strictly a guy's trip for golf fellowship and to enjoy Scotland.

I get over on Saturday. My roller board came, but the golf clubs did not come. Immediately I filed a report on the British Airways site. I was thinking, "Alright, well there's four more flights coming from Heathrow to Edinburgh on that same day. Surely they'll be there."

I woke up the next morning and there was no golf bag. I became frustrated and tried to call British Airways. All of their numbers go to an auto-attendant, which ultimately leads you into a dead end. There's no one responding to their website.

I even took the time to go back to the airport and speak to the baggage handling company. No one was there. I found out they had a corporate office about a mile away. The door was unlocked, but there was nobody in their corporate office. I walked all throughout it, but I was pretty insistent on getting my bag.

Today as we're recording this, it's Tuesday and not a peep from British Airways. This is four days after my friends sent me pictures they took at the Edinburgh airport and it looks like body bags of golf clubs stacked on top of each other. They just don't have people willing to come and deliver those bags.

I'm one of their top-tier customers for American and British Airways. They really don't care.

James Ferrara: Well, we're sorry to hear about that, Mike. We're going to practice the advice that we give out to our listeners which is to visualize the rewards of your trip. Just think of yourself out on the course, having a beautiful single malt scotch, and that will carry you through the upfront frustration.

Mike Putman: I had kind of given up a couple of days ago. I said to myself, "I don't have control of the situation, so there's no reason worrying about it."

Lo and behold, one of the guys that worked at the golf course said, "If you need golf clubs, go to North Berwick." I met with a gentleman there named Martin Dempster, who's the head professional.

Kudos to this guy. He set me up with some golf clubs and said, "Listen, I understand your position. You just keep them until you're ready to leave. No matter where you are in Scotland, you call me and I will arrange UPS to come get them."

James Ferrara: Now you've made a great new contact, a new friend.

Mike Putman: Absolutely. I am a big fan of North Berwick. I got to play a living list golf course, Muirfield, which is probably the second hardest golf course in the world to get on. I've had some fantastic food. James, you would be jealous. Overall, I'm very happy.

Introducing Denella Ri'chard

James Ferrara: It's that time we're going to bring on someone very special. We've had a great run of top industry people, and this week is no different.

We have one of my favorite people, someone I've known for a long time. She has become a TV host with her own travel show. I'm talking about Denella Ri'chard. She is the executive producer and host of Traveling with Denella Ri'chard on GFN TV.

Before that, she had a long history with three multi-billion dollar travel companies: Holland America Line, Norwegian Cruise Line, and Hilton hotels. Denella's been the recipient of many awards.

She was honored as one of the most powerful and influential business leaders and received the Apex Distinguished Service Award. Luxury Travel Advisor magazine honored her as one of their 2019 Road Warriors. I would like to welcome my friend Denella Ri'chard.

Denella Ri'chard: Thank you so much, James. Indeed an honor. James, that was the best intro. I gotta add to it actually—James and Mike, we just won another major award.

It's a television award; we won the Silver Telly for best television cultural series. We're in good company with ESPN, Hearst Media, as well as the Smithsonian Channel. We are over here celebrating.

James Ferrara: That's amazing. Congratulations. What's next? You're going to have the D Network, like Oprah had the O Network.

Denella Ri'chard: Having friends like you and Mike Putman, there's nothing we can't accomplish. Stay tuned. We might be coming with the D Network. Who knows?

James Ferrara: Denella was also a guest speaker for my company at our annual conference. If you can do this virtually, Denella brought the house down. We talked about how the time is right for luxury travel. James, are your agents still seeing that trend continuing upwards?

James Ferrara: Absolutely. Their success through the last two years put our company on the list of the top twenty-five agencies in the travel industry this year with Travel Weekly. That's because they're out there selling, particularly high-end luxury travel.

Denella Ri'chard: Congratulations to you and the agents. That is something to be celebrating.

Mike Putman: Our listeners certainly do, Denella. Can you tell us a little bit more about your journey and how you got to where you are now?

The Path to Travel TV

Denella Ri'chard: I have a twenty-plus year career in the travel industry, working in senior leadership positions for Hilton, Norwegian Cruise Line, Carnival Corp, and Holland America Line.

Before that, years before that, I actually got my degree in broadcast journalism from an HBCU out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. When I graduated from Southern, I moved to Dallas, Texas and went to work for a television production company.

One of the shows we produced was a travel show called Destinations for United Airlines. The host was this beautiful brunette named Alice Carone. Alice Carone would travel the world and I'd send her all over with producers to Asia and Africa. As production manager back in those days, I was always left back in the office.

