Destination On The Left Nicole Mahoney

On this episode of Destination on the Left, Megan Grant and I talk about how her tours are designed to create a positive social impact. She highlights the trends that are helping her business grow and thrive, including mindful purchasing and lone female travelers. We also discussed the importance of community and how Megan’s tours build community.

What You Will Learn in This Episode: What inspired Megan to start Cherish Tours during the pandemic and how she is creating a positive impact through small group tours How Cherish Tours supports women in business through travel opportunities and social impact Why Megan’s approach in the hospitality industry focuses on creating meaningful connections and experiences for her tour guests How Cherish Tours partners with and supports women-owned or managed businesses in the destinations they visit Some of the destinations Cherish Tours has almost sold out to, and the tailor-made private tours they are currently offering Why an abundant mindset benefits the travel industry Embracing an Abundant Mindset Megan dives into the concept of an abundant mindset and why we should prioritize collaboration and mutual support over cutthroat competition. She shares why she firmly believes that a rising tide lifts all boats and why the success of one woman does not diminish the opportunities available to others.
Cherish Tours exemplifies this belief by actively seeking to partner with other travel advisors, fostering an environment of collaboration and shared success. The encouragement for travel advisors to connect and partner with Cherish Tours showcases the flourishing culture of cooperation in the industry, promoting opportunities for growth and mutual support.
Empowering Women Through Travel One of the central themes we discussed is the importance of uplifting and supporting women as travelers and industry professionals. Megan passionately describes how Cherish Tours is dedicated to providing transformative travel experiences that prioritize mindful purchasing and social impact.
The company amplifies the voices of women in business and actively supports women-owned or managed businesses and initiatives in the destinations they visit. Megan calls Cherish Tours her ‘love note to the travel industry,’ which gives women a sense of community and connection.
Tailor-Made Travel Experiences Cherish Tours sets itself apart by creating tailor-made travel experiences that prioritize interpersonal connections, community building, and personal choice. Megan’s approach is all about bringing women of all ages and cultural backgrounds together, fostering inclusivity, and celebrating diversity.
Resources: Website: https://www.gocherishtours.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/megan-grant94/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cherish-tours-llc/ Facebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/gocherishtours/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gocherishtours/ We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more o​f. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

On this episode of Destination on the Left, Sean Hebert goes deep into the backstory of TourRadar, an organized adventure platform. He shares his perspective on the importance of trust, what adventure travelers are looking for in terms of new experiences, and how TourRadar facilitates amazing collaboration between travelers, tour operators, and travel advisors.

What You Will Learn in This Episode: How TourRadar evolved from a consumer-only marketplace to serving travel agents as a time-saving search engine How TourRadar’s recent marketing campaign “The Ultimate Travel Hack” promotes organized adventures as a fun travel opportunity How TourRadar collaborates with destinations and DMOs to promote sustainable tourism and creates campaigns for specific products and areas Why TourRadar’s Adventure Together event was conceived, and how it helps share best practices and address common challenges in the industry How TourRadar’s platform helps travelers and tour operators by providing trust, more choices, and a competitive marketplace A Gateway to Adventure Sean discusses how TourRadar serves as a platform to connect travelers, tour operators, and travel agents in over 160 countries. By giving travel enthusiasts the opportunity to access more than 2,500 operators offering a variety of experiences, including safaris, cultural tours, and white water rafting, TourRadar is a hub for adventure travel enthusiasts because it prioritizes inspiring and surprising travelers with unique experiences, fostering a deeper appreciation for organized adventures.
Exploring Sustainable Tourism and Collaborative Campaigns We discuss why TourRadar is so passionate about promoting responsible and sustainable tourism while collaborating with destinations and destination marketing organizations (DMOs). Through innovative campaigns like “The Ultimate Travel Hack,” TourRadar emphasizes the style of organized adventures as a mode of travel rather than focusing solely on specific brands or destinations to encourage collaboration instead of competition among operators.
From Traveler Marketplace to Travel Advisor Support Sean and I also dig into TourRadar’s evolution, particularly its transition from a consumer-focused marketplace to supporting travel advisors. This transition acknowledges the pivotal role that travel advisors play and positions TourRadar as a time-saving search engine, empowering agents to find and compare itineraries that best meet their clients’ needs.
Resources: Website: http://www.tourradar.com/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tourradar/ Facebook Business: https://www.facebook.com/TourRadar/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TourRadar Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tourradar/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/tourradar Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/tourradar/ We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more o​f. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Meredith Calloway, Chief Visionary Officer and Co-Founder of Gifted Travel Network (GTN). She shares more about the inspiration behind her community of luxury travel advisors and her nuggets of wisdom about how to develop and cultivate a brand message that will help you stand out from the crowd by finding your brilliance.

