Traveling Tribes

The latest episode of Traveling Tribes features a conversation between host Jeff Gayduk and guest Tim Hines. Tim, a seasoned marketer, shares insights into leveraging AI in the travel industry.

Tim's background in marketing spans over 20 years, primarily focusing on fractional CMO work. He emphasizes the importance of helping struggling companies jumpstart their marketing efforts. With experience in technology and travel sectors, Tim highlights the intersection of marketing and travel, offering valuable guidance to businesses in this space.

The conversation delves into the role of AI in revolutionizing travel experiences, from operational efficiencies to personalized recommendations for travelers. Furthermore, Tim shares practical advice for small travel businesses and startups looking to leverage AI to compete with larger players. In addition to discussing AI, Jeff and Tim touch upon Tim's book, "The Marketing Starter," which explores how an entrepreneurial mindset can enhance marketing strategies.

In this captivating episode of the Traveling Tribes Podcast, the charismatic host Jeff Gayduk invites distinguished guests from Heritage Clubs International, the premier bank marketing organization in North America. Joining the conversation is Ted Nelson, Andy Ziegler, and Michael Ziegler. Listen as they delve into the fascinating origins of Heritage Clubs International and unravel the organization's pivotal role in supporting the group travel industry.

Listeners are treated to insightful discussions on the unique services provided by Heritage Clubs International and its significant impact on the bank travel sector. The podcast explores the organization's close-knit relationship with a vast customer base, predominantly comprising Midwest community banks, highlighting the symbiotic connection between finance and travel.

A major highlight of the episode is the revelation of Heritage Clubs International's upcoming Peer Group event in Chicago, scheduled from February 26th to March 1st. The hosts and guests share their enthusiasm for this gathering, anticipating valuable insights and collaborative discussions within the community.

As the episode unfolds, the conversation pivots towards Heritage Clubs International's ambitious growth plans for the coming year. Listeners gain valuable insights into the strategic vision that propels the organization forward, leaving them inspired by the dynamic synergy between finance, travel, and community building. Tune in for an engaging exploration of Heritage Clubs International's journey, present endeavors, and promising future on this Traveling Tribes Podcast episode.

In this episode of the Traveling Tribes Podcast, host Jeff Gayduk sits down with Catherine Prather, the dynamic representative from the National Tour Association (NTA), to delve into the challenges facing the travel industry. Prather sheds light on the ever-evolving landscape, emphasizing the resilience and adaptability of tour companies amidst global uncertainties.

A highlight of the discussion is the Tourism Cares sustainability program, spearheaded by NTA, aiming to foster responsible tourism practices. Prather shares insights into how the program addresses environmental and social impact concerns, ensuring a more sustainable future for the travel industry.

The episode explores the emergence of innovative tour companies, navigating shifts in consumer preferences and technological advancements. Prather emphasizes the importance of staying ahead of the curve and adapting to the changing demands of travelers.

As the conversation unfolds, listeners gain a sneak peek into upcoming National Tour Association events, providing a glimpse into the exciting developments and networking opportunities within the industry. From tackling sustainability challenges to celebrating the growth of new enterprises, this episode is a comprehensive exploration of the current state and future prospects of the travel industry, presented by an influential figure at the forefront of these dynamic changes.

G Adventures is a social enterprise as much as a small group travel company. They have been pioneers of community tourism for 30 years. Their tours, created by building meaningful relationships with local communities, directly benefit the people and places they visit.

Girls Who Travel is a community dedicated to radically redefining travel to be inclusive, sustainable, and empowering. We believe travel can happen any time you explore beyond your boundaries and we're here to support you on your journey!

With Railbookers, booking a train vacation is easy, stress-free, and tailored to meet your specific needs. They offer a wide range of customizable train vacation packages that include transportation, accommodation, and activities. Their expert travel consultants work with customers to create a personalized itinerary that fits their budget and travel preferences.

Nicole Mahoney owns two companies, and Break the Ice is a marketing agency that works exclusively in the travel and tourism space. They have clients all across the country, a few international, but primarily in the Northeast and US based and they specialize in public relations strategy and digital marketing.

Nicole also has her own podcast, Destination On The Left which she's been doing for seven years, "...speaking with people all literally all over the world from all segments of the tourism industry, which is really exciting for me and helps kind of expand my knowledge and my team's knowledge and of course our listeners knowledge of everything that's happening in travel and tourism."