While I loved being in television, I really wanted to travel because I'd had the chance to live as a study abroad student in Zimbabwe. My career path led me into the travel industry. This was the mid and late 90s when the internet was becoming popular.

I actually got recruited as an expat to go to work in Brussels, Belgium, for an online travel company. Fast forward years later, we have a thing called the pandemic. I was working for Holland America Line and when March 13th shut down the cruise industry, I knew we were going to have to make some tough decisions.

A few months later I was having a conversation with the president, Orlando Ashford, and we had to make hard decisions. I had to lay off a team of 40 people, and soon after, I even had to take a severance and leave the company as well.

During that time when we were all sitting at home eating Cheetos and bonbons, I got a call from an old friend from my TV days who presented me with a unique proposition to produce a television show. I took that opportunity to produce Traveling with Denella Ri'chard.

I chose to produce a travel show because it is the livelihood for so many of us in the travel industry. I knew that if we could put travel at the forefront, especially at a time when nobody was on cruise ships and flights were being canceled, it was important to keep the public dreaming about travel.

James Ferrara: That's right.

Denella Ri'chard: We took that opportunity to start working with destinations and cruise lines. The show originally got picked up by the CW in South Florida and then expanded to several global streaming platforms. American Airlines and United Airlines have aired some of our shows.

In the fall we'll be on Turkish Airways as well as Kuwait Airways. Starting in October, our season five will be in syndication in Seattle on KING 5, Miami on the CW, Indianapolis on the CW, in the U.S. Virgin Islands on ABC, and Lexington Kentucky on ABC. You can get that extended list by visiting travelingwithdenella.com.

In the meantime, if you want to binge-watch, we're on GFN TV. Starting August 1st, Traveling with Denella Ri'chard will premiere on Go Traveler. Be sure to download this app. Not only can you binge-watch Traveling with Denella Ri'chard, you can binge-watch Anthony Bourdain as well as Rick Steves.

Beyond the Tourist Path

James Ferrara: What a story. A really heartwarming story about travel through the pandemic. Tell us about the show itself. You visit destinations and really get deep into the experience, food, and culture, right?

Denella Ri'chard: Definitely. We're bringing these destination stories to life to inspire people to immerse themselves in the culture. The one thing that has happened on this journey that I didn't even anticipate is the strength and courage this show has brought out of me.

In Exuma, in the Bahamas, they have amazing experiences where you can swim with the pigs. I met the cutest baby pig named Beyonce. Then there is Leaf Cay, which is an island where thousands of iguanas come running towards you.

In addition to that, in Exuma, you can swim with the sharks. I actually found myself out there swimming with sharks all over.

Mike Putman: Oh no. Nope. Denella can swim with sharks. Mike chooses not to swim with the sharks.

Denella Ri'chard: Mike, you would be surprised. It was an absolutely amazing experience. Something I would have never thought I would have done, but I am proud to say I can check it off of my—and listen to this word—"living list." On our show, we don't say bucket list, we say living list.

James Ferrara: Tell us about some of your other favorite destinations that really stuck with you.

Denella Ri'chard: I had never been to South America and we had a chance to go to Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands. Ecuador is only a few hours from Miami. It is the next best destination. Everybody should be adding South America to your list.

I had a chance to visit the Equator, which was really special. We went to Baños, which is a resort town in Ecuador, and there is a swing there called the Swing at the Edge of the World. I had a chance to swing off this cliff at the edge of the world, which was absolutely phenomenal. Again, I conquered a fear.

James Ferrara: This is not the beautiful woman in a party dress that I met on a Norwegian cruise ship. You're out swimming and being covered in iguanas.

Denella Ri'chard: Someone told me, "Oh my god, you're such an adventure seeker." Actually, I'm not, because all of these things are actually a part of normal tourist experiences.

The trend that's happening now is outdoor experiences. When you're going to these destinations, whether it's renting an ATV, riding horseback along the beach, we're seeing an uptick in outdoor experiences.

In Jamaica, most people know Dunn's River Falls, but on the south coast, you have YS Falls. The other thing that is becoming a trend is sustainable tourism. Everyone's talking about their impact and making sure we preserve these destinations.

Chefs are doing homegrown food, farm to table. Then there's always the luxury element. We're seeing more people chartering their own yachts. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, they pride themselves on being one of the number one destinations to charter yachts.

