Tourpreneur Tour Business Podcast

Lauren Aloise, co-founder of Devour Tours and VP of Marketing at Walks-Devour Tours, shares her journey in food tourism, discussing how to scale a company while staying true to its roots. She emphasizes the importance of storytelling and strong local partnerships in creating memorable experiences. Lauren tackles the challenges of training guides to foster connections over information and adapting to modern trends like AI and social media. Her insights on maintaining authenticity amid expansion provide valuable lessons for purpose-driven businesses.

Madison Rifkin, Founder of Mount, discusses how her platform connects short-term rental hosts with local tour businesses. She dives into the power of social video, emphasizing the importance of her "Creator Army" in creating engaging content that converts viewers into bookings on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Madi shares insights on authentic storytelling and how tailored marketing strategies can meet diverse guest needs. Her journey, starting Mount at just 12, demonstrates her innovative approach to evolving the tourism sector.

Janette Roush, SVP of Innovation and Chief AI Officer for Brand USA, shares her insights on integrating AI into the tour business. She simplifies complex AI concepts for operators, encouraging them to embrace technology rather than shy away. The discussion highlights AI's transformative potential in enhancing operational efficiency and personalized services. Janette emphasizes the balance between human insight and AI capabilities and suggests practical first steps for tour operators eager to innovate while maintaining that essential human touch.

Jonathan Coleman from the Untours Foundation and Zakia Moulaoui Guery of Invisible Cities discuss tourism's potent role for social good. They explore how the Untours Foundation invests in travel ventures that spark positive community change. Zakia shares her work training people affected by homelessness to become tour guides, shedding light on their hidden stories. The conversation highlights the importance of partnerships, community engagement, and innovative funding strategies, pointing towards a future where tourism uplifts and empowers marginalized voices.

Lisa Chen, CEO of ToursByLocals, and Sherif Abiza, Chief Community Officer of Withlocals, discuss critical themes in the tour guide industry. They tackle guide poaching and emphasize the need for trust and integrity among platforms. The duo highlights the importance of personal connections and adopting a marketing mindset for guides. They also delve into leveraging video content to enhance guide visibility and the rising influence of social media in travel. Their passion for sustainable tourism shines through as they advocate for collaboration to elevate local tour experiences.

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.

Benjamin Sann is the CEO of Tour Optima, a communications platform and white-labeled app solution that offers streamlined messaging between your business and your guests, guides, and internal team.Communication is everything. How are your guests receiving the itinerary and important updates? How are they being prompted to review and tip the guide at the end of the tour? How do you handle group communication blasts throughout a multi-day tour?In this episode we talk about how to streamline your communications flow throughout the entire customer journey, from pre-booking to on-tour to post-tour follow-up. Ben is filled with great advice for when and how you should be communicating with your customers, this is a must-listen!For more show notes, visit tourpreneur.comJoin our 20,000 member Facebook group!Our annual conference, TourWeek 2025 is open for registrations!Timestamps00:00 Introduction to Tour Optima01:37 Understanding Communication in Tourism03:05 Streamlining Operations for Multi-Day Tours05:54 Enhancing Guest Experience Through Communication09:10 The Balance of Communication and Engagement10:15 Simplifying the Customer Journey12:46 Real-World Communication Challenges16:54 Ideal Communication Map for Tours20:26 Integrating Technology in Tour Operations26:20 Optimizing Customer Communication in Tours30:31 Enhancing Pre-Booking Communication Strategies32:05 Balancing Customer and Operational Journeys34:19 Streamlining Vendor Communication for Tours35:35 Leveraging Data for Marketing and Customer Insights40:05 Understanding Customer Booking Behavior44:12 The Future of Technology in Tour Operations

Katalina Mayorga, the dynamic founder of El Camino Travel, is revolutionizing group travel for millennials with a focus on community and connection. She discusses the evolution of her brand from its roots in international development and how technology is enhancing travel experiences. Katalina emphasizes building strong DMC relationships, the power of authentic community engagement, and the importance of defining your target audience. She also shares insights on personal leadership in a post-pandemic world and the emotional bonds created through travel.

We all know good reviews are important, but what deeper insights can reviews give us about our tour businesses, and our industry?To answer that, Anna Cashman, Head of B2B Brand & Insights for GetYourGuide, led an effort to analyze 3.1 million reviews with comments. Her team parsed the data to understand trends and takeaways for tour operators. She joins Peter, Chris and Mitch on the podcast to talk through what this all means for tour operators.We were surprised by some of the report's insights: What countries leave the most reviews? Who are the most critical reviewers? How many reviews ensures a successful product? Why are attractions so popular but so poorly reviewed? What kinds of tours get the best reviews?Download the Review ReportGetYourGuide's Spring 2025 Unlocked Release for SuppliersJoin GetYourGuide as a supplierAnna Cashman on LinkedIn

Well, the new Airbnb 2025 Summer Release is upon us. The just hosted a big, splashy launch event for its reboot of Experiences, and also introduced Airbnb Services, featuring dozens of categories of new bookable offerings, from nail care to personal chefs. What does this mean for the future of Airbnb, for the tours & activities sector, and for Experience Hosts? Let's dive in!Mitch Bach and Peter Syme invited Ben Gollan to share his insights. Ben is one of Airbnb's most popular NYC hosts, and has been with the platform since the early days. He's hugely optimistic about the new direction and investment Experiences is taking, and it's nice to hear his positivity about the platform's potential. Given the launch of Airbnb Services, Mitch and Pete look at what all of this means in the bigger picture for Airbnb, for the tours & activities sector, and where Airbnb gets it right and where there's room for improvement.