Tourpreneur Tour Business Podcast

Amanda Walkins, associated with Wanderful and TMA, shares her expertise on fostering partnerships between tour operators and content creators. She discusses the challenges in collaboration due to training gaps and highlights the role of the Women in Travel Summit in bridging these divides. The conversation emphasizes the importance of transparency and mutual understanding for effective influencer marketing. Amanda also underscores the significance of inclusivity and learning opportunities at industry events, particularly for empowering women as decision-makers in travel.

Nikki Padilla Rivera chats with Kelly Lewis, founder of Damesly and host of the rebooted '[Women] Travel Entrepreneurs' series. In this teaser, Kelly talks about the intention behind the series and her vision for showcasing the diverse experiences of women who are building businesses in the travel industry. The stories will be valuable listening for anyone looking to start or grow a business in the travel industry, regardless of gender.https://tourpreneur.com/podcast/

Join Mitch Bach as he hosts the Tourpreneur Podcast with Dave Dennis of the Cornerstone Safety Group, Kristin Dennison, VP of Trip Experience at TrovaTrip, and Mike Megan, Executive Director with Global Expeditions Group. They discuss risk management in the travel industry and how tour operators can ensure safety for travelers.Hear their stories from TrovaTrips and Global Expeditions, learn about Cornerstone's services such as a resource library and on-call services for members, and discover how to create conditions for powerful transformation of people through travel experiences.Key timestamps:0:02:57 Risk Management and Duty of Care: A Conversation with Dave0:05:16 Discussion on Duty of Care: Legal and Moral Obligations of Tour Operators 0:07:38 "Risk Management and Safety in the Travel and Adventure Industry" 0:10:47 Prioritizing Safety in Travel Delivery and Onboarding 0:13:00 Exploring Global Risk Management and Duty of Care Obligations for Travelers 0:14:34 Risk Management Communication: A Discussion on Physical and Mental Risks 0:16:07 Crisis Management Planning for Travel Organizations 0:21:35 Discussion on Duty of Care and Secession Planning in the Workforce 0:22:44 Conversation on Crisis Response Structures and Risk Management for Field Staff 0:25:05 Conversation on Mental Well-Being and Emotional Support in the Travel Ecosystem Post-Pandemic 0:26:53 Exploring Mental Health Support for Travelers and Staff in the Post-Pandemic Landscape 0:31:27 Examining the Impact of the Pandemic on Teamwork and Mental Health in College Programs 0:33:46 Discussion on Student Burnout and Mental Health Issues in Travel Programs 0:35:32 Mental Health Training for Tour Operators and Guides 0:39:07 Setting Appropriate Emotional Boundaries for Field Staff and Office Teams 0:42:47 Setting Boundaries for Transformative Experiences 0:47:08 Conversation on Risk Management and Intentional Travel Planning 0:48:38 Discussion on Developing a Framework for the Travel Industry

In this episode of Tourpreneur, Mitch Bach interviews Chris Foxcroft-Hibbs, the owner of Happy Lifestyle Accounting. Chris specializes in working with tourism businesses, including guides and operators. The episode focuses on income taxes and strategies for tour guides and operators to consider. Chris emphasizes the importance of making sure all transactions are recorded properly and all debts are in order. He also suggests working with a good accountant to help maximize deductions and ensure profitability.The discussion emphasizes the joys that can come from proper tax planning and preparation.[00:02:52] Tax strategy for small businesses.[00:04:54] Saving on your tax bill.[00:07:09] S corp taxation benefits.[00:10:50] Finding Personal Benefit of Business Deductions.[00:14:34] Chart of Accounts and Deductions.[00:18:21] LLC vs Series LLC.[00:21:54] Budgeting strategies.[00:27:34] Educational tour operations.[00:28:57] Cash vs Accrual Accounting.[00:34:05] Profit Planning and Growth.[00:35:54] Business Metrics to Track.[00:39:51] Building a healthy accountant-client relationship.[00:42:45] Fixed pricing in accounting.[00:46:12] Operational Efficiency.Help us keep this community alive by becoming a member of Tourpreneur+ https://tourpreneur.com/plus/ - This helps us bring in speakers, run events and provide even more value to our community. All for less than a coffee per day!

With so much discussion in the Tourpreneur Community about the good, the bad and the ugly of AI, Chris Torres advises on why he feels a lot of operators are missing the revenue opportunities it brings.AI is transforming the tourism industry by offering personalised experiences, hybrid tours, and self-guided options that can increase revenue and profits for businesses.00:00 💰 AI is a game-changer for tourism businesses, that can drive revenue and profit while transforming society as we know it.01:47 💻 🌍 Hybrid tours can boost brand exposure and profits by providing both digital and in-person experiences throughout the customer journey.02:25 🤖 An AI Avatar guide offers personalised travel experiences from booking to insights during the trip.04:54 💻 🌍 Hybrid tourism experiences that blend digital and in-person elements with the help of AI can increase revenue.05:35 💰 AI-delivered self-guided options for customers unable to book in-person experiences.06:36 🌍 Mac Adventure's switch to a fully self-guided model shows the exponential growth potential of the fast-growing self-guided travel sector.07:30 💡 Understand the impact of AI on business and embrace its potential for generating revenue.Join our free community of over 10,000 tour operators

