Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast Gather and Go with Brian Jewell

If you made smarter use of your email list, would you sell more trips?

Sheila Scarborough believes you would. A travel journalist turned tourism marketing consultant, she has helped dozens of organizations hone their marketing strategies. And in the age of social media, she’s still a big believer in old-fashioned email.

Sheila joins this episode of the podcast to share how travel entrepreneurs can use email to build a reliable marketing strategy when social stops working. She gives some practical advice on what your email campaigns should look like and gives an inside look at her list-building program. Plus, we have news about a proposed rule that would require international visitors to submit their social media history to U.S. customs officials… and a Hot Minute about why this is a terrible idea.

Sheila had lots of real-world tips about how travel sellers can create email campaigns that nurture profitable relationships with their audience. Here’s what she had to say about how to build a solid email list, even if you’re starting small:

“You need to make it stupid easy and worth their while to subscribe to your newsletter. So for starters, the sign-up box needs to be on every page of your website. There needs to be a call to action at the bottom of every single blog post.

“You’ll also have a landing page set up that is specifically on your website for email subscriptions. And that’s going to be the URL you are going to share out regularly on social.

“Explain why it’s valuable. Explain the periodicity. Make it stupid easy to sign up because it’s everywhere they go on your website, at the bottom of every blog post.”

Plus, she had great perspectives on:

• Why the “sales funnel” doesn’t work
• What kind of email content your audience really wants
• Which email metrics you should be tracking

Learn more about Tourism Currents at tourismcurrents.com.

Read Sheila’s blog series on email marketing here.

See an example of a social-to-email marketing post here.

See our list of upcoming FAMs and sign up to attend at grouptravelleader.com/fams.

Learn more about GroupCollect at groupcollect.com/gatherandgo.

1:18 — Travel News: CBP proposes rule to require social media history from visitors

6:26 — How Sheila Scarborough went from Navy vet to tourism marketing pro

11:40 — Why social media shouldn’t be your only marketing channel

17:24 — How effective is email marketing in the 2020s?

21:51 — What should be in your marketing emails?

29:37 — Which email metrics matter most?

32:58 — How to build your email list

50:00 — Hot Minute: Will a required social media history backfire on American travelers?

See the full interview with Sheila on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

From Christmas markets to beer festivals, some of Germany’s most iconic experiences are hidden in its historic cities.

With more than a millennium of history, Germany offers American travelers an abundance of unique travel opportunities. And among the most memorable are experiences that await outside larger destinations, in cities where travelers can enjoy the best of German culture shoulder-to-shoulder with locals. On this episode of Gather and Go, Sascha Mayerer and Sandra Weinacht of Historic Highlights of Germany uncover these German travel treasures. They tell us about the fascinating history of 17 German cities, take us inside local beer festivals, tantalize us with visions of charming Christmas markets and give us details for planning amazing German travel adventures.

This episode is brought to you by the Historic Highlights of Germany.

Learn more about Historic Highlights of German at historicgermany.com.

3:06 — Wrapping your mind around thousands of years of German history

6:37 — What can American travelers expect to experience in Germany?

9:08 — Where are Germany’s Historic Highlights?

11:03 — Theme tour opportunities in Germany’s historic cities

14:32 — All about Germany’s famous beer festivals

17:30 — How difficult is it to take a group to a German beer festival?

21:30 — Germany’s magnificent Christmas markets

26:18 — Authentic connections with German locals

30:02 — Germany’s year-round festivities

34:40 — Safety, security, currency and language

39:05 — Finding partners for your group’s trips to Germany

See the full interview with Sascha and Sandra on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Is artificial intelligence the best thing that ever happened to small tourism companies?

Dan Flores believes it may be. A longtime travel marketing executive and current head of tourism for Satisfi Labs, Dan has worked with dozens of organizations to help leverage the power of AI to extend their capabilities and increase sales. And he’s excited about what the future this technology holds for tourism entrepreneurs.

Dan joins this episode of the podcast to share how AI can give small tour companies a competitive advantage and explain why you can’t afford to delay in adopting this technology. He also gives some insights about how travel companies should organize their web content to become more discoverable by AI agents. Plus, we have news about a rollback of airline compensation rules and a hot tip about signing up for the industry’s best familiarization tours.

Dan had lots of exciting perspective about how artificial intelligence tools can benefit travel professionals. Here’s what he had to say about how AI can give smaller operators a competitive edge:

“For a small tour operator or entrepreneur, it actually gives you opportunities. It democratizes scale. We’re seeing more solo entrepreneurs build companies that they couldn’t build in that time frame right now becoming millionaires because they can use AI to build all these things…. They don’t have to have the cash flow to hire all of these people to do it. It makes two people, three people, five or six people operate as if they had 18, 20 or 25 people.”

Plus, he had great perspectives on:

• How to build website chat bots people want to use
• How AI agents can save you time
• Integrating agentic AI into your travel sales pipeline

Learn more about Satisfi Labs at satisfilabs.com

Follow Dan on LinkedIn.

Sign up for our OnSite familiarization tour list at https://grouptravelleader.com/fams/.

1:08 — Travel News: DOT rolls back airline passenger compensation plan

2:22 — Be the first to know about our upcoming FAM trips

6:09 — The stunning growth of AI tools and adoption

8:11 — How Dan Flores uses AI in everyday life

12:49 — How AI is impacting tourism businesses

17:06 — A better way to answer customer questions

23:10 — Leveraging AI agents to serve customers better

30:06 — How close are we to fully automatic AI sales in travel?

31:46 — Optimizing your website to work with AI agents

34:48 — Will AI disrupt your travel career?

See the full interview with Dan on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Domestic group travel contributes more than $90 billion dollars to America’s economy each year.

That’s according to a new report from the American Bus Association and Tourism Economics. On this episode of the podcast, research collaborators Lew Myers and Omneya Fahmy explain the massive scope of the group travel industry and share reflections on what it means in 2025 and beyond.

Lew and Omneya break down the statistics and reveal the jaw-dropping ways that group travel stacks up against other tourism segments. They reveal which states are punching above their weight in group travel and how tourism professionals can leverage this data to advocate for policy change. Plus, we have news about tour operators’ business prospects; a Road Tip about avoiding awkward conversation pauses; and a Hot Minute about the main thing missing from international travel today.

Lew and Omneya had lots of eye-catching stats to share about the size of the group travel market and the way it impacts America. Here’s what Lew said about the study’s key takeaways:

“This report confirms that busses bring business. The motorcoach industry has a $90 billion economic impact. We support over 540,000 jobs. We contribute $16 billion to the federal government in the form of taxes. And we have created over $30 billion in wages and salaries.

“This really goes to show that unlike airlines and trains, the motorcoach industry touches every state, every county, every city, every urban and rural community, and we move over 400 million passengers a year.”

Plus, they had great perspectives on:

• How tourism marketers can leverage this data to maximize their impact
• How group travel stacks up against other industry segments
• Government threats to the group travel business

Access “The Economic Impact of Motorcoach Travel in the United States” at buses.org.

Email Lew Myers at lmyers@buses.org.

Follow Lew on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Tourism Economics at tourismeconomics.com.

Email Omneya Fahmy at ofahmy@oxfordeconomics.com.

Follow Omneya on LinkedIn.

See the full NTA member survey at https://ntaonline.com/nta-news/collaboration-in-packaged-travel/.

1:28 — Travel News: NTA tour operators are optimistic about 2026

2:55 — Road Tip: No more awkward silences

12:15 — A comprehensive guide to group travel’s economic impact

15:38 — The $90 billion question

17:40 — Surprises hiding in the group travel data

19:35 — How do you measure the size of the tour industry?

22:34 — Which U.S. states are the most popular for groups?

24:29 — How group travel stacks up against other travel segments

25:50 — How tourism marketers can leverage data to benefit their destinations

29:02 — Using data to impact policy

31:07 — The impact of adverse policies on the group travel business

46:20 — Hot Minute: Has technology made international travel better — or worse?

See the full interview with Lew and Omneya on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Can remote work really work for travel professionals?

Ryan Kramer believes that it can. After a life-changing group trip brought him into the tourism business, a detour through other sectors taught him how to do work-from-home right. He’s now the leading culture strategist at GroupCollect, and he joins this episode of the podcast to share how you can work from home without losing your mind or your money.

Ryan discusses the habits and disciplines that give his life balance as a remote worker. He shares tips for hiring great remote team members and pulls back the curtain on the process his team employees to keep the remote culture healthy and thriving. Plus, we have news about growth at American Cruise Lines, ; a Road Tip about traveling in the rain; and a Hot Minute about the ways governments are failing the tourism industry.

Ryan had lots of great insights about how teams can work from anywhere and get great things done. Here’s what he had to say about how he learned to build a great remote culture:

“We set up guardrails around when the virtual office opened and the virtual office closed. If you wanted to stay late or get there early, you were welcome to do that.

“It’s a cameras-on culture. If we’re going to be virtual, great, but let’s talk. Let’s look each other in the eye. The companies that failed I think lost site of the fact that it is possible to build that camaraderie. They discounted that that could happen and said ‘this could only happen in the office,’ and they gave up.”

Plus, he had great perspectives on:

• Whether remote employees are cheating you
• Tapping your network to maximize your talent pool
• Keys to holding great in-person meetings

Email Ryan Kramer at ryan@groupcollect.com.

Follow Ryan and GroupCollect on LinkedIn.

Sign up for our OnSite familiarization tour list at https://grouptravelleader.com/fams/.

1:33 — Travel News: American Cruise Lines adding six new ships

2:43 — Road Tip: Preparing your travelers for rainy days

8:03 — Meet us on the road this season!

11:57 — The band trip that kicked off a tourism career

15:10 — How Ryan Kramer learned to love remote work

21:15 — Why companies fail with work-from-home culture

24:58 — Work from home without losing your mind

27:30 — Tips for hiring remote team members

30:26 — Are remote employees ripping you off?

32:42 — Building a strong remote culture

34:53 — Keys to holding great in-person team meetings

47:25 — Hot Minute: Is the federal government failing the tourism industry?

See the full interview with Ryan on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

In 1951, Barbara Johns missed the school bus. That started a chain of events that made her a hero of the Civil Rights Movement.

Johns was a student at Robert Russa Moton High School, a Black school in segregated Farmville, Virginia. When a passing white school bus driver refused to help her get to class, Johns decided to start a student boycott to protest school segregation. Her protest and subsequent lawsuit became one of the important actions leading to the Supreme Court decision overturning segregation in schools.

On this special bonus edition of Gather and Go, we’re sharing a preview of an upcoming episode of the U.S. Civil Rights Trail podcast that tells the stories of Barbara Johns and how her bravery changed history in the United States and beyond. Subscribe to the U.S. Civil Rights Trail podcast to hear the whole story when it debuts early in 2026.

This episode is brought to you by Virginia Tourism.

Learn about the U.S. Civil Rights Trail and explore more podcast episodes at civilrightstrail.com.

Learn more about visiting historic sites in Virginia at virginia.org.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Is taking credit card payments — or using the wrong cards when you travel — costing your business more than it should?

Greg Bottenhorn thinks travel business owners need to keep a close eye on the way they use and process cards, both to keep their clients’ funds safe and to keep their costs low. As chief marketing officer at fintech company Jassby, he specializes in helping tour operators leverage payment technology to meet their needs in innovative ways. He joins this episode of the podcast to walk you through the world of travel payments and show you how to save time and money.

Greg discusses the basics how credit and debit card processing fees work. He explains the secrets of foreign transaction fees and shares how new card technology allows tour companies to offer trips that are both flexible and fully inclusive. Plus, we have news about an impending “hotel recession” in the U.S.; a Road Tip about dealing with excess travel swag; and a Hot Minute about the relationship between AI and the travel industry.

Greg had a lot of interesting ideas about the best way to handle funds and payments in the context of travel. Here’s what he had to say about the benefits of using debit cards on the road:

“A debit card links directly to your funds, but that means you can control how many funds are accessible via that card. You can keep that amount lower or move money to that card every day…. I’ve always found that challenging purchases with my bank, who I have relationship with, has been far easier than when I try to challenge a credit card transaction… I would much rather have that conversation with my local bank than a credit card 800 number.”

Plus, he had great perspectives on:

• The risks of traveling with cash
• Reducing your credit card processing costs
• Keeping your financial data secure when you travel

Find Jassby online at jassby.com.

Learn more about GroupCollect at groupcollect.com/gatherandgo.

Sign up for our OnSite familiarization tour list at https://grouptravelleader.com/fams/.

1:16 — Travel News: A “hotel recession” in the U.S.?

2:41 — Road Tip: What to do with your tourism swag

8:54 — Your source for great FAMs

12:43 — Is cashless the future of travel?

14:42 — When fintech meets tourism

16:43 — Who gets a cut of your credit card fees?

20:26 — Can you reduce your company’s processing costs?

23:20 — Beware foreign transaction fees

27:37 — Credit vs. Debit: Which is better for travel?

30:04 — How secure are credit cards today?

32:41 — How tour companies are using prepaid cards on trips

47:42 — Hot Minute: Does AI understand tourism?

See the full interview with Greg on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Your personal passions might just be the launchpad for a fantastic travel company. Anna McKitrick is proof.

After building a following as a vegan influencer on social media, Anna stumbled into group travel — and leveraged her following to build a tour company operating 17 trips a year. Anna joins the podcast to discuss her journey from Instagram to tourism and share secrets of how she has built her operation without spending any money on digital marketing.

