The Best Part of Travel | Inside the Business of Destination Experiences

In this episode of The Voice of Experiences podcast, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser discuss the topic of AI in the travel industry. They review an interview with Emmanuel Marot, the Director of Product Management at Google, and explore the role of AI in trip planning and personalized recommendations. They also discuss the challenges of ranking and organizing information in the fragmented world of tours and activities. Overall, the conversation highlights the potential of AI to enhance the travel experience and provide more relevant and personalized recommendations. During the conversation, the speakers discussed the use of Gemini, Google's AI-powered search tool, for trip planning. They explored how Gemini makes decisions and recommendations, including the use of structured and unstructured data. They also discussed the role of personalization and the future of search and trip planning tools. The speakers addressed the question of whether sponsored results are factored into Gemini and the potential for payment as a ranking factor. They also touched on the challenges of confabulation and hallucinations in AI models. Key Takeaways: AI is becoming increasingly important in the travel industry, with a focus on trip planning and personalized recommendations. The challenge in the tours and activities sector is the fragmentation and diversity of options, making it difficult for consumers to choose. AI models can help in better understanding user queries and organizing information to provide more relevant and relatable recommendations. The goal is to personalize the travel experience and provide recommendations based on individual preferences and context. While AI can simplify the decision-making process, it's important to balance it with diverse opinions and options. The use of AI in the travel industry is still evolving, and there is ongoing research and development to improve the capabilities and user experience. Gemini allows Google to understand what people are saying inside the text itself, enabling better recommendations based on user preferences. Gemini considers a variety of factors, including popularity, reviews, and blog posts, to make decisions and recommendations. The future of search and trip planning is moving towards more personalized and conversational experiences. The ranking of websites in search results is influenced by factors such as information value and authority, but sponsored results are not directly factored into Gemini. AI models like Gemini have the ability to understand photos and make judgments based on visual content. The use of AI in trip planning tools is becoming more prevalent, with companies like Google and Microsoft launching their own tools. Confabulation and hallucinations can occur in AI models, but efforts are made to ground the information and prevent inaccurate or nonexistent recommendations. You can find out more about and connect with Emmanuel here: ⁠Emmanuel Marot You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here: ⁠⁠⁠2024 Experiences Traveller Outlook⁠⁠⁠ - The 2024 U.S. Experiences Traveler Outlook report delves into the state of the U.S. experiences traveler – who they are, what they want, what are they looking for in 2024 – and some key trends shaping the tours, activities and attractions sector for the coming year.  ⁠⁠⁠2024 US Tour Taker⁠⁠⁠ - The second report from the 2024 U.S. Experiences Traveler study delves into the state of today’s tour taker – who they are, what they want, and how they choose, book and share. Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stephen Joyce⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Janelle Visser⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you are not an ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Arival Insider Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our upcoming events⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

Anna Araque shares her journey from a background in hospitality and tour operations to creating immersive experiences. She discusses her time working at The Shard and her transition to consulting. Anna also talks about the impact of COVID-19 on the travel industry and the future of travel experiences. Imagine Experiences creates immersive and interactive tours and activities that allow people to step into the world of their favorite movies and stories. They aim to revamp the tourism offering by providing unique and engaging experiences that go beyond traditional sightseeing. The inspiration for their experiences comes from a love of James Bond and other iconic characters. Imagine Experiences has weathered the challenges of the pandemic and is now focused on building new products and expanding to new locations. Their goal is to create experiences that become the best part of people's lives, offering purpose and connection with people. You can find out more about and connect with Ana here: Ana Araque Imagine Experiences You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here: ⁠⁠2024 Experiences Traveller Outlook⁠⁠ - The 2024 U.S. Experiences Traveler Outlook report delves into the state of the U.S. experiences traveler – who they are, what they want, what are they looking for in 2024 – and some key trends shaping the tours, activities and attractions sector for the coming year.  ⁠⁠2024 US Tour Taker⁠⁠ - The second report from the 2024 U.S. Experiences Traveler study delves into the state of today’s tour taker – who they are, what they want, and how they choose, book and share. Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stephen Joyce⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Janelle Visser⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you are not an ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Arival Insider Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our upcoming events⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