What You Will Learn in This Episode: How Meredith transitioned from working in finance to starting a travel business and founding Gifted Travel Network Why finding one’s “zone of genius” and pursuing a passion is crucial for any business owner How Meredith’s community fosters connections and holds members accountable through mastermind meetings and group coaching Why travel advisors need to cultivate their brand message and uniqueness to stand out in a crowded market Strategies Meredith’s travel advisors used to navigate challenges during the pandemic and achieve exponential sales growth How a transformative mindset contributes to success and what resources are available for mindset tips in the travel industry Nurturing Community Professional Growth Meredith explains how her community works and the importance of offering solid content, group coaching, and experiences to meet the needs and wants of her members. They use mastermind meetings and group coaching to foster connections, share knowledge, and hold each other accountable. This approach helps them create a nurturing and engaged environment where members can learn from each other and collectively thrive.
Embracing Change and Adversity We also dig deeper into the concept of accidental business owners, particularly in the context of the travel advisor profession. The shifts in the travel industry, compounded by the challenges of the pandemic, led many travel agents to become accidental entrepreneurs. Meredith shares how her advisors leaned into the adversity, using their resilience and community support to pivot and find success in turbulent times, even inspiring improvements in many travel advisors’ businesses.
Find Your Brilliance Turning toward the future, Meredith expresses excitement about potential opportunities in the luxury travel industry and emphasizes why we need to shift the public’s perception of travel advisors from mere order takers to designers, project managers, and master coordinators. Meredith also encourages travel advisors to fully understand their niche, share their unique brand message, and find their brilliance to stand out in the crowded marketplace.
We also discuss the transformative power of mindset and its impact on personal growth. Meredith highlights the importance of an abundant mindset in embracing change and navigating challenges.
Resources: Website: https://www.giftedtravelnetwork.com/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meredithhill/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/giftedtravelnetwork/ Free Download: Mindset Blocks for Entrepreneurs and How to Overcome Them We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more o​f. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

This week, I’m reflecting on our new brand and why we are so excited about the next chapter. I want to share the branding journey with you to highlight the lessons we learned along the way. I hope that our story will inspire you and give an introduction to our new company and the philosophy behind it.

What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why we decided to merge two brands, and how the Travel Alliance Partnership will be an economic development partner for destinations What the rebranding process involved, including workshops, visual mapping, and merging of brands Why embracing “cathedral thinking” is important and the impact of building projects for future generations Strategies we used to roll the new brand out and the importance of building a lasting brand foundation How involving employees early in the branding process fostered a sense of community and shared knowledge within the team Community Collaboration and Partnerships I want to talk a little more about the significance of community collaboration and partnerships in the growth of the travel industry. Travel Alliance Partnership is committed to supporting economic growth and prosperity within the communities we serve, and we live out our core values of collaboration and the impact it can have on the overall success of businesses within the industry.
I shed light on why we merged the two brands into a single entity with distinct service pillars to reflect our strategic approach and our commitment to creating a cohesive brand architecture.
Cathedral Thinking and Lasting Brand Foundations I talk more about cathedral thinking, emphasizing the importance of building projects and brands that leave a lasting impact on future generations. Our forward-thinking approach aligns with the Travel Alliance Partnership’s vision of creating a community based on collaboration and innovation.
Empowering Employees The significance of involving employees early in the branding process cannot be underestimated. By encouraging team members to share company milestones and stories, we foster a sense of shared knowledge and unity among employees. During the rebranding process, it also became clear that we had scope to add capacity to the team by creating a new position, director of strategic partnerships, who could help us continue to build long-term relationships and expand our capabilities.
Resources: Creating Your Authentic Brand Story, with Karley Cunningham Strategies for Fostering Meaningful Connections in the Workplace, with Nicole Mahoney We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more o​f. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!

A thirty-two-year veteran of the Travel & Tourism industry, Amir Eylon leads the entire team at Longwoods International, responsible for the development and execution of all facets of the organization, from program development to customer acquisition and retention.
He joined Longwoods in 2015 from his previous role as Vice President, Partner Engagement with Brand USA, the public-private partnership serving as the destination marketing organization dedicated to increasing international visitation to the US. He led the team responsible for helping to increase Brand USA’s partnership base and ensuring that participants received excellent service throughout Brand USA’s deployment of joint marketing programs. During his tenure, Brand USA grew its base to 475 partners, comprised of destination marketing organizations, convention and visitor bureaus, attractions, travel brands, airlines, and tour operators.
Before joining Brand USA, Amir served as Director of the Ohio Office of Tourism. Under his leadership, the state’s marketing programs realized a tremendous return on investment and contributed to the growth of the state’s $40 billion tourism economy. The programs he developed leveraged industry and nontraditional partnerships that generated $14 in new state and local taxes for every $1 invested and included active participation by thousands of Ohio’s tourism-related businesses. He has also served as Executive Vice President of the Ohio Hotel & Lodging Association, Assistant Director of the Ohio Tourism Division, and Sales & Marketing Manager with the Steuben County Conference and Visitors Bureau.
He has been recognized with a number of Industry honors, including Top 25 Extraordinary Minds in Sales & Marketing award (2014) by the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI); The Ohio Tourism Industry’s Highest Honor, The Paul Sherlock Award; and The State of Ohio Distinguished Service Medal.
Amir’s thought leadership in tourism is often quoted by the media, and he has appeared in dozens of interviews with many national media outlets, including CNBC, MSNBC, Forbes, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, etc. Amir holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Dayton.
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I’m excited to welcome back Amir Eylon for his third appearance on the show. Amir shared the latest data and trends from Longwoods International’s recent research. He also walks us through the latest wave of the American travel sentiment study and how to interpret and apply those insights, particularly regarding the reallocation of traveler spending and the use of AI in trip planning.