Anna discusses the many opportunities for vegan travel in 2025 and why even meat-lovers enjoy her trips. She also shares how she leverages the power of a niche audience to build a travel travel experiences that align with her values and thrill her customers. Plus, we have news about changing U.S. travel statistics; a road tip about avoiding travel bloat; and a Hot Minute about the the dumbest thing happening in America.

Anna had lots of great insights about how she builds trips to align closely with a niche set of values and interests. Here’s what he had to say about how a small audience helps her develop great product:

“About half the people signed up for our trips now are past travelers. In many ways, it makes it kind of easy to scout and create the perfect trip for that person. Those repeat travelers are in my mind when I’m in a new destination.”

Plus, she had insightful thoughts on:

• Creating a compelling social media strategy
• Transitioning from trip leader to CEO
• Creating authentic local experiences for special interests

Follow Anna McKitrick on on Instagram and TikTok.

Find Vegan AF on Instagram and TikTok, or visit the website at veganaftravel.com.

Learn more about GroupCollect at groupcollect.com/gatherandgo.

1:36 — Travel News: U.S. Travel has downgraded its 2025 forecast

3:00 — Road Tip: The perfect trick for avoiding stomach bloat on the road

14:07 — How an Instagram career led Anna McKitrick to tourism

16:06 — What makes a vegan trip different?

18:10 — How serving a niche audience is a pro, not a con

21:15 — Building a social following without ads

24:08 — Organic social tips for boosting sales

29:14 — Transitioning from solopreneur to CEO

32:59 — How content creators can make money on group travel

38:06 — Curating authentic local experiences for special interests

38:45 — How Brent finds great young employees

50:18 — Hot Minute: The dumbest thing about America

See the full interview with Anna, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Louisville Tourism for making this episode possible. Learn more about group travel to the Bourbon City at gotolouisville.com/travel-professionals.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Are people problems holding your travel business back?

As a tour operator or travel entrepreneur, you likely have to work with team members or contractors to make your trips happen. But if your team isn’t working well, can cause major problems. Rebekah Snider feels your pain. Through many years of trial and error she has become a respected tourism leader — and has learned through experience how to find good team members and lose bad ones. She joins this episode of the podcast to share her insights on hiring and leading great tourism teams.

Rebekah shares her secrets for finding great employees and the questions she always asks herself before having difficult conversation with struggling teammates. She also provides insights about how to lead multi-generational teams and what core workplace wishes everyone has in common. Plus, we have news about America’s top travel inspiration source and a thought-provoking question about the role of social media in all our lives.

Rebekah shared lots of great wisdom about how she builds high-functioning tourism teams. Here’s what she had to say about the top characteristics she looks for in employees:

“We’re really looking first and foremost for somebody that has a kindness to them and a relatability. I think people do business with people they like. Those things are important to our brand and to hospitality…. I have found that if we have someone who is a good communicator and has a kindness and warmth to them, we can usually teach them the skill set they’re going to need.”

Plus, she had great perspectives on:

• The importance of finding quality mentors
• Setting expectations for team members
• How to dismiss an employee with dignity

Email Rebekah at rebekah@visitmilledgeville.com.

Read our Buyer’s Guide for the Group Travel Industry here.

2:14 — Travel News: Social media becomes America’s top source of travel inspiration

3:37 — Your best source for group travel insight and intelligence

9:17 — How Rebekah Snider became a tourism leader

10:12 — Key traits of great mentors

12:45 — Dealing with imposter syndrome

14:57 — Leading a multi-generational team

20:31 — Setting expectations for team members

21:50 — Navigating difficult conversations with employees

27:04 — How to find great employees for your travel business

29:45 — Exercising influence in your community

44:15 — Hot Minute: Is using social media still morally acceptable in 2025?

See the full interview with Rebekah on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

What’s your biggest struggle as a travel entrepreneur?

No matter what you’re wrestling with, Andrea Ross has been there. Over the course of 12 years, she started a tour company from the ground up, grew it to profitability and eventually sold it. She’s now a business advisor who helps other travel company owners through the same process, and she joins this episode of the podcast to share her insights.

Andrea discusses the good decisions — and the bad mistakes — she made in her time as a tour operator. She shares the most common challenges travel entrepreneurs face and how you can measure and grow the value of business. Plus, we have news about free Wi-Fi on Southwest Airlines; a Road Tip about dealing with sick travelers; and a Hot Minute about the reality of struggling travel businesses.

Andrea had lots of hard-won insights from her time in the trenches as a tour operator. Here’s what she had to say about the common pain that almost all travel entrepreneurs feel:

“Across the spectrum, the challenges are the same. How do I duplicate myself? I’m working 80 hours a week, I’m exhausted. How do I force myself to work on my business so I can grow some of the processes and procedures and some of the training, when really I’m just holding a fire extinguisher putting out fires?”

Plus, she had great perspectives on:

• Growing your tour company beyond yourself
• How to know when it’s time to sell your business
• Dealing with post-pandemic PTSD that still haunts travel professionals

Email Andrea Ross at andrea@cultivateadvisors.com.

Browse our catalog of more than 250 free group tour itineraries here.

1:49 — Travel News: Southwest launching Free Wi-Fi fleetwide

3:07 — Road Tip: You need a sick policy

7:48 — Your best source for group travel itineraries

12:35 — How Andrea Ross launched, grew and sold a tour company

18:15 — The pain every tourism entrepreneur feels

20:09 — Growing your company beyond yourself

22:18 — Problems that come with a growing tour company

24:00 — How to know when it’s time to sell your travel business

32:13 — Overcoming pandemic PTSD as a tourism professional

49:13 — Hot Minute: Do you have a travel business or a travel hobby?

See the full interview with Andrea on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

A bad logo could be costing you business.

Ross Evans has seen all manner of wild and weird logos. A longtime branding expert and vice president at Redpoint Marketing PR, he has worked with many travel companies to create logos and branding that transform their identity and make a big impact on their bottom lines. He joins this episode of the podcast to share insights on why your branding isn’t working and how you can make it better.

Ross discusses the basics of a strong visual brand and how you can leverage them to increase your company’s profits. He explains why travel companies need to put more emphasis on visual branding than other organizations and gives tips for how to achieve great brand design on a budget. Plus, we have news about a new tour concept for travelers in their 40s and 50s; a Road Tip about the best shoes for travel; and a Hot Minute about the most important ingredient your trips are missing.

Ross had lots of insights about how your visual branding impacts customer decisions — without them even realizing it. Here’s what he had to say about why visual branding is so important:

“A visual brand is the language a company uses to articulate its brand pillars, its brand values, how it treats its customers…. They’re important because they make a first impression. We process color and texture and shape before we read a single word.”

Plus, he had great perspectives on:

• How bad branding holds businesses back
• How to avoid the dreaded “design by committee”
• Leveraging a great visual brand to sell more trips

Find Redpoint online and subscribe to Tickled Red at redpointmarketingpr.com.

Hear our interview How The Pandemic Changed Travelers with Dan Christian here.

Register to attend Dan’s Travel Trends AI Summit with this link and use the code TTGATHER at checkout to save $100 on registration.

1:10 — Travel News: Tauck launching a brand for younger travelers

2:30 — Road Tip: The ideal travel shoes

7:37 — Save big on the Travel Trends AI Summit

11:42 — How Ross Evans discovered the importance of visual branding

14:05 — The basics of visual branding

15:30 — How fonts and colors communicate your values

17:28 — How bad branding holds travel businesses back

18:55 — Why visual branding is more important in travel than in other businesses

21:22 — The essentials of a travel company brand

24:16 — What kind of design support do small travel businesses need?

26:20 — How you know it’s time to rebrand

31:41 — Getting a great brand design on a budget

36:12 — How to avoid design by committee

37:19 — Leveraging your brand to sell more trips

47:54 — Hot Minute: The most important ingredient your trips are missing

See the full interview with Ross on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Travel is better when you don’t drink.

That’s what Darci Murray believes. A longtime travel professional, Darci realized years ago that she had developed an unhealthy relationships with alcohol — and that it was negatively impacting her travel experience. She joins this episode of the podcast to share the journey that led her to start the alcohol-free tour company Hooked.

Darci discusses the explosion of interest in “sober curious” and “sober supportive” travel. She gives us an inside look at how she builds thrilling alcohol-free trips to destinations around the world shares secrets of helping travelers connect in deep and meaningful ways. Plus, we have news about a tourism coalition pushing back on trade policy; a Road Tip about making non-drinkers feel special on your trips; and a Hot Minute about the way your trips might be making your customers better people — or worse.

Darci had a lot of hard-won insights into the ways alcohol dependency has infused the tourism industry. Here’s what she had to say about why she thinks travel is better without booze:

“There are so many hours lost in the itinerary that are just sitting around looking for the happy hour. At hooked, we start early and see way more than the average tour company. We focus on what I call full sensory experiences. When you’re not drinking, all your senses are intact, so I try to play off that.”

Plus, she shared really helpful perspectives on:

• The rise of mocktail culture
• The demographics of alcohol-free travel groups
• The incredible travel opportunities available to non-drinkers

Follow Hooked on Instagram.

Learn more about Hooked and upcoming tours on their website.

Apply to attend our Alabama FAM tour here.

1:52 — Travel News: Tourism coalition calls for trade policy changes

3:11 — Road Tip: Accommodating alcohol-free travelers

6:41 — Reserve your spot on our Alabama FAM tour

13:30 — How a young-adult group trip sent Darci Murray down a bad road

14:44 — How alcohol negatively impacts the travel experience

17:05 — Transitioning to alcohol-free living and traveling

20:56 — Sober-curious, sober-supportive, gray-area drinking?

24:14 — The incredible rise of mocktails

27:00 — Who joins an alcohol-free group trip?

28:28 — Where Hooked travelers go

29:55 — How alcohol-free travel supercharges relationship building

35:43 — Is alcohol-free travel poised to grow in the future?

36:39 — How to make alcohol-free travelers feel special on your trips

46:31 — Hot Minute: Do your trips make travelers better or worse people?

See the full interview with Darci on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Adventure travel is for everyone — no matter their age or fitness level.

That’s what Shannon Stowell believes. As the CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, Shannon is on a mission to help more people discover the joy of adventure tourism and learn how to do so responsibly. He joins this episode of the podcast to bust common myths around adventure travel and help you discover the adventure style that will thrill and delight your travelers..

Shannon discusses how you might be leading adventure travel without even realizing it. He puts to rest the misconception that older travelers don’t like adventure and shares a framework for traveling like respectful guests in the places we visit. Plus, we have news about dozens of cancellations from a major cruise line; a Road Tip about making your devices and appliances work well abroad; and a Hot Minute about the unprofessional habits of some travel pros.

Shannon had lots of ideas about how planners can seek out and deliver enriching adventure activities for travelers of all kinds. Here’s what he had to say about what adventure travel really means:

“We did this deep dive study and found that three themes came out clearly to define the core of adventure: nature, culture and activity.

“The beauty of that is it’s accessible to everyone. So an 18-year-old who’s climbing a mountain in Nepal, that’s adventure for them. Somebody up there in years who would love to walk from inn to inn in Ireland — that’s an adventure too. They’re just a little bit different…. I think everyone should have access to adventure.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

• Domestic adventure destinations
• The booming growth of the adventure travel industry
• Visiting the national parks in uncertain times

Connect with Shannon Stowell on LInkedIn.

Purchase Shannon’s Book “Riding the Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean” on Amazon.

Learn more about the Adventure Travel Trade Association on their website.

Sign up for our FAM trip notifications here.

1:08 — Travel News: Norwegian cancels 40 cruises

2:20 — Road Tip: Using your electronics abroad

8:08 — FAM tour opportunities you don’t want to miss

13:11 — Shannon Stowell’s journey from e-commerce to adventure travel

15:09 — Defining adventure travel for the 21st century

18:04 — Adventure opportunities for older travelers

21:31 — How adventure travel providers are adjusting to today’s marketplace

24:11 — The incredible growth of the adventure travel industry

26:32 — Adventure travel opportunities in the United States

28:52 — Visiting the national parks in uncertain times

31:55 — Enjoying adventure travel responsibly

39:21 — Training people to become the “right” kind of travelers

52:24 — Hot Minute: Character traits tourism professionals must develop

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

What’s the most important part of your travel business? Lauren Rilling believes it’s profit.

For more than a decade, Lauren has been helping small business owners solve their companies’ financial problems. And she believes that most business owners get into trouble by not prioritizing profit. She joins the podcast today to help you understand how to create and maximize profit in your travel company — and why this is essential to every other element of your business.

Lauren discusses how tour operators can ensure that every trip is profitable from day one. She gives tips about how to turn a travel hobby into a travel business and offers essential strategies for managing the seasonality and cash flow irregularities of the tourism business. Plus, we have news about the Big Beautiful Bill’s tourism implications; a Road Tip about selecting the best travel snacks; and a Hot Minute about the skyrocketing costs of tourism conferences.

Lauren had lots of ideas about how travel business owners can improve their companies’ financial performance. Here’s what she had to say about paying attention to profit from the very beginning of a company:

“You can really figure out what your expected profit will be ahead of time. You don’t have to take big financial risks. You don’t need a lot of capital to get started…. Know what your profit margins are. Start calculating your costs… And then know what you’re charging people. Then, the remaining amount is your gross profit.

“Gross profit is everything when it comes to tour companies. Knowing your gross profit for each trip will help you know how much you need to charge.”

Plus, she had insightful thoughts on:

• Why you shouldn’t manage the books for your own travel business
• Whether you should operate tours that don’t make money
• How travel business owners should pay themselves

Learn more about Lauren Rilling at savvystewardship.com.

Contact Lauren at lauren.savvystewardship@gmail.com.

Apply to attend our OnSite familiarization trip in Alabama here.