Travel Alliance Partners is a collaborative organization that serves tour operators and travel buyers, where they collectively co-market together and collaborate together, maximizing what they can for all their customers.

Great Lakes Shore Excursions is a company that provides guided tours and shore excursions for cruise ship passengers visiting ports of call along the Great Lakes. Great Lakes Shore Excursions offers a variety of tours, including city sightseeing tours, cultural and historical tours, outdoor adventure tours, and food and drink tours. The tours are led by knowledgeable local guides who are passionate about sharing the unique culture, history, and natural beauty of the Great Lakes region with visitors. Great Lakes Shore Excursions has received high praise from customers for its informative and enjoyable tours, and is a popular choice among cruise ship passengers looking to explore the Great Lakes.

Milwaukee Food & City Tours is a company that offers guided tours of the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with a focus on exploring the local food and drink scene. The tours offered by Milwaukee Food & City Tours range from walking tours of historic neighborhoods to bus tours of breweries and distilleries, and include stops at local restaurants, markets, and other food-related destinations. Along the way, participants learn about the history, culture, and architecture of Milwaukee while sampling a variety of delicious foods and beverages. Milwaukee Food & City Tours has received numerous awards and accolades for its tours, and is widely regarded as one of the best food tour companies in the Midwest.

Chicago Food Tours is a company that offers guided food tours of the city of Chicago, Illinois. The company's tours are designed to showcase the diverse food culture of the city, from traditional Chicago-style hot dogs and deep-dish pizza to more contemporary and international cuisine. Chicago Food Tours offers a variety of tours, including walking tours of neighborhoods like Chinatown and Wicker Park, as well as bus tours that explore the city's iconic landmarks and food scene. Along the way, participants learn about the history and culture of Chicago, and sample a variety of delicious foods and beverages. Chicago Food Tours has received numerous awards and accolades, and is considered one of the top food tour companies in the city.

Travel Deliciously offers customized travel planning and booking services. Travel Deliciously's services are designed to help travelers plan and book unique and personalized travel experiences, whether it be for a romantic getaway, family vacation, or solo adventure. The company works with a network of trusted travel partners to provide clients with access to exclusive perks and experiences. In addition to travel planning, Travel Deliciously also offers a blog with travel tips, inspiration, and destination guides.

Concept Attractions is a company that specializes in the design and creation of unique and immersive entertainment experiences. With a focus on creating engaging and memorable attractions, Concept Attractions offers a wide range of services to its clients, including concept development, design, fabrication, installation, and ongoing support.

The company's portfolio includes a diverse range of attractions, including interactive exhibits, immersive environments, themed entertainment, and virtual reality experiences. From museums and theme parks to corporate events and retail spaces, Concept Attractions has worked with a variety of clients across different industries to create customized experiences that captivate and entertain audiences.

Concept Attractions prides itself on its ability to combine creativity, technology, and storytelling to create immersive environments that transport visitors to different worlds and eras. Whether it's a high-tech interactive exhibit or a fantastically themed attraction, the company's team of designers, engineers, and project managers work closely with clients to bring their vision to life.

In addition to its design and fabrication services, Concept Attractions also provides ongoing support to ensure that its attractions remain engaging and relevant over time. This includes regular maintenance, updates, and enhancements to keep attractions fresh and exciting for visitors.

Overall, Concept Attractions is a leading provider of innovative and immersive entertainment experiences, with a commitment to delivering exceptional quality and customer service to its clients.

Riviera River Cruises is a UK-based company that specializes in river cruises throughout Europe. The company was founded in 1984 and has since become one of the leading river cruise operators in the UK. Riviera River Cruises offers a wide range of river cruise itineraries on some of Europe's most beautiful waterways. Jeff Gayduk welcomes their Vice President of Sales & Marketing in North America this week to discuss how Riviera River cruises differentiates itself, popular river cruises, unique types of river cruises, the river cruise marketplace and more!

One of the unique features of Riviera River Cruises is that the company operates its own fleet of ships, which are all custom-built to provide an exceptional river cruising experience. Each ship is elegantly designed and features spacious cabins with ensuite bathrooms, as well as on-board amenities such as restaurants, bars, and lounges.

Riviera River Cruises also prides itself on providing exceptional customer service and offers a variety of excursions and guided tours as part of its cruise itineraries. These excursions give passengers the opportunity to explore the local culture, history, and cuisine of the destinations visited on the cruise.

