Tourpreneur Tour Business Podcast Sell More Tours through Partnerships (w/ Nicole Mahoney of Travel Alliance Partnership)
Jun 12, 2025
Nicole Mahoney, head of Travel Alliance Partnership, unravels the power of B2B partnerships for tour operators. She shares her journey of building collaborative models post-9/11, emphasizing the strategic benefits of resource sharing and enhanced marketing. The conversation highlights the role of Destination Marketing Organizations in boosting visibility and insights. Mahoney also addresses the importance of cultivating a 'coopetition' mindset among operators, urging a shift from fear to growth for long-term success.
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TAP's Origin Story
- TAP was started by tour operators post 9-11 to buy and sell tours from each other to fill buses.
- It evolved to include marketing, shared websites, and a strong supplier-tour operator ecosystem.
Collaboration as Strategic Imperative
- Collaboration is a core strategic initiative in travel with operational impact across departments.
- Adopting a growth mindset and collaboration as strategy is key to business sustainability.
Leverage DMOs for Promotion
- Find and build relationships with your local DMO; they know group-friendly contacts and promote tours.
- Work with their marketing teams to get on blogs and social media for better exposure.