1:13 — Travel News: The Big Beautiful Bill’s impact on tourism

2:44 — Road Tip: What makes the perfect road trip snack?

8:12 — Join us for a trip to Alabama

11:52 — Lauren Rilling’s roots in travel

14:54 — How to know when to turn a travel hobby into a travel business

18:40 — When should you hire a professional accountant for your travel business?

21:20 — Why tourism entrepreneurs should put profit first

23:30 — Planning for profit when your travel business’ income is variable

25:24 — Should you operate tours that don’t make money?

27:45 — Managing cash flow in a seasonable business

30:48 — How travel business owners should pay themselves

35:27 — Don’t spend customer deposits until you have “earned” them

51:06 — Hot Minute: Are tourism conferences getting too expensive?

See the full interview with Lauren on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Legendary broadcaster Peter Greenberg is optimistic about the future of travel.

After decades reporting on travel and hundreds of travel shows for CBS News, PBS, Amazon and more, Peter has seen a lifetime’s worth of change and evolution in tourism — and he’s still excited about the industry’s future. In fact, he still travels 300 days a year and loves telling people his secrets for finding deals and inspiring wonder in the American public. He joins this episode of the podcast to help you do the same.

Peter discusses some of the biggest changes that have taken place in travel and how today’s tourism professionals can make the most of them. He explains why he’s optimistic about the future of cruising and how tour operators can become more profitable by pursuing specialization. Plus, we have news about a new tour company using the Pan Am brand; a Road Tip about hotel snack shops; and a Hot Minute about the new challenges facing the travel industry.

Peter had lots to say about the mindset of the American traveler — and the Americans who don’t travel. Here’s his take on why too many people tend to stay home:

“It’s a sad state of affairs that only 38% of Americans have a passport. That means 62% have made a conscious decision not to see anything. That’s a continued sadness, because we live in a global village. I think so much of America has made a conscious choice to be uneducated…. There’s this problem of a lack of curiosity and an overwhelming amount of fear. That combination is lethal.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

• How to get the best deals on hotel rooms
• Why COVID made cruising better for everyone
• Why travel prices may start coming down soon

Learn more about Peter Greenberg and sign up for his free newsletter at petergreenberg.com.

Apply to attend our OnSite familiarization trip in Alabama here.

1:23 — Travel News: Pan Am brand takes flight again

2:49 — Road Tip: Why we love the hotel snack shop

7:50 — Meet us on the road this fall

13:05 — Peter Greenberg reflects on a life in travel

16:21 — Inspiring wonder among American travelers

22:17 — The most important travel changes in the last 30 years

28:39 — Are travel prices about to come down?

35:10 — Why specialization is great for tour operators

37:35 — Traveling with heads of state

47:53 — Hot Minute: Should you be panicked about challenges facing tourism?

See the full interview with Peter, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Could the right technology platforms put your travel products in front of the customers who want them?

Greg Fisher believes they can. The founder of numerous online travel agency (OTA) and reservation technology (restech) platforms, and author of “Mastering OTAs: The Definitive Guide for Tour Operators,” Greg literally wrote the book on how tour operators can use technology to grow their businesses. He joins this episode of the podcast to help you understand the changing travel tech landscape and how it can benefit your business.

Greg introduces tech tools that will help you extend your reach and streamline your operations. He also gives tips on how to make OTAs work for you and insight on why the rise of AI might be great news for small tour companies. Plus, we have news New York’s falling tourism forecast; a Road Tip about increasing socializing among your tour groups; and a Hot Minute about the silver linings of decreased tourism.

Greg had lots of insights about what kind of relationship multiday tour companies should have with OTAs and other travel distribution platforms. Here’s one thing he had to say about how to optimize your listings for maximum visibility:

“Make sure you have the absolute best photos. Your primary image should have something called a key moment. It’s that perfect, candid photo of the tour. Capturing those key moments, with people having the time of their lives. And the rest of your photos should tell the story of that experience from start to finish.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

• Picking the OTAs that are right for your travel business
• How much commission OTAs charge to tour operators
• Why every tour business needs a great restech system

Find Greg’s Book “Mastering OTAs” at masteringotas.com.

Follow Greg on LinkedIn.

Apply to attend our OnSite familiarization trip in Alabama here.

1:53 — Travel News: Hawaii is increasing tourism tax because of climate change

3:14 — Road Tip: Eliminating annoying lights in hotel rooms

8:48 — The travel newsletter you can’t afford to miss

14:05 — Why river cruising is booming in popularity

15:17 — How much does river cruising actually cost?

18:54 — How river cruise demographics are changing

21:45 — Are river cruises better than land tours?

22:54 — Can river cruise demand keep up with supply?

24:58 — Can Europe’s rivers sustain the growing level of cruise traffic?

30:50 — River cruising in exotic destinations

34:01 — Should you consider a river cruise in the U.S.?

35:31 — Is river cruising feasible for groups?

48:19 — Hot Minute: Can tourism taxes really affect climate change?

See the full interview with Greg, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

In 1961, a group of travelers boarded a motorcoach, and their journey changed the world.

The Freedom Rides were among many important demonstrations and activities that took place in Alabama during the Civil Rights Movement. On this special bonus edition of Gather and Go, we’re sharing an episode of the Alabama Civil Rights Trail Podcast that tells the stories of the brave men and women who took the first Freedom Ride and how their courage continues to resonate today.

This episode is brought to you by the Alabama Tourism Department.

Hear more of the Alabama Civil Rights Trail Podcast and learn more about visiting Alabama’s Civil Rights sites at alabama.travel/civilrights.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

It’s not just you — everybody really is talking about river cruising right now.

With new and established cruise lines making their way into the market, river cruising might just be the hottest trend in travel in 2025. Colleen McDaniel, editor-in-chief of Cruise Critic, knows exactly why. Colleen joins joins this episode of the podcast to unpack the popularity of river cruising and help you understand how you can make it work for your group.

Colleen explains the core value propositions that make river cruises popular with travelers. She explains how river cruising differs from ocean cruises and land tours, breaks down the economics of cruise pricing and gives tips for booking the river cruise that’s right for you. Plus, we have news about rising tourism taxes in Hawaii; a Road Tip about sleeping well in hotel rooms; and a Hot Minute about taxation as a solution to climate issues.

Colleen had lots of insights about who is taking river cruises and why the segment seems to be growing faster than any other. Here’s one thing she had to say about the demographics of river cruising in 2025:

“I think the demographics are changing. It does tend to be an older crowd, in part because some of the cruises are longer, and younger people might not have the time to get away. But more and more, we are seeing younger cruises on board all the ships that are sailing in Europe. Part of that is that the pandemic changed how people thought about travel. Another reason is because the internet has gotten a lot better. For younger people where getting away from work is really tough, all the sudden working on a cruise ship is doable. And I think that makes a difference.”

Plus, she had insightful thoughts on:

• Why river cruises can be more attractive than land tours
• Whether Europe’s rivers can sustain the growth in cruise popularity
• Why groups should consider river cruising in the U.S., Asia and beyond

Visit Cruise Critic online at cruisecritic.com.

Follow Cruise Critic on Facebook and Instagram.

Email Colleen McDaniel at editor@cruisecritic.com.

Sign up to receive our newsletter The Group Travel Minute at grouptravelleader.com/subscribe.

1:53 — Travel News: Hawaii is increasing tourism tax because of climate change

3:14 — Road Tip: Eliminating annoying lights in hotel rooms

8:48 — The travel newsletter you can’t afford to miss

14:05 — Why river cruising is booming in popularity

15:17 — How much does river cruising actually cost?

18:54 — How river cruise demographics are changing

21:45 — Are river cruises better than land tours?

22:54 — Can river cruise demand keep up with supply?

24:58 — Can Europe’s rivers sustain the growing level of cruise traffic?

30:50 — River cruising in exotic destinations

34:01 — Should you consider a river cruise in the U.S.?

35:31 — Is river cruising feasible for groups?

48:19 — Hot Minute: Can tourism taxes really affect climate change?

See the full interview with Lorna, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Collette, for making this episode possible. Learn more about group travel with Collette at GoCollette.com/groups.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

What would it take for you to grow in your tourism career?

For Lorna Holland, it took a customer who believed in her. After years as a freelance tour director, Lorna and her husband took a client’s idea and turned it into not one but two tour companies. Today they operate TourDCWithUs and VaFeltre Tours in addition to raising a young daughter and managing home life in Italy. Lorna joins this episode of the podcast to tell us about her journey from guide to owner and pull back the curtain on life as a mom and tourism entrepreneur.

Lorna explains why most guides probably already have the skills necessary to launch their own companies. She also explains the economics and challenges of small group travel and gives us an insight on how she balances family life with a busy travel schedule. Plus, we have news about proposed minimum wage hike for tourism workers; a Road Tip about staying in touch with loved ones while traveling; and a Hot Minute about why elite status isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

Lorna had lots of encouraging and insightful stories to share about making the transition from guide to owner. Here’s one thing she said about realizing what customers really wanted from her trips:

“Many people have told me that what Dante and I are selling is not the tour. We’re selling ourselves. And from that initial click or email or phone call or face on the street, from that moment, they have to realize that they’re buying us and not just buying the Sistine Chapel or the Statue of Liberty.”

Plus, she had insightful thoughts on:

• The challenges of working with travel vendors
• Why small group tours are all about quality
• The growing trend of women-only group travel

Learn more about VaFeltre Tours at vafeltre.com.

Learn more about TourDCWithUs at tourdcwithus.com.

Follow Travel with Lorna and Dante on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram.

For information about our OnSite familiarization tour in Kentucky, contact Kyle Anderson at 859-334-1718 or kyle@grouptravelleader.com.

2:02 — Travel News: A $30 minimum wage for tourism workers?

3:42 — Road Tip: Staying connected to family when you work in travel

9:49 — A few spots left on our trip to Kentucky

14:58 — How Lorna Holland found her calling as a tour director

19:14 — The inspiration for starting a tour company

20:29 — How a collaborative marriage set Lorna up for business success

21:53 — The skills you need to start a tour company

24:29 — Tapping into women-only travel

28:09 — The economics of small group travel

33:35 — Scaling a company when you are the primary product

36:26 — Maintaining a healthy family life as a tourism entrepreneur

38:33 — Advice for young parents working in travel

51:34 — Hot Minute: Why I don’t want elite travel status

See the full interview with Lorna, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Huntsville, Alabama, for making this episode possible. Learn more about group travel to Huntsville at huntsville.org/groups.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Surfing, stretching and drinking… in a group trip?

As a burnt-out fitness professional, Mantas Zvinas was looking for a group vacation that didn’t exist. So he created one for himself. That inspired the founding of SurfYogaBeer, a tour company that has become popular among the young and active. Mantas joins this episode of the podcast to tell his group travel story, explain how his trips build friendships between strangers and share tips for aspiring tourism entrepreneurs.

Mantas explains why young people love coming on his group trips (it’s not just about the beer) and how he recruits and trains trip leaders to be excellent at facilitating fun and connection. He also explains why the size of a travel group may not be as important as many people think and gives an inside look at how his company attracts new customers. Plus, we have news about a decline in travel to the U.S. from Canada; a Road Tip about using your phone abroad; and a Hot Minute about the ways a government-imposed Big Tech breakup could impact your travel business.

Mantas had a great perspective about the real mission of SurfYogaBeer’s trips and why they resonate so deeply with customers. Here’s what he said about the power of personal connection in group travel:

“It’s all about bringing people together. What we focus on these trips is that camaraderie, and you create that through going through something difficult. But we also play games throughout the day that bring people together…. By the end of day one, you’re so connected with everybody. You’re having a beer and you’re sharing your deepest secrets with somebody you met 24 hours ago.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

• Training world-class trip leaders
• Building a company that goes beyond your personality
• The role of great content in travel promotion

Learn more about SurfYogaBeer at surfyogabeer.com.

Follow SurfYogaBeer and Mantas Zvinas on Instagram.

Connect with The Group Travel Leader on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

1:50 — Travel News: Inbound travel from Canada is falling

3:20 — Road Tip: Using mobile data when traveling abroad

8:38 — Great follows on social media

13:56 — How Mantas Zvinas discovered fitness travel amid professional burnout

19:48 — The community effort that built SurfYogaBeer

23:20 — What SurfYogaBeer trips look like today

27:41 — Training world-class trip leaders

30:01 — What’s the ideal size of a group trip?

31:19 — How customers fine SurfYogaBeer

33:12 — Turning a following into a travel company

49:52 — Hot Minute: How could a Big Tech breakup affect your travel company?

See the full interview with Mantas, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Visit Atlantic City for making this episode possible. Learn more about group travel to Atlantic City at visitatlanticcity.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Today’s Black travelers are standing on the shoulders of giants. David Jackson is on a mission to make sure these hidden heroes finally get their stories told.

After spending most of his career in hospitality, meetings and destination management, David answered the call to join some colleagues in resurrecting the historic Green Book, a segregation-era resource for Black travelers. David visits the podcast to discuss how Black travel pioneers made history, why their stories matter today and how modern travelers can experience their legacy.

David shares what he and his colleagues are doing to preserve and grow the Green Book. He also discusses ways that tour operators and destination managers can tap into the power of the Green Book to deliver cultural travel experiences that will benefit both travelers and the communities they visit. Plus, we have news about a decrease in travel spending; a road tip about using music to liven up your motorcoach trips; and a Hot Minute about the worst part of air travel in 2025.

