Peter McGovern, a seasoned entrepreneur with a passion for international education gives us his forward-thinking approach to building successful teams. From creating detailed scorecards for potential candidates to embracing diversity and fostering strong internal communication, Peter and Nikki explore the practical strategies and wisdom necessary for nurturing an international team and the critical role of company culture in achieving sustainable growth. Mentioned in this episode: Sponsored...

Mitch Bach talks with Brian Jewell, the Vice President and Executive Editor of Group Travel Leader, a media company representing tens of thousands of tour operators, travel agents, trip planners, many of whom have been in business for decades. Brian provides endless free resources for his community of small travel provider, and has learned countless lessons from decades in the industry. There's a whole community of small, outbound multi-day tour operators who have been in business since the...

In this episode, Dan & Casey from Untethered Media join Chris to delve deep into the strategies that make your marketing click. From the subtle art of Facebook ads that work like modern-day flyers, to the critical role of a well-designed website, we're covering all the bases. We'll explore why it's not just about selling but building trust with potential customers and how the first impression your site makes can be the deal-breaker. Mentioned in this episode: Sponsored by Google 'Things...

Mitch Bach talks with Corey William Schneider, founder of the New York Adventure Club, about his unique approach to building a tour business focused on delivering unique, special-access experiences to primarily a crowd of locals. From those experiences, which grew out of his personal desire to explore more of his home of New York City with other likeminded friends, he pivoted during Covid towards a wide variety of virtual tours. Today the Adventure Club still does both. Corey's story can help...

Mitch Bach speaks with Jessica Off, founder of Guess Where Trips, an e-commerce company creating physical and digital surprise road trips for customers across Canada and the U.S. Jessica is a serial travel entrepreneur, including work at G Adventures. In this episode, she talks about what led her to start an e-commerce product-based travel business, after looking into tour operating and multi-day trips. This episode will give tour operators the inspiration to think about ancillary product...

Mitch Bach speaks with Jessica Off, founder of Guess Where Trips, an e-commerce company creating physical and digital surprise road trips for customers across Canada and the U.S. Jessica is a serial travel entrepreneur, including work at G Adventures. In this episode, she talks about what led her to start an e-commerce This episode will give tour operators the inspiration to think about ancillary product revenue streams that can complement their in-person business, utilizing the same...

In this follow-up episode, our hosts Chris Torres, Mitch Bach, and Peter Syme delve into the increasing use of AI in the travel industry, emphasizing its impact on creating new products and services. They discuss the strategic challenges of AI adoption and the potential for customized experiences at scale, while also stressing the importance of maintaining a human touch in the digital age. The hosts raise concerns about the commercialization of the travel industry and the potential negative...

Welcome to the Tourpreneur Call-in Show, where tour operators and travel industry professionals bring their burning questions to the table. Today, in our call-in episode, join hosts Chris, Mitch, and Peter as they tackle key topics around AI, attracting cruise ship agents and marketing to cruise customers, as well as questions around purchasing an existing business. 05:43 Consider hotels for city stays to personalize experiences. 10:16 Embrace failure as part of creative process. 13:41...

In this episode of Tourpreneur, host Peter Syme welcomes special guest Marius Nigard to explore the exciting intersection of AI technology and the travel industry. Marius shares insights into the potential of AI-driven tools to personalise and enhance the travel experience, from providing self-guided audio tours to advising on optimal visiting times for popular attractions. As they delve into the economic and collaborative implications of utilising AI-generated content, they also emphasise...

Chris Torres kicks things off by discussing the three paths for business owners: low road (staying small), middle road (scaling up to a moderate size), and high road (scaling up to a big company), emphasizing the importance of aligning these choices with personal and business goals. Mitch Bach joins in to emphasize the significance of personal fulfillment and passion in business, while Peter Syme shares valuable insights and advice on navigating potential industry disruptions in...

In today's episode, we have a special guest joining us - Jen Fein, the CEO and head of product at YouLi (https://go.youli.io/). We'll be discussing the fascinating journey of YouLi, a platform that generates personalised travel itineraries, and how it has been transforming the travel industry. Get ready for an insightful conversation as we explore the importance of email marketing, the rise of unique group travel experiences, and the challenges and rewards of being a female founder in the...

Psychologist Dacher Keltner is a world-renowned expert in all things emotion. He teaches at UC Berkeley, and is latest book is Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life. Keltner speaks with Mitch about the role of emotions like awe in travel experiences, and what we as tour operators should be thinking about in order to craft these kinds of moments on tours, whether they're 3 hours or 10 days long. Some topics we cover: dissecting what we mean by...

Prepare to get enlightened as we have an engaging chat with Catherine Warrilow, the former marketing powerhouse behind Days Out. Catherine brings her unique insights to the table, shedding light on the importance of authenticity in branding. We dive deep into the significance of aligning a brand with customer's needs, leveraging the power of storytelling, and the irreplaceable role of a well-knit team. (0:00:00) - Authenticity and Personal Branding in Brands Brand strategy, customer need,...