James Ferrara: This is very close to Mike and my hearts in what we call our broadcast, No Tourists Allowed. We don't want people doing the same old touristy things. Your outdoor experiences are real, authentic experiences of a particular place.

Mike Putman: Exactly. Just off the beaten path doing things that allow you to find your living list and enjoy cultures of other societies. The Galapagos is on my living list for sure.

Denella Ri'chard: To see the blue-footed boobies in person is phenomenal. The sea lions and the wildlife are amazing. We took a yacht out and they dropped us off at one point where we had a chance to snorkel. I had sea turtles bigger than me passing me by. Whether you visit on a cruise ship or by land, it's a living list destination.

Progress in Diversity and Empowerment

James Ferrara: Diversity is also a really important value for us. You represent a model of diversity and inclusion as a black woman. How is the travel industry doing with the concept of diversity and empowerment?

Denella Ri'chard: It's a topic that has certainly been embraced. Recently, Destinations International came out with their CEO Allyship Pledge. CEOs signed this pledge making an intentional commitment to be more inclusive.

They acknowledged and put it out there that white privilege is real. Their commitment is to be intentional in bringing more diversity into their organizations. I came from the big corporate names, and what I can tell you in terms of leadership is that while there is some progress, leadership positions are short-lived.

The closer black people get to the top, they're weeded out quickly as soon as pandemic or quarterly results are down. I would love to see more long-term commitments made in that area. We do see more middle management black faces, but you're not really seeing that executive leadership C-suite, and when we do make it there, we don't last.

James Ferrara: I'm sorry to hear that, but it gives us all something to work on.

Denella Ri'chard: There are some exceptions. Carnival has senior leadership that are African American. But even there, their CEO is transitioning into another position. You had Orlando Ashford, who was the president of Holland America, who is no longer there. Progress is not long-term sustainable. That's what I would like to see.

James Ferrara: I'm glad you're speaking your truth. I'm glad that we're able to give you a platform to do it.

Denella Ri'chard: I appreciate it. It can be a hard conversation to have in a public forum, but I'm glad to have it. I think it's in the having of the conversation that we find the progress. We've got to talk about these things, just like we talk about sustainability or the health of the oceans.

From the perspective of women, there are more and more women leaders in the travel industry. We've had some breakthroughs in the cruise industry with presidents of cruise lines and captains of cruise ships.

Rapid Fire Q&A and Travel Tips

Mike Putman: I've got to jump in here because James has been dominating the conversation. We have a segment on the show which we call rapid fire. I'm going to ask you five quick questions and we're looking for a one-word or a short phrase answer. You ready?

Denella Ri'chard: I'm ready.

Mike Putman: Favorite destination?

Denella Ri'chard: Jamaica is still one of my favorites.

Mike Putman: Favorite airline?

Denella Ri'chard: Delta. Their service is outstanding, but I'm in Miami, so I'm on American most of the time.

Mike Putman: Favorite hotel or chain?

Denella Ri'chard: Sandals Resorts. They do a great job.

Mike Putman: Favorite cruise line?

Denella Ri'chard: My personal favorite is AmaWaterways. Rudi Schreiner and Kristin Karst are lovely people who own and manage that.

Mike Putman: On vacation, I like to blank?

Denella Ri'chard: On vacation, I like to sleep on the beach.

Mike Putman: Alright, very good. Thank you for that. Before we lose you, is there some tip or trick that you use when you travel?

Denella Ri'chard: I have one specifically for the ladies. Because you're going into different environments where there might be humidity or rain, or it just might be stingy hot, our hair does not always cooperate.

Especially if you're planning to get in the water, this tip is very important: purchase a drawstring ponytail. Slick back your hair with some gel, put it in a little ponytail, and add the clip right to the top. You have perfect hair and you're ready to go.

James Ferrara: Not only is my hair shoulder length now, but it is currently slicked back into a ponytail.

Denella Ri'chard: Give you a little bit more length with a drawstring ponytail!

Mike Putman: Denella, thank you so much for taking the time to share your experiences with our listeners. We appreciate your friendship.

Denella Ri'chard: Thank you, Mike and James. Let's definitely stay in touch.

Top Value Travel Deals of the Week

James Ferrara: Now it's time to bring on Jessica Deverson, who is a well-known marketing expert and our deal expert. Welcome back, Jessica.

Jessica Deverson: Thank you for having me again. I'm excited to share some really rich deals today. They're rich in value and they'll make you richer because you'll save a ton of money.

First up we have Royal Caribbean. These are close-in and close-to-home sailings from August to December of this year. They are setting sail right out of your backyard: Florida, Texas, California, the Northeast, and Seattle.