David had lots of great insights about how telling stories from travel’s past can impact people’s future. Here’s what he had to say about the way cataloging Black travel sites could revitalize communities:

“It represents a fresh start. It’s like manna from heaven. You’re saying you can now promote us to a national audience, and folks that are coming into town that didn’t even know we existed can extend their trip or come to the area because of us…. This is a new day. This is a new revenue stream. We have the assets. Now we can promote our destination that has been under served.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

• Building a catalog of cultural travel sites
• Partnering with other cultural travel organizations
• How to find Black travel experiences for your group

Learn more about The Green Book Experience at greenbookexperience.com.

Follow the Green Book Experience on Instagram, Facebook, and X.

Follow David Jackson on LinkedIn.

Get free resources for faith-based group travel at Going On Faith.

Discover more episodes of Gather and Go.

1:30 — Travel News: Americans are spending less on travel

2:46 — Road Tip: Liven up your road time with music games

8:38 — A free resource for faith-based travel planners

14:41 — How David Jackson found a new calling late in his career

18:13 — The unsung heroes who paved the way for Black travel

23:58 — Building a catalog of cultural travel sites

27:17 — Unearthing Green Book sites in 2025

29:04 — Partnering with other cultural tourism organizations

31:44 — How a focus on cultural tourism can impact marginalized communities

33:21 — How to find Black travel experiences for your groups

38:45 — How Brent finds great young employees

47:55 — Hot Minute: The worst thing about air travel in 2025

See the full interview with David, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Louisville Tourism for making this episode possible. Learn more about group travel to the Bourbon City at gotolouisville.com/travel-professionals.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

The student travel industry is ripe with opportunity.

Gaurav Namit believes there’s unlimited potential for this tourism market segment. As a board member of the Student and Youth Travel Association, and vice president of Four Winds Tour and Travel, he has seen many eras of student and youth travel. Gaurav joins this episode of the podcast to discuss why student travel is so important, what’s driving its impressive growth and how travel professionals can get involved.

Gaurav shares how student travel can be transformational in the lives of young people. He also gives his thoughts about student travel’s recession-proof growth potential and gives an inside look into the thought process student tour operators go through when selecting destinations. Plus, we have news about a micro-lending fund for tourism organizations; a Road Tip about making the most of boxed lunches on the road; and a Hot Minute about pros and cons of the traditional restaurant tour menu.

Gaurav offered a lot of perspective about the growing importance of student travel in the educational community and in society at large. Here’s what he said about why student travel is surging today:

“The industry has shifted a lot. Student travel 50 years ago was looked at as a massive luxury. But as it has become more affordable and travel has become more normalized, student travel has become critical.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

• How student tours differ from adult tours
• Where today’s student groups are traveling
• How destinations can attract more student groups to town

Learn more about Four Winds Tour and Travel at fourwindstours.com.

Email Gaurav Namit at gaurav@fourwindstours.com.

Learn more about the Student and Youth Travel Association at syta.org.

Get free resources for upscale affinity group travel at Select Traveler.

1:28 — Travel News: Tourism Cares launches the Meaningful Travel Fund

2:35 — Road Tip: Eating boxed lunches on the road

8:35 — A free resource for upscale group travel planners

13:38 — How Gaurav’s family built a student travel business

18:19 — Why student travel so important — and becoming more so

21:58 — The growth prospects of the student travel industry

25:34 — How student trips differ from adult trips

29:24 — Where student groups are traveling in 2025

32:02 — How to become more attractive to student groups

35:22 — Why new tourism entrepreneurs are flocking to student travel

48:12 — Hot Minute: Is it time to rethink the tour dining menu?

See the full interview with Micky, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Visit Atlantic City for making this episode possible. Learn more about group travel to Atlantic City at visitatlanticcity.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Your ideal travel customer may be easier to reach than you think.

Everybody says they they love travel, but some people actually demonstrate that with their spending. Anna Cashman, head of B2B brand insights for GetYourGuide, has dug deep into the data to find the “super spenders” that shape the group travel industry — and who are poised to be your best customers. She joins this episode of the podcast to share who these super spenders are and how you can reach them.

Anna shares the psychological characteristics that the best explorers have in common. She also suggests ideas for developing products and messaging that will resonate with those travelers. Plus, we have news about a new mid-market hotel brand from Hyatt; a Road Tip about avoiding overtourism in popular destinations; and a Hot Minute about the biggest challenge facing travel planners in 2025.

Anna had a lot of great insight about the people who consistently choose to spend money on travel experiences. Here’s what she said about who these people are and what drives them:

“We dub them super spenders. They are people who are prioritizing travel and experiences over other people and other categories….

We call them explorers, because they’re not the average tourist. They really want to get into a destination. They want to experience life as much as possible. They want to connect with the world, with the destination, with others, with themselves. And travel is a really, really important way for them to do that. It sort of fulfills a higher purpose in life.

These people aren’t defined by age, sex, location, ethnic background. It’s a set of values that really defines them and brings them together.”

Plus, she had insightful thoughts on:

• How super-spenders perceive and calculate value
• Why the research phase is a critical part of the travel experience
• Why travel spending is staying high while other categories are falling

Learn more about GetYourGuide at getyourguide.com.

Register for a new GetYourGuide account and 15 commission-free bookings here.

Read the GetYourGuide Travel Trend Tracker here.

Follow Anna Cashman on LinkedIn.

Read our new U.S. Civil Rights Trail Travel Guide here.

Find show notes for every episode of Gather and Go at grouptravelleader.com/podcast.

2:13 — Travel News: Hyatt is launching a new mid-market hotel brand

3:30 — Road Tip: Avoiding overtourism in crowded destinations

9:41 — A new Civil Rights Trail travel guide

14:24 — How GetYourGuide leverages tech for group travel experiences

16:05 — Using customer data to see travel trends

19:32 — Why travel spending stays high when other categories are falling

23:05 — The “super-spenders” shaping the group travel experience

25:40 — Why a travel experience starts long before you leave home

28:51 — Crafting tours and messaging to reach group travel super-spenders

32:02 — Why value matters more than price in attracting your best customers

50:11 — Hot Minute: The biggest challenge facing today’s group travel planners

See the full interview with Anna, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Collette for making this episode possible. Learn more about working with with Collette for your travel program at gocollette.com/groups.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Does artificial intelligence spell the beginning of the end of the tourism profession? Or can using AI make you a better guide and help you build a more profitable company?

Micky Kandola believes AI is nothing but good news for guides, tour operators and other tourism professionals. As a veteran tour director, he has found ways to leverage the power of AI to get better and faster at his work, and he loves helping others do the same. Micky joins this episode of the podcast to discuss how travel pros can put artificial intelligence to work in their businesses without sacrificing their unique humanity.

Micky shares how he uses ChatGPT and other AI tools to prepare for tours and create resources his travelers love. He also gives his perspective on why the human touch of group tours is irreplaceable and how travel pros can use AI to find hidden insights in their tour evaluations. Plus, we have news about staffing issues at America’s national parks; a Road Tip about the best way to pay for things on the road; and a Hot Minute about the biggest opportunity most travel companies are missing.

Micky had a lot of great ideas about how travel professionals can — and can’t — do with artificial intelligence. Here’s what he said about the role it can play in group travel:

“On a tour, people need a human contact. The commentary isn’t the most important thing I do. The most important thing I do is connect with my guests and make sure they know they’re taken care of. AI can’t do that…. I see it as a tool, not a replacement.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

• The work involved in preparing for a great group tour
• How AI can reveal hidden insights inside trip evaluations
• AI tools that tour directors and tour operators can use to create better guest resources

Join the Tour Directing and AI group on Facebook.

Follow Micky Kandola on Facebook.

Get free resources for beginning or growing your group travel career on our Start Here page.

1:27 — Travel News: Federal hiring freeze may impact travel to national parks

2:51 — Road Tip: The best way to pay for things when you travel

9:15 — Free resources for new group travel professionals

13:49 — Why Micky Kandola embraces artificial intelligence

15:57 — How AI can help tour directors prepare for departures

19:23 — Is AI going to replace tour operators or tour directors?

24:08 — Surprising applications of AI for group travel

27:00 — Using AI to get insights on your post-trip evaluations

32:02 — Creating customized group dining guides in ChatGPT

36:51 — How to handle errors when using AI in tour directing

50:08 — Hot Minute: The biggest opportunity your travel company is missing

See the full interview with Micky, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Visit Atlantic City for making this episode possible. Learn more about group travel to Atlantic City at visitatlanticcity.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Embracing plus-size travelers could be the key to unlocking big business.

That’s the message Jeff Jenkins has spent his life spreading. As creator of the popular blog Chubby Diaries and host of the NatGeo TV show “Never Say Never,” Jeff has created a formidable following of people who look to him for advice on traveling while large. He joins this episode of the podcast to discuss how travel companies are missing an opportunity to welcome plus-size travelers into their communities — and how they can fix that mistake.

Jeff shares his perspective on the billion-dollar potential of the untapped plus-size travel market. He also recommends simple ways travel organizations can make their trips more attractive to customers of any size. Plus, we have news about a famous brand entering the river cruise market; a Road Tip about picking the perfect travel water bottle; and a Hot Minute about the biggest way the U.S. government is failing travelers.

Jeff had a lot of great insight about how the travel industry is failing to welcome — and capitalize on — diverse body shapes. Here’s what he suggested about the untapped potential in plus-size travel:

“42% of America is overweight or obese. We’re looking at 160 million people that you all aren’t catering to at all. I feel like that’s billions of dollars left on the table…. I did an independent study one time where I asked ‘If travel was more accessible to you, would you take more trips?’ 98% said yes.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

• The cultural forces holding people back from travel
• Simple techniques for accommodating larger travelers
• Why traditional travel marketing is failing companies and their customers

Learn more about Jeff Jenkins at his blog Chubby Diaries.

Watch Jeff’s show “Never Say Never” on Amazon.

Get Brian’s favorite travel water bottle here.

Apply to attend our OnSite FAM in Savannah here.

See all our FAMs and sign up for email notifications at grouptravelleader.com/fams.

1:38 — Travel News: Celebrity is launching a river cruise brand

2:45 — Road Tip: The best water bottle for travel

10:31 — Join us for a FAM trip to Savannah

15:19 — Jeff Jenkins’ mind-blowing travel moment

17:56 — Cultural forces holding people back from travel

19:23 — How travel is catching on in the Black community

24:31 — Are plus-size travelers getting left behind?

27:17 — How big is the potential for plus-size travel?

28:50 — How to make travel more accessible for every body

31:59 — How to market to travelers of all sizes

51:00 — Hot Minute: The #1 way the government could help travelers

See the full interview with Jeff, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Collette for making this episode possible. Learn more about working with with Collette for your travel program at gocollette.com/groups.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

The stories you tell — and the way you tell them — can make or break your tourism business.

That’s what Justin Brady believes. As a former journalist and a current communications expert, Justin has helped dozens of companies identify their real brand stories and figure out how to communicate them better. Justin joins this episode of the podcast to discuss how travel entrepreneurs can get beyond their echo chambers, identify their brand stories and tell them in a way that drive sales.

Justin shares how companies can identify their best customers and leverage customer inquiries to tell better stories. He also recommends simple communications strategies for building trust among strangers and turning them into travel customers. Plus, we have news about the growing impact of group travel; a Road Tip about finding new kinds of trips for your group; and a Hot Minute about what to do — and what not to do — on FAM tours.

Justin had a lot of great ideas about how travel entrepreneurs can build their businesses by telling better stories. Here’s what he suggested about finding your brand story and figuring out how to communicate it:

“It’s about spending time with customers and not selling”¦. Get your head out of the data, go talk to people, go listen to them, go observe. Spend time with and watch the habits of your customers…. Spend more quality time with your customers that doesn’t involve selling at all. Ask about them obsessively. Don’t pitch yourself at all. Build a profile, find out how they tick, find out what keeps them up at night.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

• The hidden challenges in your mind that make brand communications difficult
• Why business growth requires an intentional communications strategy
• The roles of traditional and new media in building your travel brand

Learn more about Justin Brady and listen to the Justin Brady Show at justinbradyshow.com.

Connect with Justin Brady on LinkedIn.

Apply to attend our OnSite FAM in Louisiana’s Capital City region here.

Apply to attend our student travel FAM in Myrtle Beach here.

See all our FAMs and sign up for email notifications at grouptravelleader.com/fams.

Learn more about train travel in our podcast episode Seeing the World from a Train.

Learn more about service travel in our podcast episode Volunteering on Vacation.

1:12 — Travel News: Studies outline the size and scope of the group travel market

2:32 — Road Tip: Five new types of trip to try in 2025

7:35 — FAM opportunities in Louisiana and Myrtle Beach

12:43 — What is corporate communications, exactly?

13:58 — Why companies struggle with communications strategy

15:45 — Why the best companies don’t always win

19:15 — Why your customers’ questions might be your key to growth

21:23 — Why communications strategy is critical for business success

30:14 — How important is polish in your company communications?

32:34 — How to get the right media coverage for your organization

51:23 — Hot Minute: Are you doing FAM tours wrong?

See the full interview with Justin, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Visit Atlantic City for making this episode possible. Learn more about group travel to Atlantic City at visitatlanticcity.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Could a smart video strategy be your key to selling more trips? Tony Gnau believes it might be.

A former TV news reporter, founder of a video production company and author of the Amazon bestselling book “Lights, Camera, Impact,” Tony has spent his career using video to tell meaningful stories — and helping companies do the same. He joins this episode of the podcast to discuss travel organizations can use video to build trust, extend their brands and grow their sales.

Tony shares video storytelling techniques that every traveler can use. He also discusses the number-one issue making DIY videos seem unprofessional and shares a video sales funnel proved to turn viewers into buyers. Plus, we have news about a new fee tax in Mexico; a road tip about holiday season trips; and a Hot Minute about the increasing burden of taxation on tourists.

