Business Class: The Global Tourism Leadership Conversation – Details, episodes & analysis

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Business Class: The Global Tourism Leadership Conversation

Stephen Ekstrom

Society & Culture

Education

Business

Frequency: 1 episode/8d. Total Eps: 233

Business Class features conversations shaping the future of destinations, workforce development, regenerative tourism, leadership, and visitor economies. Presented by Learn Tourism | learntourism.org

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https://patreon.com/tourismbusinessclass
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Score global : 52%

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Building a Destination With Your Community, Not For It — with Travis Scott, CEO of Visit Big Bear

Tuesday, September 8, 2026 • Duration 20:50

Two years ago, wildfire evacuation orders emptied Big Bear Lake of 6,000 residents with nowhere to go. What Travis Scott and his team did next — coordinating free emergency housing through Airbnb.org — became the model the City of Los Angeles used during last year's wildfires.

In this episode, Travis Scott, CEO of Visit Big Bear, joins us to talk about what it looks like when a destination organization shows up as a true community partner, not just a marketing shop. We cover his path from the wine industry into destination management, his philosophy of building a destination brand with the community rather than handing it to them, how those relationships evolved into a real disaster response, and his candid take on where AI is helping — and hurting — the craft of tourism storytelling.

In this episode:

How Travis went from running wineries for 20 years to leading destination organizations
Why he believes DMOs should give communities a voice in the brand, not just deliver one to them
The story behind Visit Big Bear's wildfire evacuation housing program — and how it became a template for LA
What stewardship means beyond a "leave no trace" sign
AI's real impact on direct bookings, and the case for AI as a catalyst for better storytelling, not a replacement for it
What Travis is learning next (hint: it involves a pilot's license)

Business Class is a podcast by Learn Tourism, featuring conversations with destination and tourism leaders from around the industry.

Learn more about Learn Tourism at learntourism.org.

Business Class is brought to you by Learn Tourism, the nonprofit academy - harnessing the power of science, business psychology and adult education to advance the tourism industry and build sustainable economies. Learn how to engage your community, win over stakeholders and get more visitors at learntourism.org.

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Business Class: The Global Tourism Leadership Conversation – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

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Business Class: The Global Tourism Leadership Conversation – Details, episodes & analysis

Podcast details

Recent rankings

Apple Podcasts

Spotify

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Other99+

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RSS feed quality and score

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Other99+

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