These sailings range from three to nine nights and visit destinations like the Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexico, and Perfect Day at CocoCay. You can set sail for as little as $109 per person. I saw suites available for $403 depending on the sailing.

Right now there's also an additional onboard credit of up to $100. This is an agency exclusive, so you'll need to contact a travel advisor to book that.

James Ferrara: I always compare cruise prices because they're so inclusive. If you had to do that in a land-based vacation on your own, I would spend in one meal what a day is costing on these cruises.

Mike Putman: Free shuffleboard, too.

Jessica Deverson: These are short getaways, great if you don't like flying or want to try out cruising.

James Ferrara: These private islands for Royal Caribbean and for Norwegian have become destinations unto themselves. Customers don't want to go on a cruise that doesn't stop at one of these.

Jessica Deverson: Royal Caribbean has itineraries that sometimes stop twice at the private island. Don't forget the hot air balloon there, too.

Next up, I have Holland America Line. They're currently running three promotions simultaneously that are all combinable. They have kids sail free on any 2022 sailing. They have "book early and save" with "Have It All," where you're getting up to $300 onboard credit, crew appreciation gratuities, reduced deposits, specialty dining, signature beverage package, and Wi-Fi.

Then the third offer is an additional exclusive agency onboard credit up to $150.

James Ferrara: Holland America Line is a real premium luxury cruise line. It's a real upscale experience.

Mike Putman: It's not the party-party-party atmosphere. It's a little more low-key. They do a great job with celebrating food and music on board.

Jessica Deverson: Switching over to river cruising, Viking River Cruises is celebrating their 20th anniversary this year. Right now you can get an all-inclusive cruise for $2,199. We're talking the food, drinks, everything with free international airfare and only for a $25 deposit.

James Ferrara: When you come in on a river ship and dock, you're actually in the middle of town. You just walk off the ship into the middle of the historic quarter. River cruises also include shore excursions in a lot of cases.

Mike Putman: Jessica, I would just ask that you fact-check that. Are you sure it's $2,199 with international airfare?

Jessica Deverson: I know this to be true. You can book the Danube Waltz or Romantic Danube. On the Danube Waltz, you get privileged access at an abbey and witness the changing of the guard at Budapest Royal Palace. On the Romantic Danube, you can attend an Oktoberfest celebration outside of Passau and a horse-drawn carriage ride in Vienna.

Viking has about seventy-five river cruise ships. They are doing a heavy push into the Great Lakes and looking at US rivers now, too.

James Ferrara: I always forget that. Up the Mississippi, the Columbia River in Washington and Oregon, and also Egypt and China.

Jessica Deverson: Lastly, we have the "Seize Your Sunshine" sale for AMResorts. This includes brands like Dreams, Zoetry, Breathless, and Secrets. You can really find something for everyone, whether it's family-friendly or adults-only.

You save up to 40% on your resort stay and get $200 in resort coupons. When you book with a travel advisor, they'll be able to get you exclusive extras like bottles of wine, spa discounts, and champagne breakfast.

Your travel advisor will also be able to package the resort stay with air. A three-night resort stay with air from Fort Lauderdale was shopping at $479 per person. Airfare alone would cost that much if you unbundled it.

James Ferrara: Thanks so much, Jessica. These are fantastic deals.

Jessica Deverson: Absolutely. I'll keep my eye out for more great deals to bring you guys next week.

James Ferrara: That's our expert, Jessica Deverson. She gets you the most value for your travel dollar. Who wants to take a cheap vacation? No one. Who wants a vacation of good value? Everyone.

Mike Putman: Even if you're staying at the Four Seasons, you don't want to be laying by the pool and find out the person beside you is paying half of what you're paying. Even at top brands, you want good value.

Final Thoughts on the Impact of Travel

James Ferrara: Last podcast we talked about the "perfect moment." I heard from one of our listeners that I did not talk about my trip earlier this year to Israel. It's true that my trip to Israel in January afforded me several perfect moments. It is an incredible destination.

Mike Putman: I know when James came back from Israel, he was a changed person. That's what travel can do for you. It can change you in a positive way. Look forward to hearing more about that, James.

James Ferrara: Travel can destroy your prejudices and open your mind.

Mike Putman: Thank you guys so much for listening to our podcast number five. We look forward to coming back to you next week. Please share this with others. We want to share the truth about traveling and how it can affect your life in a positive manner.

James Ferrara: Thank you for listening to No Tourists Allowed.