Tony had lots of great insights on how travel professionals can capture better videos on the road. Here’s his top tip for DIY travel videos:

“The camera you have in your pocket is a fantastic video camera”¦ [But] If you’re out in the field somewhere, leading a tour group, you’re in a travel environment, the sound on those cameras stinks. You can buy even just a $15-20 microphone that you can attach to your cell phone that will easily double the quality of the audio…. The #1 way to distinguish an amateur video from a professional video isn’t the video itself at all — it’s the audio. So the best way to improve your DIY video quality is to improve the audio.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

• Why your travel videos should focus on telling stories
• Making your “About Us” video stand out
• How to use guide profile videos, customer testimonial videos, and more

Learn more about Tony Gnau at tonygnau.com.

Learn more about T60 Productions at t60productions.com.

Find Ashley Runyon’s tips for Christmas trips in Select Traveler magazine.

See our latest OnSite FAM opportunities and sign up for more trip announcements here.

1:18 — Travel News: Mexico implements new cruise passenger fee

2:40 — Road Tip: Leaning into the holiday spirit on trips

6:39 — Five great familiarization tours coming in 2025

10:48 — Why so many corporate videos are awful

16:19 — The power of the video camera in your pocket

17:36 — The biggest problem with your videos is bad audio

22:10 — Why your travel videos should be all about storytelling

26:36 — Should you be on-camera in your travel videos?

32:14 — Making your “About Us” video stand out

35:11 — A video strategy for turning viewers into buyers

38:46 — How much does professional video production cost?

52:25 — Hot Minute: Are tourism taxes getting out of hand?

See the full interview with Tony, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

The adult group travel business isn’t dying. Just ask Brent Dalrymple.

After starting his career in the financial industry, Brent left big business in 2003 to join his parents’ small tour company in St. Louis. Since then, he has overseen enormous growth for his family business, Sunrise Tours, as well as the recently acquired Country Travel Discoveries. Brent joins this episode of the podcast to discuss how group travel has changed, why the industry constantly defies critics and how he is leading his companies in into a successful future.

Brent shares what fundamental value propositions of group travel keep new generations of travelers coming into the industry. He also shares why his companies are offering more international tours than ever and how his travelers have grown to love a more premium product. Plus, we have news about the bright outlook for group travel in 2025; a road tip about electrical outlets; and a Hot Minute about proving the group travel haters wrong.

Brent had lots of great insights on why group travel keeps succeeding despite headwinds from both the economy and culture at large. Here’s how he responds to the idea that generational change will one day render group tours obsolete:

“It has never happened”¦ Generations are not monolithic. In the baby boomers, there are people who want to do things on their own and people who like the social aspect of traveling, just like any generation. And the fact is, the baby boomers are a big group of people, so we’re in the heart of the baby boomer bulge right now. And in that population, there are a lot of people who are attracted to a more social group travel opportunity.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

• How strong relationships lead to competitive advantages
• How legacy tour operators should think about transition planning
• How to attract and develop great next-generation employees

Learn more about Sunrise Tours at travelsunrise.com.

Learn more about Country Travel Discoveries at countrytraveldiscoveries.com.

See the full results of NTA’s recent destination and tour supplier survey here.

Subscribe to Gather and Go in your favorite podcast app or by email here.

2:18 — Travel News: Destinations and suppliers anticipate group tour growth

3:49 — Road Tip: The perfect travel extension cable

8:24 — Take Gather and Go with you

13:59 — Why Brent Dalrymple left big business to join his family’s tour company

15:45 — How Brent doubled down on group travel during the pandemic

19:13 — How the tastes of adult travel groups are changing

20:46 — Why group travel isn’t dying — and never will

24:22 — How first-timers react to their group travel experiences

25:36 — How Sunrise Tours creates camaraderie among tour passengers

26:38 — How today’s adult groups calculate travel value

33:10 — How legacy tour operators should plan for business transitions

37:32 — Tips for up-and-coming tourism entrepreneurs

38:45 — How Brent finds great young employees

50:16 — Hot Minute: Shutting down the group travel haters for good

Thanks to our sponsor Louisville Tourism for making this episode possible. Learn more about group travel to the Bourbon City at gotolouisville.com/travel-professionals.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Taking your travel group on the adventure of a lifetime might be easier than you think.

Few places on earth can match the mystique of India, a country with thousands of years of rich culture and tradition. And though it’s far away, India is surprisingly easy to access. On this episode of Gather and Go, Travel Scope India founder Mohan Narayanaswamy joins us to unlock the secrets of his home country. He shares the places every traveler must see, gives us a peak at his favorite hidden treasures, previews the rich variety of Indian cuisine and explains how he makes it easy for group leaders to plan customized, accessible Indian adventures.

This episode is brought to you by the Travel Scope India.

Learn more about Travel Scope India at travelscopeindia.com.

Email Mohan Narayanaswamy at mohan@travelscopeindia.com

See a video introduction to Travel Scope India’s experiences here.

3:15 — How Mohan Narayanaswamy became an India travel expert

7:15 — A customized approach to traveling in India

9:42 — Discovering India’s diverse geography

11:26 — India’s must-see destinations

19:08 — Uncovering India’s hidden treasures

22:20 — Eating your way through India

24:25 — Myths and misconceptions about visiting India

27:45 — How India has changed

29:28 — What kind of hotels do groups stay at in India?

32:12 — The logistics of taking groups to India

See the full interview with Mohan on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

If you run ads for your travel organization online, there’s a good chance you’ve been wasting your money.

Marica Mackenroth Brewster has seen it firsthand. As a tourism marketing veteran and founder of the Von Mack Agency, she has helped companies throughout the travel industry combine smart advertising with time-tested, relationship-based selling strategies. She joins this episode of the podcast to discuss what travel marketers should be doing to get their message out in 2025 and beyond.

Marica tells us why digital-only strategies fall short and why old-school advertising is making a comeback. She gives examples of how create advertising campaigns that serve customers and boost sales at the same time. Plus, we have news about the booming Millennial cruise segment; a road tip about saving yourself from back pain when traveling; and a Hot Minute about how much you should — or shouldn’t — rely on social media to market your travel business.

Marica had lots of great insights on the changing world of advertising and how small companies can succeed in it. Here’s a surprising take she had on the resurgence of traditional advertising:

“The old-fashioned stuff is coming back. In the marketing and advertising community nationally, it’s a big, documented movement to go back to creative and back to the old school…. [This] means your creative has to be good. You have to know your unique selling points. You have to know why you’re different from the guy down the street. You need to know why someone would take your tour over the tour next to you”¦. And then you have to have that human element in your ads.”

Plus, she had insightful thoughts on:

• How to measure the return on your marketing spend
• How tour operators should approach their marketing strategies
• What you need to know to run your own marketing campaigns… and when to enlist a pro

Learn more about the Von Mack Agency and explore their free marketing resources at vonmackagency.com.

Follow the Von Mack Agency on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn and TikTok

Sign up to receive The Group Travel Minute here.

1:41 — Travel News: Young cruisers are driving growth for Royal Caribbean

2:50 — Road Tip: Save your back with a trolley strap

9:15 — Our best content in your inbox — free

13:37 — How Hurricane Katrina helped Marica Mackenroth Brewster find tourism

16:02 — Lessons learned from real-world tourism sales

20:48 — How to measure return on your marketing spending

23:45 — Why old-school advertising is making a comeback

27:33 — How to advertise online without being creepy

30:49 — Marketing tips for tour operators

35:55 — Can you run a marketing program on your own?

51:45 — Hot Minute: How much should you rely on social media for marketing?

See the full interview with Marica, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Visit Lincoln for making this episode possible. Learn more about Lincoln’s travel experiences for groups at lincoln.org.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Could one simple oversight bring your entire travel business to a halt?

Sheila Folk has seen it happen. In fact, as an up-and-coming travel advisor, it almost happened to her. So she started Travel Industry Solutions, a company that helps small travel businesses avoid legal and financial fiascos. She joins this episode of the podcast to discuss what travel entrepreneurs should be doing to minimize risk and avoid business nightmares.

Sheila explains why she thinks travel is “the riskiest business in the world” — and how too many travel sellers are leaving themselves dangerously unprepared. She goes into detail about avoiding credit card chargebacks and explains why proper terms and conditions can be a lifesaver for travel businesses. Plus, we have news Biltmore’s reopening after Hurricane Helen; a road tip about new airline refund rules from the Department of Transportation; and a Hot Minute about who should be required to refund travelers when their plans are disrupted.

Sheila had lots of great insights on why travel can be risky and what tourism entrepreneurs should do about it. Here’s a sample:

““There’s a lot of risk around this industry because we’re expected to know so much about every inch of the earth. I have never been in a job where I have been asked so many crazy questions. What can I say and not say that isn’t going to put my business at risk? How do I fulfill my duty of care without putting my business on the line? … There are lots of crazy things that happen that put our businesses at risk. And many people who are sellers are not thinking about those little nuances to protect their business.”

Plus, she had insightful thoughts on:

• Using your communication flow to reduce risk and increase sales
• Why you must offer travel insurance to every customer
• The biggest risks tour operators don’t know they’re taking
• How to choose a payment processor that protects your interests

Learn more about Travel Industry Solutions at travelindustrysolutions.com.

Follow Travel Industry Solutions on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.

Learn more about the DOT’s new rules on airfare refunds in this article from Travel Weekly.

Apply to attend our Spring 2025 OnSite familiarization trip in Kentucky here.

1:00 — Travel News: Biltmore reopening on November 2

2:12 — Road Tip: How the DOT’s new airline refund rules could impact you

7:59 — Join us for a familiarization tour in Kentucky

12:09 — How a midlife crisis led Sheila Folk to the travel industry

14:00 — The growing need for risk management help in travel

18:11 — Why travel is “the world’s riskiest business”

21:10 — Avoiding the pain of a credit card chargeback

24:12 — Can you copy and paste terms and conditions from a friend?

25:21 — Special risks that come with packaging tours

29:20 — Using email communications to reduce risk and increase sales

30:34 — Why you must offer travel insurance to every customer

32:48 — The biggest risk tour operators don’t know they’re taking

35:27 — How to choose a payment processor that protects your interests

50:52 — Hot Minute: Should travel sellers be responsible for airfare refunds?

See the full interview with Sheila, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

“Tourist” isn’t a dirty word. Or at least it doesn’t have to be.

Paige McClanahan is redefining the word “tourist” and the ideas that go with it. As a travel journalist and the author of “The New Tourist: Waking Up to the Power and Perils of Travel,” she is on a mission to help people understand how mindful tourism can help create a better world. She joins this episode of the podcast to discuss what tour planners can do to make tourism work better for destinations and travelers alike.

Paige shares why we should embrace the fact that we’re all tourists — and how we can be better at it. She gives examples of how tourism is working well for communities around the world and offers advice on how travel professionals can help open their customers’ minds. Plus, we have news about proposed restrictions on cruising in Alaska; a road tip about making sure passengers don’t get lost on tours; and a Hot Minute about the roles governments should — or shouldn’t — play in addressing overtourism.

Paige had lots of great insights on why it’s ok to be a tourist and how we can learn to be better tourists together. Here’s a sample:

“I don’t think the stigma around the word tourist is really helpful. I think if we own our identity as tourists, we can sort of give ourselves back the power to actually transform this massive thing we’re all part of. And we don’t see headlines about overtourism and think ‘Oh, that’s other people, that’s not me.’ … Remembering that we’re tourists is an important step we can take to owning all of the good and all of the bad that comes with tourism. And I hope it might serve as an inspiration.”

Plus, she had insightful thoughts on:

• The lifecycle of a tourism destination
• How entrepreneurs created the tourism economy
• What a “new tourist” is and how travel professionals can aid the transformation

Learn more about Paige McClanahan and “The New Tourist” at paigemcclanahan.com.

Follow Paige McClanahan on Instagram.

Find the entire Gather and Go library and subscribe to the show here.

1:40 — Travel News: Alaska voters reject cruise ship restrictions

3:00 — Road Tip: Use location services to keep customers from getting lost

9:29 — Great podcast episodes to boost your travel business

13:10 — How Paige McClanahan became an international travel journalist

16:28 — The idea that sparked “The New Tourist”

19:25 — How entrepreneurs created the tourism industry

22:30 — The lifecycle of a tourism destination

24:55 — Destinations loving — and hating — tourism

30:33 — Why it’s ok to be a tourist

32:39 — What the new tourist looks like

35:20 — How travel professionals can help make better tourists

49:41 — Hot Minute: Should popular destinations put restrictions on tourism?

See the full interview with Kyle, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Coastal Mississippi for making this episode possible. Learn more about Coastal Mississippi’s travel experiences for groups at coastalmississippi.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

There are few places more spectacular than New England in autumn. But if you want to have a great fall foliage tour without being overwhelmed by crowds, you need to work with a local expert.

Carol Sullivan might be just the expert you’re working for. Her family operates White Mountain Hotel and Resort in North Conway, New Hampshire. But far from simply offering accommodations, this organization helps group travel leaders plan and package every element of their New England experiences. Carol joins this special bonus episode of the podcast to share her favorite New England activities and give travel planners tips to streamlining their New England travel experiences in any season.

Carol tells us about the cities, towns and mountain landscapes that make New England an essential American travel treasure. Plus, she explains how tour planners can arrange ground transportation, hotels, first-class dining and all their sightseeing activities with a single point of contact.

This episode is brought to you by the White Mountain Hotel and Resort.

Learn more about the White Mountain Hotel and Resort at whitemountainhotel.com.

Contact Jennifer in the White Mountain Hotel sales department at 800-533-6301.