Ben Gollan, a former lawyer turned accidental entrepreneur, found job satisfaction in running sandwich tours in New York City called A Man and his Sandwich, shares insights on team building, niche food tours, and effective outsourcing.00:00 🍔 Former lawyer turned accidental entrepreneur finds job satisfaction in running sandwich tours in New York City after being inspired by niche tour operators and starting as a hobby.08:27 🏠 Airbnb's website relaunch in 2022 impacted experienced hosts' organic business, but CEO Brian Chesky promises a renewed focus on experiences in 2023.16:28 🥪 Team building should be simple, fun, and interactive, with a shareable hook like the hot dog sandwich debate, and alternative ingredients can be used if needed.22:38 🍔 Niche food tours use SEO optimization, content creation, and media coverage to expand their reach and engage with passionate audiences.26:58 🥪 A Man and his Sandwich promotes unique tourism experiences through storytelling, nostalgia, history, and purpose.33:03 🚶‍♂️ Ben shares how identifying opportunities and capitalizing on luck led to success in the tour industry, while pursuing passions and avoiding burnout in the sandwich business.37:46 👥 Learn to outsource effectively and build a team to work on your business, not in it, as demonstrated by Ben's experience running 45 online classes during the busiest week before Christmas 2020 and seeking assistance from other hosts for hosting and tours.41:45 🥪 An open face sandwich is still a sandwich... or is it?   Visit Ben's WebsiteBen Gollan on LinkedIn

Ruth Franklin, a B2B tour business expert, shares her journey to success and strategic insights. She emphasizes the importance of a concise pitch deck and meticulous documentation for partnerships. Ruth reveals how targeted networking on LinkedIn generated substantial revenue. She discusses the value of connecting with industry leaders at trade shows, urging listeners to build relationships and add value to stand out. Mat Newton joins her to highlight effective engagement strategies, showcasing how preparation and follow-up can yield significant opportunities.

Katy Clarke, an expert in building successful multi-day tour businesses in Italy, chats about her journey from IT to travel. She shares how podcasting and affiliate marketing can strengthen community connections. Katy discusses the importance of partnering with local tour operators to boost revenue through affiliate sales. Moreover, she emphasizes storytelling and unique experiences as key to sustainable tourism while fostering lifelong friendships among travelers. Collaboration, honesty, and creating value are essential ingredients for a thriving tour business.

The environmental and sustainability challenges with Professor Enda McGovern.   Pete was lucky enough to come across Enda when we were both presenting at the AI Summer School For Tourism last year in Ireland. What he had to say opened my mind to the real problems and challenges that travel and tourism faces and the ones that will dictate all our futures. He holds nothing back with very strong views on the future of tourism in this podcast!Join our free tour operator community of over 10,000 members.Become a Tourpreneur Member for even more contentEnda McGovern's LinkedIn00:00 Podcast introduces Edna McGovern and their impactful presentation.06:03 Uncertain climate change predictions, weather pattern shifts.08:50 Unpredictable weather challenges tourism in popular destinations.10:42 Climate change causing devastation and travel challenges.15:51 Difficulty grasping lifestyle changes, evolution of vineyards.19:37 Tourism industry criticized for carbon emissions.21:59 Capitalism vs nature: society's materialistic consequences.25:50 Changing travel patterns: closeness over long distances.30:03 Globalization's impact and the rise of wealth.33:51 Preparing for emergencies is not natural for individuals.35:35 Suggesting better leadership and preparedness for challenges.39:16 Concern over climate change and its consequences.41:24 Recommend upfront mention of business model benefits.44:14 Value, passion, sustainability, guidance in tourism industry.

Today we discuss travel trade representation with Mark Wright of The Adventure Connection.Mark is a 30 year plus veteran of the travel industry who now represents tour operators and destination management companies around the World.Representation is a little understand method in our community and it deserves more attention as a way to grow your tour operation.Join our free tour operator community!And become a member for even more contentThe Adventure Connection00:00 Best time for operators to make connections.05:40 Representation company acts as middleman, connecting operators.09:44 Investment in shows can be costly for operators, particularly small ones, in terms of both time and money. Representation offers a range of services to help, beyond just attending trade shows.13:28 Busy pre-event period: clients, meetings, presentations.14:39 Monitoring meetings, efficient follow-up vital, tailored templates.17:53 Supply chain and tour operators are affected. Marketing representation helps build relationships and increase business. Fan trips foster product experience and relationships.21:15 Increased travel to Europe as restrictions ease.24:49 Tour operators prioritize sustainability in DMC selection.30:56 Niche identification and ready-made products for operators.32:06 DMC developed toolkit to improve services.35:27 Product manager must understand industry, work in product development. Challenging for DMCs to approach them.40:26 We attend about 6-10 shows per year, including big ones like WCM and ITB, as well as smaller specialist shows. The rise of smaller shows is positive.42:48 Traditional industry cycle guides timing of activities.45:07 Need more staff to revive travel industry.