What You Will Learn in This Episode: How travelers are adjusting their spending habits to prioritize travel despite financial concerns Why there has been slow adoption of artificial intelligence in trip planning, and the potential impact of AI on the travel industry What the recent collaborative study by Destinations International shows about the impact of destination marketing on community well-being Some of the insights that Longwoods International’s research provides into American travelers’ intentions in leisure travel Support Longwoods International and Destinations International offers to those in the travel and tourism industry Understanding Travel Trends in the Face of Financial Concerns Amir highlights how travelers are finding ways to continue exploring the world by reallocating their spending, cutting back on retail purchases, and adjusting their accommodation levels. One intriguing trend he mentions is that people are combining trips into longer journeys, which is a huge shift in travel behavior. It’s clear that despite economic challenges, the desire to travel remains strong.
AI’s Role in Enhancing, Not Replacing, the Travel Experience We also discuss the slow adoption of AI in trip planning, with only a fraction of trav

Greg Takehara has been the CEO of Tourism Cares since 2019. He previously served on its Board, acting as its Chairman before becoming CEO. Prior to Tourism Cares, Greg was the President of Trip Mate, Inc., a travel insurance administrator. He began his thirty-five year career in the travel and tourism industry at The Mark Travel Corporation, where he served as General Counsel.
Greg serves on the Board of the US Travel Association and has served on the Boards of NTA and the IGLTA Foundation, as well as numerous industry committees. He is from Chicago and has an undergraduate degree from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a Juris Doctor degree from Washington University in St. Louis.
On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Greg Takehara, CEO of Tourism Cares. We discuss the evolution of Tourism Cares’ meaningful travel map and how it helps draw attention to social enterprises and encourages travelers to explore new aspects of a destination. Greg also gives us a great framework for strategically aligning with these goals for our own organizations.

What You Will Learn in this Episode: Why Tourism Cares focuses on volunteerism, collaboration, and the formation of the Future of Tourism Coalition What the meaningful travel map is, and how it fosters responsible and meaningful travel experiences How Tourism Cares aligns with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals and the importance of destination stewardship What creative solutions Greg offers to some of the challenges in the travel industry, emphasizing sustainability and diversity How Greg empowers local communities and enriches travel experiences through collaborative efforts with destination marketing organizations Coopetition in the Tourism Industry Greg and I dig into the concept of coopetition, where perceived competitors come together to create a collaborative ecosystem that benefits the entire industry. He shares examples of coopetition in the tourism industry, emphasizing Tourism Cares’ focus on volunteerism and collaboration. By highlighting the importance of sharing knowledge and resources, we can connect various stakeholders in the travel industry and increase impact.
The Role of the Meaningful Travel Map Greg discusses Tourism Cares’ meaningful travel map initiative, which serves as a platform highlighting social enterprises and local community-based ventures. This innovative approach aims to drive attention to lesser-known attractions, promote sustainable tourism, and empower local communities through collaboration with destination marketing organizations. The map has been successfully implemented in Jordan, leading to increased visitor stays and a broader distribution of tourism beyond popular attractions.
The Role of the Meaningful Travel Map Greg and I touch upon the alignment of Tourism Cares with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They highlight the organization’s integration of the SDGs into their work and emphasize the importance of prioritizing sustainability, diversity, and inclusion in the travel industry. By emphasizing small, collective steps towards making a difference, they underscore the potential for significant impact through the collaborative efforts of the industry.
Resources: Website: https://www.tourismcares.org/ LinkedIn Personal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-takehara/ LinkedIn Business: https://www.linkedin.com/company/tourism-cares/ We value your thoughts and feedback and would love to hear from you. Leave us a review on your favorite streaming platform to let us know what you want to hear more of. Here is a quick tutorial on how to leave us a rating and review on iTunes!: https://breaktheicemedia.com/rating-review/