2:23 — What exactly are the White Mountains of New Hampshire?

4:10 — Carol Sullivan’s journey from tour operator to hotelier

5:08 — Packing New England tour products

9:38 — Can’t-Miss New England travel experiences

11:59 — New England tours beyond fall foliage season

15:44 —A different approach to tour group dining

19:30 — Enjoying the White Mountain Hotel amenities

24:26 — Making the most of the New England outdoors

27:05 — Undiscovered treasures of New England

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

There are memorable trips, and then there are magical trips.

Sandra Weinacht believes that group tours should be magical — especially tours in Europe. As the founder of Inside Europe, she has been taking groups to her native Germany, as well as Italy, Ireland and other popular European destinations — for decades. She joins this episode of the podcast to share her secrets to planning magical European trips in 2025.

Sandra tells us how she leverages the economies of group trips to create once-in-a-lifetime experience for her customers. She share tips for navigating the economics of European travel in the midst of rising prices and gives tips on where travel beginners and travel pros should travel in Europe next year. Plus, we have news about new tech tools for U.S. passport holders; a road tip about falling asleep on international flights; and a Hot Minute about common meal-planning mistakes tour operators make.

Sandra had lots of great insights on how travel planners can build magical tour experiences, whether in Europe or in any other destination. Here’s a sample:

“We organize their concerts, we prepare exchanges, and that’s where the magic happens. And when you have a certain number of people, you can privatize things, and that’s when it gets unique. You can go into the Vatican museums on private tours. Occasionally, your group gets to sing in the Sistine Chapel…. If you privatize with a larger group, it becomes really affordable. You have more buying power and more opportunities, and you can give people a better deal, and make travel affordable for young people.”

Plus, she had insightful thoughts on:

• The most common misconceptions about travel to Europe
• What European destinations are best for your first international tour
• How to manage the high price of European travel in 2025

Learn more about Inside Europe at inside-europe.com.

Follow Sandra Weinacht on Instagram and LinkedIn.

Email Sandra at sandra@inside-europe.com.

Visit our Start Here page for growing your group travel organization.

2:11 — Travel News: U.S. passports can be added to Google Wallet

3:31 — Road Tip: Sleeping on transatlantic flights

10:19 — The ultimate resource for getting started in group travel

14:33 — How Sandra Weinacht went from sports journalism to group travel

20:14 — Creating magical moments for tour groups in Europe

25:28 — The most common misperceptions about European travel

27:14 — Tips for planning your first group trip to Europe

32:23 — Undiscovered treasures for Europe travel veterans

34:37 — How to manage the high prices of travel to Europe

37:42 — Are the wars in Ukraine and Israel affecting European travel demand?

51:41 — Hot Minute: Are you planning your group tour meals wrong?

Thanks to our sponsor Malta Tourism Authority for making this episode possible. Learn more about Malta’s travel experiences for groups at visitmalta.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Are social media travel influencers full of hot air? Or do they represent legitimate opportunities for tourism professionals?

Shanay Braxton firmly believes influencers are a force for good in the travel industry. As the founder of Business in Travel, an agency that connects influencers with travel brands, she has seen firsthand how travel companies and content creators can partner for success. She joins this episode of the podcast to share how travel professionals can leverage influencer relationships to increase sales.

Shaney pulls back the curtain on the influencer economy and gives a behind-the-scenes look that goes into building a legitimate travel following. She shares ideas about how tour operators and content creators can work together and gives great advice for anyone running online advertising campaigns. Plus, we have news about falling revenues at theme parks; a road tip about make theme park visits work for your groups; and a Hot Minute about the problem of illegitimate pretenders in tourism.

Shanay had lots of insights about the the legitimacy of influencers and content, as well as the opportunities they present for tourism organizations. Here’s a sample:

“It’s starting to shift slowly, but there is the image that influencers just want to be seen. But it’s bigger than that. I call them travel marketing professionals, because they are. It takes a lot of time, money and resources to create content and educate people on travel. It’s more than just vanity. For a lot of people, it’s their passion and their legacy…. The misconception is around pay. A lot of people don’t understand what the return is for influencer marketing and how it can benefit them…. People undervalue it because they don’t know what it looks like on the back end.”

Plus, she had great things to say about:

• How much it costs to work with travel influencers
• How tour operators and content creators can partner for success
• How to integrate influencer campaigns into your marketing budget

Learn more about Business in Travel at businessintravel.co.

Follow Business in Travel on Instagram.

Find Shanay Braxton on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.

Find our 2025 Buyer’s Guide for the Group Travel Industry.

1:55 — Travel News: Theme park profits are falling

3:24 — Road Tip: Optimizing theme park visits for groups

9:05 — Your guide to issues facing group travel in 2025

14:42 — How Shanay Braxton became an advocate for travel influencers

18:57 — Are online influencers legitimate travel professionals?

24:32 — How much do travel influencers charge for sponsored campaigns?

28:02 — How to find well qualified travel influencers

29:31 — How tour operators and travel influencers can work together

33:17 — How to integrate influencer campaigns into your marketing plan

51:32 — Hot Minute: Pretenders and freeloaders in travel

Thanks to our sponsor Coastal Mississippi for making this episode possible. Learn more about Coastal Mississippi’s travel experiences for groups at coastalmississippi.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Is it possible to get travelers of every age group to travel together — and have fun doing it?

Kyle Campbell has proven that it is. A lifelong group travel planner and founder of Sudden Journeys, a boutique tour company, Kyle routinely leads trips that include baby boomers, Gen Xers, millennials and even Gen Z travelers. She joins this episode of the podcast to share how she builds and markets tours that appeal to every age group.

Kyle shares her insights about what each generation needs for successful trips; how intergenerational trips can be more fulfilling; and her secrets to creating deep and meaningful moments on the road. Plus, we have news about an online passport renewal system; a road tip about helping your travelers keep track of their passports; and a Hot Minute about a Thrillist article calling for the end of group trips.

Kyle had lots of insights about the different hopes, dreams, needs and aspirations that people of various generations bring to the group travel experience. Here’s a sample:

“[Retired people] are living out dreams they have had for decades. They have waited to travel. They’re actualizing these dreams, and they have a wealth of experience behind them in their life.

“People who are 19 to early 30s are extremely savvy with the technology, but they have a desire for the connection they have missed out on. They are worn out of working from home and online communities. They are craving connection.

“I’m having to keep all these needs in mind when I’m planning trips.”

Plus, she had great things to say about:

• Creating meaningful moments on the road
• How travel can be a gateway to healing
• Skills she learned from entry-level tourism jobs

Learn more about Kyle Campbell and Sudden Journeys at mysuddenjourneys.com.

Follow Kyle Campbell on Instagram.

Apply to attend our OnSite Familiarization Tour in Louisiana’s Capital City Region.

Read “Why It’s Time to Let the Group Trip Die” at Thrillist.

1:37 — Travel News: Can you renew your passport online?

3:17 — Road Tip: Stop your travelers from losing their passports

9:48 — Join us for a FAM in Louisiana’s Capital City Region

15:09 — How Kyle Campbell learned to be a tour operator

24:28 — The secret to planning tours for all ages

27:57 — What different generations want from group travel experiences

32:46 — Creating meaningful moments on the road

35:48 — How travel can be a gateway to healing

53:09 — Hot Minute: Is it really time to “let the group trip die?”

See the full interview with Kyle, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Coastal Mississippi for making this episode possible. Learn more about Coastal Mississippi’s travel experiences for groups at coastalmississippi.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

There’s a world of fun waiting for groups in Coastal Mississippi, and we have insider tips on how to find it.

If you’re looking for the best food, hotels and activities along Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, Zach Holifield is the guy to help you find it. A lifelong Mississippi resident, Zach has spent most of his career promoting tourism in Mississippi and now helps tour operators, group leaders and other travel professionals put together their ideal getaways in Coastal Mississippi. He joins this episode of the podcast to share his favorite places to eat, sleep and play in the region.

Zach tells us about the many cities, towns and villages along the Mississippi Gulf Coast that offer charm, history, culture and abundant seafood for visitors. Plus, he’s offering a free all-expenses-paid trip to Coastal Mississippi for one lucky Gather and Go listener and their guest. Check out this episode to find out how to register for the giveaway!

Enter the giveaway for a free trip to Coastal Mississippi at coastalmississippi.com/gtl.

Connect with Zach Holifield on Facebook.

Follow Zach Holifield on LinkedIn.

4:17 — The many faces of Coastal Mississippi

8:36 — Coastal Mississippi’s top tour group activities

11:53 — Can’t-miss restaurant recommendations on the Mississippi coast

19:50 — Authentic Mississippi cultural encounters

25:46 — Student group adventures in Coastal Mississippi

30:27 — Mardi Gras, Mississippi-style

32:59 — Win a free trip to Coastal Mississippi

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Is phone-free travel really possible?

Patrick Marsden believes that it’s not only possible — it’s thrilling. A lifelong traveler and one of the tourism industry’s leading mental health advocates, he is on a mission to help people make the most of their travel experiences by disconnecting from digital devices. He joins this episode of the podcast to share how disconnected experiences can help people rediscover the joy of travel.

Patrick talks about how he discovered the growing mental health crisis; how he helps people break their phone addictions on the road; and the the unique advantages of group travel for helping people take disconnected trips. Plus, we have news about an airline redeploying mothballed jets; a road tip about planning ahead for sweaty days; and a Hot Minute about how much work you should do while you’re traveling.

Patrick had lots of insights about how group travel can create space for people to boost their mental health through phone-free travel. Here’s one of his most significant comments:

“By encouraging guests to disconnect from their devices, they will have a better experience, and it will be more meaningful. But there has to be a business case. The guest has to want this”¦. I think there is going to be more of a groundswell among customers of having the option. I would suggest saying ‘If you want to have a digital disconnect experience, we can provide the infrastructure for you to do that.'”

Plus, he had great things to say about:

• The travel industry’s opportunity to help people find mental wellness
• Why phone-free travel is both possible and liberating
• How travel professionals can enhance pre-trip and post-trip enjoyment for their customers

Learn more about MaCher at macher.com.

Learn more about the Switch Off Take Off program at switchofftakeoff.com.

Follow Patrick Marsden on LinkedIn.

Get free downloadable resources from The Group Travel Leader at grouptravelleader.com/start.

1:31 — Travel News: American Airlines is reactivating mothballed jets

2:34 — Road Tip: Extra clothes for sweaty days

10:41 — Why Patrick Marsden left banking for travel

13:01 — How tourism can tackle the mental health crisis

17:29 — What does an authentic trip actually look like?

19:44 — Why group trips are better for your mental health

21:28 — Making the pitch for phone-free travel

27:27 — How much should travel planners push for disconnected trips?

32:55 — The science of maximizing travel enjoyment

48:35 — Hot Minute: Are you working too much when you travel?

Thanks to our sponsor Coastal Mississippi for making this episode possible. Learn more about Coastal Mississippi’s travel experiences for groups at coastalmississippi.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Knowing the right people can save you a lot of money — and a lot of headaches — when planning group tours to popular destinations. The insider’s secret to planning secret tours is to let local experts do the planning for you.

Stacy Barry shares all the details in this episode of the Gather and Go Podcast. As the second-generation owner of Sharin’ the South Tours, she and her family have been helping groups discover the best of Nashville, Memphis and the Smokies for decades. Today, she’s pulling back the curtain on the world of receptive operators and sharing the secrets she uses to plan exceptional group trips.

Stacy talks about how her local network gives her special access to exclusive experiences, how her services can help tour planners save money, and why familiarization trips are a key part of her strategy for launching an outbound tour division. Plus, we have news about Amsterdam’s changing attitude toward tourism; a road tip about building your travel delay survival kit; and a Hot Minute about curbing bad visitor behavior.

Stacy had lots of insights about how receptive operators can leverage their position to create value for traveler planners. This might have been the most interesting:

“A lot of partners give me receptive rates. I’m getting receptive rates most places, and you are not. I have that relationship with hotels and vendors. I have contracted, negotiated rates that never change, even if it’s busy season. I’m still going to get that same rate. And they’re rates that would never be for an outbound tour operator. So even if I’m planning it all for you and putting the work in, and even if I add a markup for my time, it’s still not what you would think, because my rates for things are lower than yours. It may be the same cost, but you’re not going to have to put any of the work in.”

Plus, she had great things to say about:

• How receptive operators partner with group leaders
• How she helps people find affordable hotels in crowded destinations
• Why familiarization tours are critical to her plans for expansion

Email Stacy at stacy@sharinthesouth.com.

Register for OnSite FAM opportunities at grouptravelleader.com/fams.

1:28 — Travel News: Amsterdam is trying to decrease tourism

2:51 — Road Tip: A travel delay survival kit

14:36 — How Stacy Barry found her way back to travel

19:11 — What is a receptive operator, anyway?

21:32 — A receptive tour operator’s economies of scale

24:32 — Do receptive operators play nicely with group leaders?

28:19 — Secrets for saving money in popular tourist destinations

37:03 — Using FAM tours to build an outbound business

50:03 — Hot Minute: Using FAM tours to build an outbound business

Thanks to our sponsor Coastal Mississippi for making this episode possible. Learn more about Coastal Mississippi’s travel experiences for groups at coastalmississippi.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Breakthroughs in brain science may be able to boost the joy in travel — but only if the tourism industry will embrace them.

Milena Nikolova is on a mission to help the industry do just that. As a behavioral economist and founder of BehaviorSmart, she leverages brain science and psychology to help tour companies and destinations build more enjoyable and sustainable travel experiences. She joins this episode of the podcast to introduce us to the ways behavioral insights can elevate the entire tourism ecosystem.

