Ana Figueroa

Veteran Reporter/Editor

Los Angeles, CA

Writer. Editor. Reporter. Lawyer. Based in L.A., but usually somewhere else.

Ana Figueroa

Veteran Reporter/Editor

Los Angeles, CA

Writer. Editor. Reporter. Lawyer. Based in L.A., but usually somewhere else.

Mexico Travel Continues to Expand Despite Increased Violence
Romance is in the air this Valentine's week, and that's good news for Mexico sellers. The country is a romance travel powerhouse, with its Caribbean beaches the biggest draw. "Romance will always be number one with my business, along with destination weddings," Donna Alkarmi, president of Lone Star Travel tells us.
Travel Agent Magazine
Mexico and Latin America
Mexico Travel: East or West Coast?
In the run-up to spring time resort travel to Mexico, a dilemma often sets in. Stick with the reliable Caribbean, or venture to the Pacific? It depends, of course, on the type of experience clients are looking for. If brand loyalty is important, they can enjoy the big brands at either location. But, in the choice between Cancun and Los Cabos, for example, Ella Messerli has some thoughts.
Travel Agent Magazine
New Magic Towns, Michelin-Starred Chefs in Mexican Caribbean
Mexico’s Caribbean has new Magic Towns and Michelin chefs to add to its appeal. or Pueblo Magico—designation goes to the island of Holbox. The honor recognizes towns deemed to provide visitors a “magical” experience in terms of beauty, cultural riches and traditions. The long, narrow island (pronounced hole-bosh) on the north coast of the Yucatan certainly has all that.
Travel Agent Magazine
Photo Tour: The Debut of Silversea’s Refurbished Silver Cloud
Silversea’s Silver Cloud made her debut as an expedition vessel in Montevideo, Uruguay, on November 14. Travel Agent was among the invited guests on its shakedown cruise. A two-month intensive dry dock in Malta transformed the vessel into the most spacious ICE class ship in expedition cruising. It will carry but 200 guests in polar regions, giving it the highest (more than 1:1) crew-to-guest ratio in the business.
Travel Agent Magazine
The Latest Culinary News From the Las Vegas Uncork'd Food Festival
The high stakes culinary gamble in Las Vegas is paying off handsomely. And it’s a long-standing bet. A good quarter of a century has gone by since Sin City first set its sights on foodies. Today, celebrity-branded restaurants are marquee attractions up and down the Strip. From Michelin stars to Food Network personalities, new eateries and over-the-top culinary concepts are spinning off faster than roulette wheels.
Travel Agent Magazine
Why Thailand's Honeymoon Market Is About to Take Off
Thailand may not spring immediately to mind when clients seek honeymoon travel advice, but the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is hoping to change that. More than 2,100 travel agents have already completed their official Thai the Knot online training course. And they’re enhancing efforts to entice more of the lucrative honeymoon and destination wedding market.
Travel Agent Magazine
Inside Silver Muse’s Big Debut Event
Less than 24 hours into Silver Muse’s shakedown cruise, Travel Agent was able to get a first look at the ship. Silversea Cruises took official delivery of the new 596-passenger flagship from Fincantieri's Genoa Sestri Ponente shipyard April 3. Invited guests and media (including Travel Agent) boarded a few hours later.
Travel Agent Magazine
Go Inside Two Hot New Hawaiian Hotels in Maui and Oahu
Travel Agent has just returned from a whirlwind tour of two recently opened Hawaii properties. Both are part of Marriott’s Distinctive Premium Portfolio, though they couldn’t be more different. The Westin Nanea Ocean Villas on Maui is a haven for the upscale family-with-stroller set. The Laylow on Oahu is a hipster hangout with an international vibe.
Travel Agent Magazine
Featured
Luxury, Hawaiian Style
Four Seasons Resort Hualalai’S Hawaii Loa Presidential Villa has three bedrooms and is popular with families. Iconic luxury hotels in Hawaii are enhancing their game. From Honolulu to Hualālai, plan your next Aloha State getaway with these updates in mind. The Royal Hawaiian, a Luxury Collection Resort, is an Old World standard.
Luxury Travel Advisor
Velas Resorts' Winning Strategy
When it comes to international travel, Mexico is by far the top destination for Americans. Whether it’s a family vacation, spring break, destination wedding or romantic getaway, the country’s offerings continue to evolve. Velas Resorts is one of the most dynamic hotel brands. They’re known for their all-inclusive experiences, winning accolades year after year.
A Q&A with Contiki CEO Casper Urhammer
Ever wonder what it's like to run a global tourism company? So, we sat down with Casper Urhammer, CEO of Contiki Vacations. The company is part of The Travel Corporation, the family of brands that also includes Insight Vacations, Trafalgar, The Red Carnation Hotel Collection and Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection.
A New Cousteau on the Eco-Tourism Front
What’s it like to be an eco-luxury expert and on-air correspondent who travels the world looking for stories to share? That pretty much describes the life of Ashlan Gorse Cousteau. An accomplished journalist, adventurer and advocate, Cousteau roams the globe looking for stories to inspire as well as entertain.
Kimpton Hotels Q&A
Kimpton invented the concept of the boutique hotel more than three decades ago. And they show no signs of slowing down. Whether it’s an adaptive reuse or bold new construction, there’s a good chance Kimpton is coming to your town. The company has come a long way since Bill Kimpton opened the first boutique hotel in San Francisco.
Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas
Ask any travel advisor specializing in high-end travel to name their favorite global hospitality brands. Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas will likely come to mind. The Bangkok-based hotel and spa management company consists of 11 resorts and 31 spas under the Six Senses, Evason and Six Senses Spas names.
Why Portugal Travel Is About to Come of Age
Long regarded as an add-on to Spain, Portugal has come into its own. “Portugal has completely taken off. People used to ask if there is anything to do besides Lisbon. They aren’t saying that anymore,” Joel Zack, president of Heritage Tours Private Travel, tells Travel Agent. Virginia Irurita holds a similar opinion.
Travel Agent Magazine
Q&A with The Simpson's Matt Groening.
‘The Simpsons has lasted 10 years. Says creator Matt Groening, ‘It just shows that cultural critics are generally humorless prigs’. Bart, Homer, Marge and Lisa don’t look it, but they’ve aged 10 years. When “The Simpsons” debuted in January of 1990, critics said a cartoon in prime time would never work.
Newsweek Magazine
Profiles Hawaii Cruise Asia Europe Agent Profiles

