The Travel Business Unpacked Podcast by Gifted Travel Network Wins Gold Magellan Award
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (October 14, 2026) – Gifted Travel Network (GTN), a luxury host travel agency, has won a Gold award in Travel Weekly’s 2026 Magellan Awards for The Travel Business Unpacked podcast. The podcast was honored in the Travel Advisor Organizations – Marketing | Podcast category.
Hosted by GTN co-founder and Chief Growth Officer Meredith Calloway, The Travel Business Unpacked shares the real stories of travel advisors who have built thriving businesses. Each episode offers listeners an honest look at what it takes to succeed as a travel entrepreneur, from finding the right clients to building the mindset behind a sustainable business.
“For a long time, I’ve felt like there is a lack of awareness of travel advising as a legitimate career path,” said Calloway. “I think the best evidence of it as a career path is to give a platform to the advisors who are actually living it.”
In addition to featuring many GTN advisors, the podcast has welcomed some of the travel industry’s most influential leaders. Guests have included Matthew Upchurch, Chairman & CEO of Virtuoso; Vicki Freed, SVP, Sales and Trade Support & Service at Royal Caribbean; and Zane Kerby, President & CEO of ASTA.
For Calloway, the podcast is a resource she wishes she had when she started out. “For the 10 years I ran my own travel business, I was so hungry for community — a place to get answers to my questions,” she said. “I wanted to see successful advisors on a stage sharing their insider secrets and how they got there. That’s really what I hoped this podcast would do, and I think we’re achieving that.”
This recognition arrives as The Travel Business Unpacked nears a milestone of its own: the podcast is approaching its 100th episode. New episodes are available weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.
Travel Weekly’s Magellan Awards honor outstanding design, marketing and services across the travel industry, from hospitality and destinations to cruise lines, tour operators and travel agencies. This year’s winners were selected from hundreds of entries from across the U.S. and around the world. Entries are judged by a panel of top travel professionals.
For a complete list of silver and gold winners, visit www.travelweeklyawards.com.
About Gifted Travel Network
Gifted Travel Network (GTN) is a premier host agency for luxury travel advisors. Dedicated to supporting entrepreneurial success, GTN provides professional travel advisors with high-touch business mentorship, marketing strategy, education, community, and access to an extensive global network of luxury travel partners through its affiliation with Virtuoso®.