Milena talks about how she discovered the potential of brain science to impact tourism; how travel providers can hack the human brain to create better memories; and the scientific reasons why travelers don’t make sustainable choices. Plus, we have news about why hotel occupancy is both rising and falling; a road tip about optimizing your post-trip surveys; and a Hot Minute about tourism’s risk of losing the working class.

Milena had lots of insights about how travel professionals can leverage behavioral insights to boost they’re customers’ travel joy. This might have been the most impactful:

“Our contemporary culture of multitasking and living fast has actually reduced our ability to enjoy ourselves and benefit from holidays. In many situations, people are on holiday, but they slide on the surface of it”¦.

“One of the biggest challenges we can tackle is making sure people leave digital devices on the side and mindfully connect to where they are”¦. A guide can do miracles just by planting moments of mindfulness throughout the story they’re telling. These moments can be the most long-lasting memories people take home.”

Plus, she had great things to say about:

• The biggest scientific discovery the travel industry is neglecting
• The “say/do” gap in sustainable travel
• How behavioral insights can impact destinations for the better

Follow Milena Nikolova and BehaviorSmart on LinkedIn.

Find BehaviorSmart resources at behavior-smart.com.

Follow The Group Travel Leader on your favorite social media platforms:

• Facebook: facebook.com/grouptravelleader
• X (Twitter): https://x.com/GroupTravelPubs
• Instagram: instagram.com/thegrouptravelleader
• TikTok: tiktok.com/@thegrouptravelleader
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/the-group-travel-leader-inc.

Follow Brian Jewell on LinkedIn.

2:02 — Travel News: Hotel occupancy is rising”¦ and falling

3:28 — Road Tip: Optimizing your post-trip surveys

19:10 — How Milena Nikolova blends brain science and travel

25:54 — Why travelers don’t follow through on sustainability initiatives

32:25 — Using behavioral insights to improve destination impact

37:07 — Brain science tips for creating better travel memories

52:56 — Hot Minute: Is travel at risk of losing the working class?

Thanks to our sponsor Coastal Mississippi for making this episode possible. Learn more about Coastal Mississippi’s travel experiences for groups at coastalmississippi.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

If anyone knows how to find the best of a destination, it’s Andrew Zimmern.

The TV icon, culinary expert and travel legend has visited — and eaten — nearly everywhere. From “Bizarre Foods” to “Family Dinner,” his shows have shaped the travel tastes of people the world over. Andrew joins this episode of the podcast to share insights from his time on the road and give us the secrets to creating authentic and memorable travel experiences.

Andrew talks about his unlikely path to stardom, how travel has changed during his lifetime and what travel professionals can do to show their customers the best of the world. Plus, we have news about Americans’ growing appetite for international travel; a road tip about finding the perfect group restaurant reservation; and a Hot Minute about the impact of overtourism on American cities.

Andrew had no shortage of wisdom from his life on the road that tour operators can leverage in planning culinary trips and other kinds of adventures. But his most impactful statement might have been about the power of travel itself:

“Travel is transformative. I don’t know anything else other than personal tragedy that can change a human being. You go away on a trip, you have to ask questions, you don’t know where you’re going, you have to be curious. You take more risks. You do things you would never do at home.

“Taking all those risks, you import some of that wisdom and that healthy bravado and that curiosity. You bring that back home and it expands your horizons. You become more patient, tolerant and understanding with other people.”

Plus, he had great things to say about:

• How technology has changed today’s travelers
• How how to uncover the best local cuisine
• How to arrange “secret” meals for tour groups

Learn more about traveling with Andrew Zimmern in Sicily at modernadventure.com.

Learn more about Andrew’s shows and projects at andrewzimmern.com.

Follow Andrew Zimmern on Substack.

Access Mastercard Economic Institute’s “Travel Trends 2024” report here.

Find Gather and Go on YouTube.

1:41 — Travel News: Americans are traveling abroad in record numbers

2:53 — Road Tip: Finding restaurants for group meals

12:01 — How Andrew Zimmern went from addict to icon

17:34 — Zimmern’s take on how travelers have changed (for better or worse)

23:31 — Traveling authentically in the age of Instagram

34:17 — A new opportunity to travel alongside Andrew Zimmern

54:30 — Hot Minute: Are American cities suffering from overtourism?

Thanks to our sponsor Coastal Mississippi for making this episode possible. Learn more about Coastal Mississippi’s travel experiences for groups at coastalmississippi.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Have questions, comments or ideas for the show? Send them to us at podcast@grouptravelleader.com.

Thanks for listening!

There’s a world of business opportunity in group travel for professionals savvy enough to find it.

Case in point: Tamika Carter. After several false starts and failed attempts to succeed as a retail travel agent, she found success with groups, launching two group travel businesses and then founding Group Travel Academy. She joins this episode of the podcast to share insights from her experiences and giving advice for how to discover hidden opportunities in group travel.

Tamika talks about the biggest myths that are holding travel agents back from succeeding with groups and gives ideas about how smart travel sellers are leveraging the power of group travel in new ways. Plus, we have news about Americans’ travel plans for this summer; a road tip about keeping your travel toiletries stocked; and a Hot Minute about who’s responsible for the rising cost of travel.

On why travel agents are missing opportunities in group travel:

“There’s a myth in the industry that we as travel agents have to master individual bookings before we grow to groups. But that is a myth — that is not true. You can start with group travel and just have a group travel business and sustain your business from there. Or you can use your group travel business to funnel down to individual clients who want you to book individual trips for them, because they can see what a great job you did on the group trip they experienced with you.”

On the benefits of selling to groups:

“If you’re dealing with affinity groups, you’re dealing with one person. They’re just bringing all those other people along with them. That’s the key — work with one person and have them bring others along to fulfill your group trip”¦.

“With group travel, there’s an opportunity to eliminate so many of the challenges that are out there with regard to individual travel bookings. Because a lot of times we get calls from people with regard to individual travel. They don’t know where they want to go, where they want to travel, and have no idea about the budget. But the good thing about group travel is that you can tell them where to go, you can tell them when to travel, you can tell them about all the experiences they will have on that group trip. You just create that exciting itinerary that you can sell over and over again.”

On the importance of focus in group sales:

“People tend to get FOMO when it comes to being in the travel industry. They think they should be serving everyone, when in fact what they should be doing is solidifying themselves as an expert by identifying a clean niche and target market of the people they want to serve. It will make them an expert in the industry and help them be able to turn down business that they don’t want.“

Learn more about Group Travel Academy at grouptravelacademy.com.

Join the Group Travel Planners United Facebook group here.

Follow Tamika Carter on YouTube.

Find our “Getting Started in Group Travel” page at grouptravelleader.com/start.

Read Deloitte’s 2024 Summer Travel Survey here.

1:31 — Travel News: More Americans staying home due to travel cost

2:50 — Road Tip: Never run out of toothpaste again

12:06 — How Tamika Carter fought for her career in group travel

19:13 — Myths travel agents believe about selling group trips

23:35 — The economics of selling group travel

26:29 — Identifying non-traditional group travel opportunities

37:05 — Up-and-coming group travel ideas

54:10 — Who is responsible for the high price of travel?

Thanks to our sponsor Coastal Mississippi for making this episode possible. Learn more about Coastal Mississippi’s travel experiences for groups at coastalmississippi.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Have questions, comments or ideas for the show? Send them to us at podcast@grouptravelleader.com.

Thanks for listening!

Is there a formula for delivering a powerful tourism experience?

Joe Pine thinks there is. An acclaimed business consultant and author of “The Experience Economy,” Joe has developed a framework that helps professionals everywhere leverage the power of experience to cultivate strong customer relationships. He joins this episode of the podcast to discuss how travel businesses can succeed in the experience economy and where the future of business may be headed.

Joe shares five ways travel businesses should optimize their experiences to earn rave customer reviews. Plus, we have news about Google’s foray into AI-based itinerary planning; a road tip about the power of slowing down your tours; and a Hot Minute about whether artificial intelligence is a threat to tour operators.

On leveraging the power of experiences:

“Understand that the experience is the marketing. In today’s experience economy, the experience that is staged out there is going to determine whether people come back again and whether they tell people about it.”

On why great experiences require drama:

“Understand that when you’re staging experiences, work is theater. Your workers are on stage whenever they are in front of guests. You need to direct them to act and help them create that great experience. You need to have dramatic structure that rises up to a climax and comes back down again. If you have a flat experience where not much happens, it’s not very memorable. You need to design the time that customers spend with you.”

On the demand for transformative travel experiences:

“People increasingly desire life-transforming experiences. When we travel is when we’re most open to change. We get out of our daily quotidian lives and open up to new vistas. That’s when we expose ourselves to new ways of thinking and new ways of being. So we can change through the travel that we have.”

“A transformation is when you guide customers in achieving their aspirations. It’s through transformative experiences that we change.”

Follow the development of Joe Pine’s new book “The Transformation Economy” on Substack at transformationsbook.substack.com.

Subscribe to Joe’s Field Notes newsletter at strategichorizons.com/contact.

Follow Joe Pine on LinkedIn.

1:17 — Travel News: Google introduces AI itinerary planning

2:24 — Road Tip: The power of slowing down your trips

14:58 — How Joe Pine became an experiential business guru

19:35 — How experiences took over the economy

22:00 — Keys to competing in the experience economy

29:57 — Why transformation is the next economic frontier

37:51 — How experiences give small businesses a leg up

48:19 — Hot Minute: Should tourism professionals be worried about AI?

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Have questions, comments or ideas for the show? Send them to us at podcast@grouptravelleader.com.

Thanks for listening!

Are you delivering what your customers really want from their travel experience? What about what they really need?

Travel has incredible potential to impact people and change lives. But according to recent research data, there’s a gap between the significant experiences travelers are searching for and what the tourism industry often delivers. In this episode of the podcast, Gather and Go host Brian Jewell shares how tourism leaders can tap into the power of travel to create transformational moments for their customers.

His presentation, Untapped: Travel’s Hidden Power to Solve People’s Deepest Problems, was delivered March 21, 2024 at STS Domestic Showcase in Little Rock, Arkansas. We’re sharing the entire talk in this episode. Don’t forget to scroll down for links to the slide deck and key moments from the presentation.

Brian’s talk included lots of helpful data. Here’s a copy of the presentation slides with links to underlying research sources.

9:40 — What do people want from their travel experiences?

11:45 — Revisiting “The Case Against Travel”

16:14 — Travel’s untapped potential

19:53 — Solving travelers’ problems

27:51 — Solving destinations’ problems

30:53 — Solving society’s problems

41:53 — One question that will change your approach to travel

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a podcast that helps travel organizers and industry professionals plan, promote and lead better trips. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators and travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they work with, as well as destination marketers, museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes a featured conversation with a smart and influential travel leader. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Have questions, comments or ideas for the show? Send them to us at podcast@grouptravelleader.com.

Thanks for listening!

What is the secret to the perfect culinary tour?

If anybody knows the answer, it’s Theresa Nemetz. After founding Milwaukee Food Tours 17 years ago, she has gone on to build a culinary travel empire that takes people on delicious adventures throughout the United States and around the world. She joins this episode of the podcast to discuss how she uses food as a gateway to authentic and inspiring travel experiences.

Theresa shares how she builds relationships on the ground to uncover memorable culinary opportunities and the great lengths she goes to in search of fantastic tour guides. Plus, we have news about states mandating green practices for hotels; a road tip about the power of pocket itineraries; and a Hot Minute about the role governments should and shouldn’t play in regulating travel businesses.

On what people really want from food tours:

“They didn’t want the history lesson — they wanted to know about the neighborhood. They wanted to know about the people behind the stories. We make the food the attraction, but we focus on the stories of the people behind that food”¦. Travelers want a super-authentic experience.”

On hiring top talent:

“The secret to the secret sauce has been to pay people really well. That has been our No. 1 motivator. And to pay people really well, we have to charge our clients a really appropriate price.… In the last couple years, I have realized that the tour guide is the star of the show. I need to be able to recruit and retain those individuals.”

On emerging tour companies:

“I’m seeing an increase in the number of people who were doing day trips and now they’re converting over and they’re offering multiday opportunities. Because as a next generation of tour operators, we’re all gaining experience, and we’re all growing and learning and taking it up a notch.

“It’s bringing something new to the industry. You’re seeing higher-priced trips and action-packed itineraries that are once-in-a-lifetime experiences. I see people building that into their itineraries. And I see that next-generation tour operator figuring it out. And we’re all lifting each other up, and we’re going to make the next generation of travel really a fun experience.”

Learn more about Travel Deliciously at traveldeliciously.com.

Learn more about Milwaukee Food and City Tours at milwaukeefoodtours.com.

Learn more about Chicago Food and City Tours at chicagofoodtours.com.

Learn more about Great Lakes Shore Excursions at tourthegreatlakes.com.

Learn more about our OnSite familirization tours here.

1:30 — Travel News: States banning single-use plastics in hotels

2:36 — Road Tip: The power of the pocket itinerary

12:24 — How Theresa Nemetz became a culinary tour operator

15:34 — How to do food tours well

19:07 — Showcasing culture through food

20:33 — Building relationships with destination partners

23:41 — The secrets to Theresa Nemetz’ success

28:20 — The chief ingredient to hiring great tour guides

32:21 — Creating culinary experiences abroad

35:46 — The growing community of next-generation tour operators

37:58 — Tech tools for up-and-coming tourism entrepreneurs

50:42 — Should governments mandate green hotel practices?