About

Ana Figueroa

editing

feature profiles

reporting

Tourism

writing

travel reviews

travel writing

Ana Figueroa is the COO/Executive Editor of the Beverly Hills Courier and an award-winning journalist. At the Courier, she oversees the production of a weekly print newspaper distributed to 30,000 homes and businesses in the 90210 zip code and environs, as well as four glossy standalone magazines per year and the Courier website.

Ana is a former practicing attorney and staff reporter for the Los Angeles Bureau of Newsweek Magazine. She covered breaking news, politics, society, trends and entertainment for Newsweek, during its ownership by the Washington Post Company. She also contributed to several special issues in the wake of the 9-11 terrorist attacks. Her previous experience includes breaking news, political and entertainment reporting for The New York Daily News and People Magazine. She was field producer for Court TV during its coverage of the O.J. Simpson civil trial.

Ana has written features and profiles for Orange Coast Magazine and InTouch. She has written cover profiles of celebrities such as Bill Cosby for AARP the Magazine, the largest-circulation publication in the country. She wrote a long-running travel column for AARP's bilingual magazine and website, and also wrote features and cover stories for AARP's Live and Learn as well as the AARP Bulletin.

Ana's travel writing has also appeared in AAA Publications across the country, the Boston Globe, Condé Nast UK and Hemispheres Magazine. She has served as a contributor and editor at TravelAge West, Travel Weekly; Luxury Travel Advisor; Travel Market Report; Cruise Critic; Porthole Cruise Magazine. She co-authored the Moon Metro Las Vegas guidebook for Avalon Travel Publishing. As tourism expert for About.com (now Tripsavvy.com), Ana wrote and managed all monthly content for Tourism.About.com.

Ana has written and managed custom publishing pieces, native advertising and certification programs for clients such as Viking River Cruises, The Tourism Boards of Mexico, Hawaii, New Zealand, Israel, Thailand, Peru, Guatemala, South Africa and Australia, as well as numerous tour operators.

Ana also served as director of business development and director of communications for the river cruise line AmaWaterways. Her responsibilities included media relations, as well as overseeing content for brochures, custom marketing pieces, sponsored content, newsletters and sales presentations.

Ana holds a law degree from Stanford University. Prior to entering the journalism field, she was a business litigator with the largest law firm in California. She also served as a staff attorney for the Orange County Superior Court.

In connection with her writing and reporting, Ana has made television and radio appearances that include the "Today Show," "The O'Reilly Factor," "Entertainment Tonight," "Politically Correct with Bill Maher," "On the Record with Greta Van Susteren," "CNN Headline News" and NPR.