Mitch Bach begins Tourpreneur's IMPACT series with an interview with Kat Brogan of Mercat Tours in Edinburgh, Scotland, whose mission is to "make meaningful connections" through the power of storytelling. The end of the interview encapsulates the point of this new series, so be sure to listen to the end. Our IMPACT podcasts are about how travel companies around the world answer the questions: what are you doing to make a meaningful impact in your business, community and the tourism...

Mitch Bach sits down with Joe Martin to discuss corporate bookings. Joe pivoted his marketing agency to focus on getting tour operators more corporate bookings, to reduce your dependence on tourists. Tourist come and go, often only book you once, and are dependent on the changing global tourism markets. Producing private, corporate team building experiences can be a source of recurring, stable, profitable revenue for your business. This episode is jam-packed with helpful tips on website...

Martin shares insights into the VAT (Value Added Tax) system in Europe and how it affects UK tour operators, particularly since Brexit. We learn about Tom's (Tour Operators Margin Scheme) and its role in simplifying VAT calculations for businesses operating across European countries. However, with the UK's departure from the EU, outbound travel is now zero-rated, raising concerns about potential administrative challenges as different member states impose varying VAT registration...

In this episode we host a discussion with Daniel Alejandro Velásquez González, Founder and COO of Homefans—a sports experience marketplace—where travellers can book unique sports experiences anywhere in the world, hosted by fully-vetted local hosts. Mentioned in this episode: Sponsored by Google 'Things to do' Want more direct bookings and greater exposure on Google? Then go check out Tourpreneur's free course on using Google 'Things to do', a new program offering tour operators a chance to...

Mitch talks with Catherine Prather of the National Tour Association (NTA) about their Travel Exchange conference, and how the buyer appointments, networking sessions, and other events can help grow your tour business. Mentioned in this episode: Sponsored by Google 'Things to do' Want more direct bookings and greater exposure on Google? Then go check out Tourpreneur's free course on using Google 'Things to do', a new program offering tour operators a chance to display their tours across new...

This episode is a snippet of a Guest Coaching session, available for Tourpreneur Group Coaching members.  Guest Coach Komal Darira (Women for World) will share how she built mostly female guide teams in Delhi, a city where being a tour guide is still not considered an ideal career for a woman. While her destination is specific, you'll walk away with some ideas on how, to build a truly diverse guide team, you might need to think outside of the box. ...

Conversation with Neil Witten on how tour operators can be highly profitable and be a force for good at the same time as having a very clear purpose.   An engaging listen about how difficult and challenging doing business with a purpose is but one that when done correctly is highly rewarding.   Join us for Tourpreneur Connect Seville, November 27-30, 2023 https://tourpreneur.com/connect/   For those interested, we recommend you check out Neil's book: https://amzn.eu/d/0TLas5o Mentioned...

In this far-ranging conversation, Mitch and Claire Bown — two tour guide trainers — dive into the state of tour guiding today, and the skills that make a guided experience truly powerful.   Find out more about Claire - https://thinkingmuseum.com/speaking/   Join us for Tourpreneur Connect Seville, November 27-30, 2023 https://tourpreneur.com/connect/   Mentioned in this episode: Sponsored by Google 'Things to do' Want more direct bookings and greater exposure on Google? Then go check...

On this episode of our entrepreneur series with Kelly Lewis, we hear from Stephanie Flor, founder of a luxury travel company that focuses on providing a unique travel experience through a beauty lens. Join us for Tourpreneur Connect Seville, November 27-30, 2023 https://tourpreneur.com/connect/ Sponsored by https://tripadmit.com/tap-to-tip/ TripAdmit’s powerful digital tipping solution that doesn’t require an app or any additional hardware, enable guests to tip without cash and guides to...

In this roundup, Mitch, Chris, Pete and Nikki are joined by our multi-day podcast host Mat Newton! Today we talk about Mat's Podcast, the importance of owning your own marketing accounts, Pete at the Travel Tech Conference and news on our venue for Tourpreneur Connect! Join us for Tourpreneur Connect Seville, November 27-30, 2023 https://tourpreneur.com/connect/ Sponsored by https://tripadmit.com/tap-to-tip/ TripAdmit’s powerful digital tipping solution that doesn’t require an app or any...

In this roundup, Mitch, Chris, Pete and Nikki chat about the sale of Rezdy, the growth of content creators in our community and the opportunity this can bring to operators, the power of long-form video in marketing and much much more! Sponsored by https://tripadmit.com/tap-to-tip/ TripAdmit’s powerful digital tipping solution that doesn’t require an app or any additional hardware, enable guests to tip without cash and guides to receive payments seamlessly. Our tipping solution is entirely...