Thanks to our sponsor Visit Atlantic City for making this episode possible. Learn more about Atlantic City’s travel experiences for groups at visitatlanticcity.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Have questions, comments or ideas for the show? Send them to us at podcast@grouptravelleader.com.

Thanks for listening!

“The future of travel is now.”

Danny Guerrero believes the ascendant multicultural majority in the United States will fundamentally change the travel landscape… and that the change has already begun. A tourism marketing expert, Danny joins this episode of the podcast with his research collaborator Esra Calvert to share results of an innovative new study showing what these new travelers want from their tourism partners.

Danny and Esra explain how multicultural travelers are claiming their place in the travel landscape and looking for trustworthy tourism brands that make them feel welcome. Plus, we have news about the reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and a Road Tip about dealing with chronic complainers in your travel group.

On the ascendant multicultural majority:

“100% of the growth in the last 10 years was all multicultural. As marketers, we’re looking at who is the traveling audience and who is going to be the future of travel.

“The future of travel is now. In the past five years, there has been an amazing awaking in multicultural groups to the power of travel. They’re no longer seeing travel as something they can’t do. And there’s an amazing amount of affinity groups taking to travel as a means of empowerment. They see travel as a way to explore themselves, to grow out of any limitations they may have. And it’s really a badge of honor.” — Danny Guerrero

On why travelers seek trust:

“75% of the stories included sadness. [People are looking for] personal, psychological safety. How do we create that so that consumers feel more welcome?

“Consumers know we don’t live in a perfect world. But they’re looking to brands to find solutions and bring context to it.” — Esra Calvert

On how tour operators can make people feel welcome:

“Tour operators need to know that the consumer is changing a bit. Generationally, you see in a lot of millennials a need to frequent brands and places that promote diversity and authenticity, and support local communities…. Don’t be afraid to lean into the margins when telling the story of a place. Not everything has to be hyper-luxury and hand-held. That notion is a thing of the past, where you’ve guarded travelers so much to give a travel experience that was a little bit polished and a little bit sterile. People are ready to hear the stories of marginalized folks. They want to travel and see authentic stories.” — Danny Guerrero

Download the Future of Travel report at sharemorestories.com/fot23.

Contact Danny Guerrero at danny@culturistgroup.com.

Contact Esra Calvert at esra@esracalvert.com.

1:22 — Travel News: Notre Dame Cathedral reopening plan

2:40 — Road Tip: Dealing with chronic complainers

12:24 — How Danny Guerrero and Esra Calvert became tourism analytics experts

13:50 — The importance of understanding multicultural backgrounds

16:09 — Using storytelling and AI to understand emerging travel buyers

21:14 — Why multicultural customers are the future of travel

25:45 — What today’s travel buyers are thinking about

28:48 — The importance of trust and belonging in modern tourism marketing

34:40 — How tour operators can win the hearts and minds of multicultural customers

Thanks to our sponsor Visit Atlantic City for making this episode possible. Learn more about Atlantic City’s travel experiences for groups at visitatlanticcity.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Have questions, comments or ideas for the show? Send them to us at podcast@grouptravelleader.com.

Thanks for listening!

Can tourism growth and climate action can peacefully coexist?

Jeremy Sampson believes they can. As tourism veteran and the CEO of the Travel Foundation, he is focused on helping the travel industry find ways to become both more sustainable and more profitable. He joins this episode of the podcast to share his organization’s vision for how the tourism industry can take practical steps toward a more climate-friendly future.

Jeremy explains how empathy and understanding have been largely absent from conversations about travel and sustainability and gives practical ideas about how small tourism organizations can take meaningful steps forward on environmental issues. Plus, we have news about U.S. airlines resuming service to Israel and a Road Tip about managing trash that accumulates on a motorcoach.

On discussing sustainability in travel:

“A bit of empathy is required — understanding where people might be coming from. We need to understand each other. And where organizations haven’t quite succeeded in the past in moving this message along is not necessarily understanding the day-to-day motivations, incentive and behavior of industry professionals. Because it’s not that people don’t care — it’s that the don’t necessarily know how. We need to be able to find the common points in our agendas.”

On how smaller companies can contribute to sustainability:

“I believe everyone should play a role, and I believe it’s unfair to pin a significant chunk of the responsibility on small suppliers. But I think it’s important to recognize that we not hold everyone to the same standard.

“Businesses can be a part of behavior change. They’re the ones closest to the ground”¦. When you give them opportunities to play a role in designing unsustainable options right out of the system”¦ there are thousands of things companies can do to encourage more sustainable choice.”

On navigating political divisions:

“I believe at the end of the day there’s actually a real shared agenda for change, and it’s the terminology that trips people up. When it comes to transitioning the tourism economy in a climate change paradigm, what are some of the solutions? Mostly, it’s to make the industry much more local, less dependent on big supply chains — more investment in local opportunities and local infrastructure. It also means creating new product and new ways for the industry to promote itself.”

Follow Jeremy Sampson on LinkedIn.

Follow The Travel Foundation on LinkedIn.

Access The Travel Foundation’s Envision 2030 report here.

Learn more about the UNWTO’s Glasgow Declaration here.

Access the U.S. Civil Rights Trail Travel Guide here.

1:28 — Travel News: U.S. airlines returning to Israel

2:52 — Road Tip: Traveling with trash bags

6:57 — Discover the U.S. Civil Rights Trail

12:24 — How Jeremy Sampson became a champion for tourism sustainability

16:38 — Navigating conversations about travel and climate

21:53 — A vision for tourism sustainability in 2030

30:52 — How technology is shaping tourism sustainability

33:57 — How small tourism organizations can make a big difference in sustainability

37:36 — Finding common ground in the climate wars

51:15 — Brian’s thoughts on the intersection of travel and climate

Thanks to our sponsor Visit Atlantic City for making this episode possible. Learn more about Atlantic City’s travel experiences for groups at visitatlanticcity.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Have questions, comments or ideas for the show? Send them to us at podcast@grouptravelleader.com.

Thanks for listening!

If you think travelers have been different since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, you’re not alone. Dan Christian thinks so too.

A longtime marketer who has worked with some of the world’s largest and most innovative tour companies, Dan watched firsthand as travelers re-evaluated their lives and reshuffled their travel priorities as a result of the pandemic disruption. He joins this episode of the podcast to help us understand how travelers’ thinking has changed in the past four years and how smart travel marketers can better reach them.

Dan explains which pandemic-era trends are still affecting travel and where travelers are looking for travel inspiration these days. Plus, we talk about how small business owners can leverage communications channels to reach travelers and how travel organizations can make the most of artificial intelligence tools.

On how people are choosing travel experiences:

“People reevaluated the importance of travel in their lives and the type of traveling they want to do, which is more about ‘why’ than it is about ‘where.’ That’s a very important long-term trend. Most of our travel experiences were about sightseeing. The reality is that, as travelers move forward, although they still want to see major sites, there’s another reason for why they travel. People are asking themselves ‘What do I want to get out of this experience?’ People used to start with where and when, and most businesses in our industry still succumb to this. But people are getting travel inspiration off of Instagram and TikTok. People want to go and do what they’ve seen. People are asking ‘why’ and finding many new reasons.”

On messaging for today’s travelers:

“It comes down to understanding consumer interests and trying to tap into them. Then get as close to the source of inspiration. Try to find the place they’re being inspired to book and get as close to it as possible. That means social channels.

“Rather than spending on paid media, there’s a lot small operators can do with their own channels to make their content more compelling. It really comes down to great storytelling. What is your unique selling proposition that’s going to connect with the consumer and convince them to take that action?”

On the role of artificial intelligence in travel:

“I think it’s going to be bigger than the internet and bigger than mobile.… I think everyone needs to be looking at AI and how they can leverage it to make their business more successful. The companies that are embracing AI are going to get so far out ahead of the companies that don’t simply by virtue of the way the technology works.

“There are specific AI models that have been created for you to make your business more efficient and manage your time more efficiently. I don’t think whether AI is going to make your business obsolete is the first question to be asking.”

Listen to the Travel Trends podcast at traveltrendspodcast.com.

Learn more about Acceleration Team at accelerationteam.co.

Find content from the Acceleration Team’s AI Summit on their YouTube Channel.

Contact Dan Christian at dan@accelerationteam.co.

3:47 — How Dan Christian found his tourism calling

11:43 — How a global pandemic created a new opportunity

16:13 — A status update on travel’s post-pandemic recovery

21:20 — Travel trends for 2024 and beyond

28:20 — Messaging that meets the needs of today’s travelers

33:07 — Should travel professionals fear artificial intelligence?

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Have questions, comments or ideas for the show? Send them to us at podcast@grouptravelleader.com.

Thanks for listening!

Is traveling outside your comfort zone the key to thriving in adulthood?

Kelsey Perri believes it is. A travel industry veteran and public relation director at Road Scholar, she’s on a mission to help older adults discover the benefits of educational travel. She joins this episode of the podcast to share how education-based trips help travelers broaden their horizons, keep their minds sharp and create inter-generational memories.

Kelsey explains how Road Scholar combines education and fun on the road and helps unpack the trend of married women traveling without their husbands. Plus, we have news about a proposed “green fee” in Hawaii; a Road Tip about handy items to keep in your carry-on; and a Hot Minute about the dangers of government-imposed travel fees.

On women traveling alone:

“Seventy percent of our travelers are women, and 30% go solo every year. We have a lot of solo female travelers who come with us. And at least 60% of those are married people who leave their spouses at home to come travel.”

“The number one reason is that their spouse just isn’t interested in traveling. I guess women are just a little more adventurous and willing to push themselves out of their comfort zone.”

On multigenerational travel:

“These are hands-on, interactive programs with lots of activities. They’re wonderful opportunities for grandparents to pass on their love of learning, their love of travel, and really make memories they’re going to have forever.

“The grandparents do some stretching of their minds and their abilities to learn more about themselves too.”

On the value of getting out of your comfort zone:

“When you’re aging, learning and putting yourself out of your comfort zone is so important to keep yourself sharp, to age healthily and keep yourself vital and engaged as you get older. That’s what Baby Boomers are interested in doing.”

Visit Road Scholar online at roadscholar.org.

Learn more about Road Scholar’s group program at roadscholar.org/groups

Contact the Road Scholar groups department by emailing groups@roadscholar.org.

Follow Road Scholar on Facebook or join the Women of Road Scholar group.

Learn more about STS Domestic showcase at southeasttourism.org.

1:12 — Travel News: Hawaii is considering a new “green fee”

2:22 — Road Tip: Traveling with a pen and notebook

6:52 — Join us at STS Domestic Showcase

11:57 — How Kelsey Perri developed a passion for educational travel

14:58 — How educational travel differs from normal tours

18:45 — Why married women are traveling alone

27:35 — Educational travel for multigenerational groups

33:11 — Why it’s critical to get outside your comfort zone when you travel

48:17 — Hot Minute: Should destinations add more fees to the travel experience?

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Have questions, comments or ideas for the show? Send them to us at podcast@grouptravelleader.com.

Thanks for listening!

Nothing can ruin a great trip faster than a medical emergency.

Tammy Allen has seen it firsthand. A physician, avid traveler and founder of TravelMeds2Go, she knows what causes sickness on the road — and how to prevent it. She joins this episode of the podcast to share how travelers and group leaders can prepare for medical issues and avert the disasters they can cause.

Dr. Tammy explains some of the most common travel-related ailments, tells us what travel leaders should do to prevent them and gives insight on when it’s time to call in reinforcements. Plus, we have news about cruise lines avoiding the Middle East; a Road Tip about group goodie bags; and a Hot Minute about protecting cost-conscious travelers.

On pre-trip preparation:

“Make sure you collect a pre-trip health questionnaire for all your participants. This would include their medical conditions, their allergies, the medications they’re taking, their emergency contacts. In an emergency, you don’t want to be trying to gather that information. And if you can, find out about the medical facilities available where you’re going.

“Also, take a first-aid kit tailored to the potential risks during your trip. You should have one for the group.”

On traveling with old medications:

“At some point you need to toss it and start from scratch. Anything that’s a liquid or an ointment, you need to be more careful with those, because over time, they break down. Anything that’s off color, smells funny or is a liquid instead of a gel ““ those things need to be discarded. Any pills that have changed color or broken up into pieces need to be discarded.

“I would say a year past the expiration date is probably ok, but after that you need to get rid of it.”

On when to seek help for a medical problem while traveling:

“If things are not getting better — if they’re getting worse instead of getting better — and any time you have severe pain, you need to be seen. If you feel dehydrated or very worn out, you need to be seen. Any time you have high fevers — if it’s 103, 104 — you need to be seen in someone’s clinic. Anytime you have persistent vomiting, difficulty breathing or chest pains, you absolutely need to be seen by a health care professional.

“I can’t stress enough the importance of intuition. If something doesn’t feel right, go see a doctor.”

Visit TravelMeds2GO online at travelmeds2go.com.

Follow TravelMeds2Go on Facebook and Instagram.

Connect with Dr. Tammy Allen on LinkedIn.

Subscribe to The Group Travel Minute newsletter here.

1:17 — Travel News: Cruise Lines Avoiding the Middle East

2:49 — Road Tip: Group Travel Goodie Bags

8:24 — Group travel insights in your inbox

12:39 — How Tammy Allen found her way in travel and medicine

16:11 — The most common travel-related health issues

24:04 — Do people really catch colds on airplanes?

25:32 — Best practices for staying healthy on the road

27:58 — Medical considerations for group travel

34:39 — How long can you hold onto medications?

37:02 — Treating travel illnesses before they start

51:57 — Hot Minute: Protecting cost-conscious travelers

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Have questions, comments or ideas for the show? Send them to us at podcast@grouptravelleader.com.

Thanks for listening!