Tourpreneur Tour Business Podcast

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.

Mitch, Chris and Pete are joined by Douglas Quinby and Bruce Rosard of the amazing industry focused event, Arival to discuss how you should choose the event that will give you the best ROI.We discuss...Which event is right for youDoing your ground work before you attendWhy Tour Operators should attend ArivalGetting an ROI from eventsTimestamp02:38 Networking, deals, partnerships lead to bigger events. Start locally, understand event types, work hard.04:55 Lack of diverse buyers at Arrival event.08:21 Event success depends on preparation and networking.11:28 Importance of tourism industry and cultural differences.15:10 Tourpreneur community focuses on ROI, marathon events.18:23 Valuable education component helps professionalize arrival industry.20:18 Maximize time with 2 guys from Columbia.23:45 Reach out to industry contacts for guidance.26:52 Digital game trumps traditional events, save money.31:23 Events provide valuable learning opportunities for businesses.34:12 Open mind at events can create possibilities.38:05 Events with global operators expand product development.41:47 Connect, niche talk, latest trends, water sports, podcasting, cross learning opportunities.45:40 cost, accessibility, regional relevance.48:25 Remember the questions, have a great time.

Chris & Pete are joined by Travis Pittman, the Co-founder & CEO of TourRadar to discuss the trends in multi-day tours as well as its future.We discuss...How TourRadar startedDistribution through travel agentsSweet spot in length of multi-day toursHow multi-day will be affected by AIOnboarding new operators restarting in some destinationsJoin our free tour operator community of over 9,000 members: Join Tourpreneur+ for even more content:Visit TourRadar 

Roberto D'Alessandro, owner of Touring Italy, blends exceptional customer service with deep Italian cultural insights. He shares how local guides and personalized experiences can create unforgettable tours. The discussion touches on the challenges of managing guest expectations, especially in a post-pandemic landscape. Renée Ventrice emphasizes the emotional weight of community connections in tourism, showcasing how flexibility and understanding diverse cultures enhance client satisfaction. Together, they highlight the importance of resilience in the face of industry adversity.

Today we are discussing the environmental crisis and the impact on the travel industry by industry expert Stuart McDonald of Travel Fish.

Christy, Samantha and Sandra join the Women in Travel podcast to chat over a variety of topics Including how to promote safety in women's travel.Christy HunterSamantha HardcastleSandra Weinacht 

Mat Newton, founder of Tourism Tiger and an experienced player in the tour industry, shares insightful strategies for multiday tour operators. He discusses effective website design and the importance of user experience. Learn how to engage customers through storytelling and innovative marketing approaches. Mat emphasizes thoughtful tour design to enhance guest satisfaction and highlights the significance of automation in customer engagement. Finally, he explores the unique challenges and opportunities within Australia’s diverse tourism landscape.

Mitch, Pete and Chris look back at 2022 while also looking ahead to what the future brings in 2023. AI has potential to improve customer experiences in-store and online through personalized recommendations and marketing content Upcoming Demo Day with 18 resellers and OTAs presenting platforms and available for one-on-one conversations with attendees Tourpreneur website launches several new directories, including a travel technology software directory, a "green list" of vetted service providers, a directory for buying and selling tour businesses, and a Tour Operator World Map Tour Operator World Map allows operators to connect with local service providers and form partnerships Free seminar on buying and selling a tour business available "Huddles" events offer in-person workshops and advice sessions for select group of tour operators, taking place in Charleston and Lisbon in early 2023 Artificial intelligence (AI) has gone beyond hype to become a genuine, useful tool with the potential to enhance the in-store and online purchasing experiences of customers. In preparation for an upcoming Tourpreneur Sprint, we discuss how AI will revolutionise the tourism industry by, among other things, analysing customer data and providing personalised recommendations, and creating marketing content while being careful to use other tools to ensure the content is not seen as plagiarised or AI generated.We discuss the upcoming Demo Day, where 18 resellers and OTAs will present their platforms and you will have the chance to speak with the attendees one-on-one. The conference will provide venues for tour operators to promote their services.The Tourpreneur website has recently launched several new directories, which we discuss in this article. These include a directory of travel technology software, a directory of vetted service providers known as a "green list," a directory for buying and selling a tour business, and a Tour Operator World Map. The purpose of these directories is to facilitate communication and resource sharing among tour operators.Using the Tour Operator World Map, the operators can network with one another and find local service providers or form strategic partnerships. Moreover, the presenter announces the availability of a free seminar on how to buy and sell a tourism business.Finally, we discuss the upcoming "huddles," where a select group of tour operators will get together for business-oriented workshops and advice sessions. The first two will take place in Charleston, South Carolina, and Lisbon, Portugal, respectively, in the first two months of 2023. The purpose of these face-to-face gatherings is to lend a helping hand to the travel industry's frontrunners by discussing the nitty-gritty of their operations and outlining concrete steps for growth.