In this conversation, Catherine Warrilow discusses her journey into tourism, travel, and brand strategy. She emphasizes the importance of targeting a specific demographic and differentiating small operators in a competitive landscape. Catherine also highlights the significance of consistency in brand messaging and building brand recognition for small operators. She shares insights on measuring success and conversions in the experiences space. Finally, Catherine explores the concept of building a community and nurturing relationships with customers. Takeaways Target a specific demographic and tailor your messaging to engage that audience. Consistency in brand messaging is key to standing out and building recognition. Building a community and nurturing relationships with customers can lead to advocacy and future sales. Measure success based on engagement and conversions, not just vanity metrics. You can find out more about and connect with Catherine here: ⁠⁠⁠Catherine Warrilow You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here: ⁠2024 Experiences Traveller Outlook⁠ - The 2024 U.S. Experiences Traveler Outlook report delves into the state of the U.S. experiences traveler – who they are, what they want, what are they looking for in 2024 – and some key trends shaping the tours, activities and attractions sector for the coming year.  ⁠2024 US Tour Taker⁠ - The second report from the 2024 U.S. Experiences Traveler study delves into the state of today’s tour taker – who they are, what they want, and how they choose, book and share. Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Stephen Joyce⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Janelle Visser⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you are not an ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Arival Insider Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our upcoming events⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠!

In this episode, Janelle talks with Jessica Dante, Founder of Love and London, a social media content creation company that is focused on providing content for travellers coming to London. Jessica talks about the inspiration for the company as well as their strategy behind using video and how their content has changed over time. Jessica also provides some useful tips on how tour operators can use video to promote their business on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. You can find out more about and connect with Jessica and Love and London here: ⁠⁠Jessica Dante - Love and London https://loveandlondon.com/ http://instagram.com/loveandlondon You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here: 2024 Experiences Traveller Outlook - The 2024 U.S. Experiences Traveler Outlook report delves into the state of the U.S. experiences traveler – who they are, what they want, what are they looking for in 2024 – and some key trends shaping the tours, activities and attractions sector for the coming year.  2024 US Tour Taker - The second report from the 2024 U.S. Experiences Traveler study delves into the state of today’s tour taker – who they are, what they want, and how they choose, book and share. Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Stephen Joyce⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Janelle Visser⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Jeff Roe.⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you are not an ⁠⁠⁠⁠Arival Insider Pro⁠⁠⁠⁠, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of ⁠⁠⁠⁠our upcoming events⁠⁠⁠⁠!

In this episode, Stephen, Janelle, and Jeff speak with Peter Brown, Director of Business Development at Big Bus Tours.  Peter is a long time member of the “Best of Part of Travel” club.  He’s got over 20 years of experience in tours, activities, and attractions working for companies like Big Bus, Walks / City Experiences, Peak Adventure Travel, and Trek America where he learned to play guitar!  He is truly a Voice of Experience. You'll learn more about Peter's journey from tour guide, to risk management professional, to head of businesses development for one of the most recognized sightseeing brands in the world. You can find out more about and connect with Peter here: ⁠Peter Brown - Big Bus Tours Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, ⁠⁠⁠Stephen Joyce⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Janelle Visser⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠Jeff Roe.⁠⁠⁠ If you are not an ⁠⁠⁠Arival Insider Pro⁠⁠⁠, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of ⁠⁠⁠our upcoming events⁠⁠⁠!

CEO and Co-founder of Arival, Douglas Quinby, sits down with Scott O'Neil, CEO of ⁠Merlin Entertainments⁠. Merlin is one of the largest attractions companies in the world with brands including Madame Tussauds, Legoland, the London Eye, and many others. In this conversation, Scott shares his insights on ai, leadership, entrepreneurship, family, and more. The conversation was originally recorded at the Arival 360 event in Orlando. You can find out more about our guest here: ⁠Scott O'Neil - CEO Merlin Entertainments⁠ ⁠Douglas Quinby - CEO and Co-founder of Arival⁠ Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, ⁠⁠Stephen Joyce⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Janelle Visser⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠Jeff Roe.⁠⁠ If you are not an ⁠⁠Arival Insider Pro⁠⁠, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of ⁠⁠our upcoming events⁠⁠!

In this episode, your hosts Janelle and Stephen discuss online and offline marketing with interviews from Nate Andrews of Blend Marketing, Brennen Bliss of Propellic, and Renee Ventrice of Cork & Keg Tours. Included in the episode are some references to resources that you might find useful including: Arival Guide to Marketing with Google The 2024 Experiences Traveler Outlook The 2024 Tour Taker Report You can find out more about our guests here: Nate Andrew - Blend Marketing Brennen Bliss - Propellic Renee Ventrice - Cork & Keg Tours Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce, Janelle Visser, and Jeff Roe. If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!