This week, give a warm welcome to Tami Manton from Group Tix & Tours. Before Covid, this company provided group tickets to non-Broadway theater events in Chicago and is now expanding to different locations and tour ticket offerings for groups. In this episode, hear about how Tami got her start in the business, her advice for attracting and retaining clients, the current group travel booking market, and what travelers are looking for on their next trip. 

"As much as I saw theater as a child, I didn't really embrace that love for it until then, and then I just had so much fun putting people in." - Tami Manton

Tami has not only been exploring the Chicago Theater scene, but has recently started traversing, researching, and organizing trips in Detroit, Michigan. Having grown up a few minutes away from the city, Tami admits that she never truly explored it until her colleague, Kris Hoff of Happy Times Tours, encouraged a partnership to expand the tour opportunities in Detroit. 

"People have really embraced the uniqueness of what we are offering." - Tami Manton

A warm welcome to Fred Dixon, the President and CEO of NYC & Company, New York City’s official destination marketing organization. With more than 30 years of experience in the travel industry, Dixon has the overall responsibility for developing and implementing New York City’s tourism, meetings, and convention development strategy.

In this episode, Fred Dixon and Jeff Gayduk dive in to the state of travel business in New York City, the recovery rates of business sectors, news about conventions and meetings in NYC, local

attractions, the old classics, exciting new additions, what struggles the tourism bureau faced during Covid-19 and the inbound travel market.

"…the New York you know and love is there…the theaters are full with productions and broadways back to its cycle of shows opening, running their life and then closing and new ones coming in, which is incredibly exciting and we're seeing with the museums and the major exhibitions, you know, a calendar that's chock full of events." - Fred Dixon

"Organizations like ours, you know, it is really about keeping the faith and keeping the focus and support of the community. We're so fortunate in New York to have an amazing industry of suppliers and supporters and stakeholders that really kept the faith throughout everything that was going on." - Fred Dixon

In this episode, learn about Meegan's background as a special education teacher, her personal struggles with accessibility, her journey to the creation of AbleVu, and how this technology helps both destinations and travelers assess, plan and expand their accessibility opportunities.

"I have talked to hundreds and hundreds of people with disabilities that have said they feel embarrassed or like a nuisance calling and asking questions all the time, it just becomes tiring calling businesses to ask their accessibility. AbleVu is a way to anonymously ask a question on the platform."

As a walkable city, Savannah has lots of outdoor space, they have an island which is he beach community, just 20 minutes away. The overwhelming majority of activities that people can do in Savannah are outdoor spaced, leaving plenty of activities for travelling groups to visit end enjoy the authentic America that Savannah offers. Visit Savannah has a handy website that you can visit to learn more. 

Clayton joins our Traveling Tribes podcast this week from Sacramento, California with over 40 years of touring experience and currently working with Sports Leisure Vacations.

This episode features Clayton's career adventures, the challenges planning travel can be in the current market, Sports Leisure Vacations orientations and outlook for travel, and what Clayton is excited about in the travel industry.

At Sports Leisure Vacations, the tours are more than just sports games, with high end senior leisure tours and action with education components added in. Clayton himself doesn't just book rooms, he is the tour escort, he goes to the destination, and all of their leaders operate this way to improve their next trip with groups.

Explore your city or your world with Sports Leisure Vacations. Making travel dreams come true for over 30 years!

Jen Halboth joins former colleague Jeff Gayduk to discuss her new role as Chief Executive Officer of Riverside Luxury Cruises, with personalized service, serene spaces with impeccable design and sumptuous cuisine. Their fleet of all-suite river ships let travelers experience the culture and enchanting landscapes of Europe while delighting in the amenities and comforts provided in luxury hotels the world over. 

Listen to this episode to hear about Jen's professional journey, the growth of the luxury travel market, exciting ship developments within Riverside Luxury Cruises, redefining Riverside's brand outreach both to customers and travel advisors, Jen's adventures within the company, and her plans for reaching customers through technology.

"This is kind of an opportunity for me to use all my brains and to help craft the brand's story, help introduce to American travelers and travel advisors…you don't get those chances often in life and I'm very grateful to take the leap…" - Jen Halboth

Riverside Luxury Cruises is about to become your new favorite way to travel. The Riverside Mozart sets the standard for beauty and design on the river and now she is joined by two ships that set the bar in luxury river cruising.

A new year with a new Traveling Tribes podcast guest, we welcome Michael Lundquist from Mayflower Cruises & Tours. With more than a decade of group travel industry experience, hear how Michael has kept up with the need for education around group travel. Groups make up 90% of the business at Mayflower, and Michael spends much of his time promoting the benefits of group travel with Mayflower.

Michael's own cruise excursions on an Emerald Cruise to learn about the amenities and inclusions on the ship showed him how Mayflower delivers a river cruise concept on the ocean, and that's how the River Cruise Azura was built for up to 100 passengers with 73 crew members, personal cabin attendants and a free spa. With less people, more crew, and a luxury setting, the ship is the next step in the marketplace, creating a river cruise experience that rivals the cruise ship crush.

With Mayflower's flexible services, you can learn how to inspire a group into traveling together.

Although times are tough, Mayflower was able to weather it because the connectivity of their network. The tours are designed for travelers looking for the fullest travel experience at a great value. Offering over 100 itineraries annually, travelers can choose from tours on six continents, utilizing many different travel styles, including river cruising, special event departures, national parks adventures, seasonal excursions, domestic and international guided holidays. Look forward to new trip announcements, diverse trip packages for any sized group, and expertise from a group travel expert in this episode of Traveling Tribes.

Mayflower Cruises & Tours, LLC, is a division of the Scenic Group, located in Lisle, IL. Celebrating 40 years of business in 2019, Mayflower’s mission is to create Life Enriching Experiences and give travelers the trip of a life-time at each and every destination. Since 1979, the team at Mayflower has been providing individual and group guided cruise and tour arrangements within the United States and around the World.

If you haven't heard of them, The Travel Institute is a non-profit, independent organization that collaborates with industry leaders to create and deliver relevant, meaningful and rigorous coursework and travel professional education. In this episode of Traveling Tribes, Jeff Gayduk is joined by their president, Diane Petras, as they discuss the Travel Institutes dedication to educating future travel agents, the current market for travel agents, and how the market continues to evolve for the better. 

The Travel Institute itself has continuously evolved over its 50+ year history to maintain its role as the global leader in travel industry education and certification while staying true to their mission: dedicated solely to advancing professionalism in support of individual and industry success.

Using exclusive proctored, closed-book testing to maintain the integrity of the credentials and the standards they represent, The Travel Institute has certified more than 27,000 Certified Travel Associate (CTA®), Certified Travel Counselor (CTC®), and Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE®) graduates and requires continued education to maintain certifications. Certification program graduates utilize our digital credentials search platform as a validation process  and marketing tool to substantiate their expertise with clients and stakeholders. The Travel Institute also administers the Travel Agent Proficiency, or TAP℠, exam. The TAP exam is used widely by industry organizations to confirm students new to the industry demonstrate a mastery of travel industry basics.

A trusted partner to industry organizations and educational institutions alike, The Travel Institute has also provided continuing education to hundreds of thousands of agents through specialist and business management courses, webinars, and in its online learning Lounge for premium members. The industry benchmark for educational excellence, The Travel Institute is credited by many successful agents and high-profile industry leaders for their success.

Explore your one stop shop in group travel to the South with Chief Marketing Officer Stacy Barry. Sharin’ The South is a family-run business that plans full itineraries to handle motor coach, accommodations, and all meals, tours and attractions. Visit their website to learn more or email Stacy at sharinthesouth@gmail.com

In this episode, Jeff and Stacy talk about the expansive opportunities groups have with Sharin’ The South, the complications they have overcome after Covid decreased travel demand, how they work around student groups, Stacy’s marketing techniques, how she handles her own travel plans with kids, and her personal favorite places to visit in Nashville.

Join us this week to hear from Alexa Berube, Co-founder of Reposite.

The two co-owners Alexa and Heather started in technology and sales, and came up with the idea to launch a vintage car tour company in New York with Nowaday. They did launch this business right before the pandemic, but they were able to break into the group travel industry.

There are a lot of great things about the group travel industry, but it is hard to connect to people within the industry. It seems that the best way in is to manually join associations or go to trade shows. In order to streamline this process, they pivoted their business to a two sided marketplace aimed at solving the pains of group travel between planners and suppliers.

For group planners, Reposite expands the amount of people that planners can plan trips for. It is a workspace and workflow tool, with tracking, uploading clients and documents, marketplaces, price comparisons, invoices, commission tracking, and networking. For suppliers, they can manage their information, get access to all the different planners on Reposite, and provide lead gens and prospects in one place.

Luke Ennis is the head of US and International Sales at WeTravel, and provides a detailed look into how travelers and destinations alike can take advantage of WeTravel to set up an easy system of payment for trips. Founded in 2016, WeTravel provides a complete booking and payment solution for multi-day and group travel companies of all sizes. They give clients an easy booking experience while also helping manage financials, payments to partners or bank, registration information, and client communication all in one place. Headquartered in San Francisco, with their second hub in Amsterdam, their team is driven to continuously improve their technology; ensuring that clients always have the best possible solutions at their fingertips. WeTravel is proud to work with thousands of multi-day travel companies on five continents, helping them convert their bookings faster and grow their business. With hundreds of millions in payments processed throughout our platform every year, let WeTravel be the right payment solution for your multi-day travel company.

A special guest joins us this week, Arden Joy is the Founder and Executive Director of Her Adventures, a women travel community looking to make a change in the way women travel. Tune in to learn how Her Adventures developed as an interwoven community of volunteers, writers, editors and travel enthusiasts that have a passion for making it safer and easier for women to travel. They are also a travel tribe that is focused on sustainable travel that supports the local community and the environment. If this Traveling Tribe sounds like the perfect fit for you or you would like to reach out to Arden Joy herself, visit the Her Adventures website and join the Facebook group.

Presenting live from Costa Rica, the founder and owner of Pacuare Outdoor Center Tom Ranieri. Listen to how an outdoor travel expert expanded through a padnemic, develops custom tours for groups from 6th grade to adults, and encourages outdoor adventure and cultural immersion in Costa Rica. Established in 2003, Pacuare Outdoor Center is the #1 adventure company offering rafting, ziplining, mountain biking, and SupSurfing. Paired with ecolodges and Caribbean treehouse, they offer complete adventure vacation packages from two to eight days. Pacuare Outdoor Center is locally owned and operated, with guides who are locals and speak both English and Spanish. They are based out of Turrialba, the adventure capital of Costa Rica and just two hours from San Jose. To book your next adventure in Costa Rica or explore the outdoor center, follow this link to their website.

Railbookers Group is the home of Amtrak Vacations, Railbookers, and Yankee Holidays that travelers can utilize to build their ultimate rail vacation with choices of destinations, hotels, rental cars, dining and activities customized to your liking. Jim Marini is the Director of Sales and an industry expert that knows how to utilize train travel for vacations, and has a long history in the business. A worldwide rail operator, there are options from the United States to Canada, Europe and around the world. With rising gas and airline prices, train travel is the new trend. Jim Marini also talks business recovery for train travel, discussing recent awards, the company's switch-over to virtual and the reaches into the travel industry that are now opening up for rail vacations. 

You can find out more about TripSchool on their website.

Read about the Pathways Project that TripSchool sponsors.

801-538-1369 | vvarela@utah.gov

https://www.visitutah.com/

Jonathan Elkoubi has been involved in the tourism marketing industry for over a decade, developing his expertise and strategy for predicting the upcoming trends in the travel market. With so many challenges and unexpected factors added on to travel, many travelers have turned to experts like Jonathan in order to know how to prepare themselves for travel. Along with travel trends, learn how AI and technology is shaping the travel industry, hear stories of Jonathan's recent travels in New York and glean some tips for marketing your destination for travelers to feel safe and have a good time. Contact Jonathan Elkoubi from his LinkedIn profile. 

Contact Info:
Mike Marchev, CTC
Michael Marchev Associates
Phone: 848-702-1009
Email: Mike@MikeMarchev.com

Follow this link for more information: https://www.blueferntravel.com/

David Naczycz & Andy Maunder are expert travelers with experience as tour operators and business developers. Their company, WeVenture, seeks to transform the way people experience a place, as either a resident or a visitor, by vastly improving the quality and sustainability of travel and ensuring that guests leave the places they visit better than they found them. WeVenture offers join-in day tours, custom & group tours, and multi day tours around the U.S with operations in 11 cities. The company was launched in 2009 and has since expanded to 10 more cities and served well over 300,000 guests. Follow this link for more information: https://www.we-venture.com/

Sally Davis Berry is a professional travel industry trainer who specializes in helping tourism entities ramp up their group sales strategies. She's honed her skills from previous experience at the Corning Museum of Glass, the Finger Lakes regional destination marketing organization and for an inbound receptive operator. Check out her monthly webinar and blog at sallydavisberry.com/. Tribes listeners can save 15% on any of Sally's training modules by using code Premier.