Gather and Go with Brian Jewell

The Group Travel Leader Inc
  • 5.0 (18)
  • 旅行与地方文化
  • 半周一更

Gather and Go makes you a more successful group travel pro. Whether you own a thriving tour company or are just starting on your group travel journey, this is the travel podcast you can’t afford to miss. Every two weeks, veteran group travel journalist Brian Jewell interviews tourism innovators, experts and thought leaders who share insights to help you grow your group travel program — and your profits. Plus, you’ll also get tourism news you won’t hear anywhere else, along with clever travel hacks and hot takes on the biggest issues facing group travel planners every day.

  1. 6天前

    BONUS: Your Group Will Love These German Gems

    From Christmas markets to beer festivals, some of Germany’s most iconic experiences are hidden in its historic cities. With more than a millennium of history, Germany offers American travelers an abundance of unique travel opportunities. And among the most memorable are experiences that await outside larger destinations, in cities where travelers can enjoy the best of German culture shoulder-to-shoulder with locals. On this episode of Gather and Go, Sascha Mayerer and Sandra Weinacht of Historic Highlights of Germany uncover these German travel treasures. They tell us about the fascinating history of 17 German cities, take us inside local beer festivals, tantalize us with visions of charming Christmas markets and give us details for planning amazing German travel adventures. This episode is brought to you by the Historic Highlights of Germany. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Learn more about Historic Highlights of German at historicgermany.com. Key Moments From This Episode 3:06 — Wrapping your mind around thousands of years of German history 6:37 — What can American travelers expect to experience in Germany? 9:08 — Where are Germany’s Historic Highlights? 11:03 — Theme tour opportunities in Germany’s historic cities 14:32 — All about Germany’s famous beer festivals 17:30 — How difficult is it to take a group to a German beer festival? 21:30 — Germany’s magnificent Christmas markets 26:18 — Authentic connections with German locals 30:02 — Germany’s year-round festivities 34:40 — Safety, security, currency and language 39:05 — Finding partners for your group’s trips to Germany Watch the Full Interview See the full interview with Sascha and Sandra on our YouTube channel. About the Podcast Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly. You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

    46 分钟

  2. 12月3日

    Could AI Take Your Travel Biz to the Big Time?

    Is artificial intelligence the best thing that ever happened to small tourism companies? Dan Flores believes it may be. A longtime travel marketing executive and current head of tourism for Satisfi Labs, Dan has worked with dozens of organizations to help leverage the power of AI to extend their capabilities and increase sales. And he’s excited about what the future this technology holds for tourism entrepreneurs. Dan joins this episode of the podcast to share how AI can give small tour companies a competitive advantage and explain why you can’t afford to delay in adopting this technology. He also gives some insights about how travel companies should organize their web content to become more discoverable by AI agents. Plus, we have news about a rollback of airline compensation rules and a hot tip about signing up for the industry’s best familiarization tours. Insights from Dan Flores Dan had lots of exciting perspective about how artificial intelligence tools can benefit travel professionals. Here’s what he had to say about how AI can give smaller operators a competitive edge: great things done. Here’s what he had to say about how he learned to build a great remote culture: “For a small tour operator or entrepreneur, it actually gives you opportunities. It democratizes scale. We’re seeing more solo entrepreneurs build companies that they couldn’t build in that time frame right now becoming millionaires because they can use AI to build all these things…. They don’t have to have the cash flow to hire all of these people to do it. It makes two people, three people, five or six people operate as if they had 18, 20 or 25 people.” Plus, he had great perspectives on: How to build website chat bots people want to use How AI agents can save you time Integrating agentic AI into your travel sales pipeline Resources Mentioned in This Episode Learn more about Satisfi Labs at satisfilabs.com Follow Dan on LinkedIn. Sign up for our OnSite familiarization tour list at https://grouptravelleader.com/fams/. Key Moments From This Episode 1:08 — Travel News: DOT rolls back airline passenger compensation plan 2:22 — Be the first to know about our upcoming FAM trips 6:09 — The stunning growth of AI tools and adoption 8:11 — How Dan Flores uses AI in everyday life 12:49 — How AI is impacting tourism businesses 17:06 — A better way to answer customer questions 23:10 — Leveraging AI agents to serve customers better 30:06 — How close are we to fully automatic AI sales in travel? 31:46 — Optimizing your website to work with AI agents 34:48 — Will AI disrupt your travel career? Watch the Full Interview See the full interview with Dan on our YouTube channel. About the Podcast Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly. You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

    48 分钟

  3. 11月19日

    90 Billion Reasons Why Group Travel is Thriving

    Domestic group travel contributes more than $90 billion dollars to America’s economy each year. That’s according to a new report from the American Bus Association and Tourism Economics. On this episode of the podcast, research collaborators Lew Myers and Omneya Fahmy explain the massive scope of the group travel industry and share reflections on what it means in 2025 and beyond. Lew and Omneya break down the statistics and reveal the jaw-dropping ways that group travel stacks up against other tourism segments. They reveal which states are punching above their weight in group travel and how tourism professionals can leverage this data to advocate for policy change. Plus, we have news about tour operators’ business prospects; a Road Tip about avoiding awkward conversation pauses; and a Hot Minute about the main thing missing from international travel today. Insights from Lew Myers and Omneya Fahmy Lew and Omneya had lots of eye-catching stats to share about the size of the group travel market and the way it impacts America. Here’s what Lew said about the study’s key takeaways: “This report confirms that busses bring business. The motorcoach industry has a $90 billion economic impact. We support over 540,000 jobs. We contribute $16 billion to the federal government in the form of taxes. And we have created over $30 billion in wages and salaries. “This really goes to show that unlike airlines and trains, the motorcoach industry touches every state, every county, every city, every urban and rural community, and we move over 400 million passengers a year.” Plus, they had great perspectives on: How tourism marketers can leverage this data to maximize their impact How group travel stacks up against other industry segments Government threats to the group travel business Resources Mentioned in This Episode Access “The Economic Impact of Motorcoach Travel in the United States” at buses.org. Email Lew Myers at lmyers@buses.org. Follow Lew on LinkedIn. Learn more about Tourism Economics at tourismeconomics.com. Email Omneya Fahmy at ofahmy@oxfordeconomics.com. Follow Omneya on LinkedIn. See the full NTA member survey at https://ntaonline.com/nta-news/collaboration-in-packaged-travel/. Key Moments From This Episode 1:28 — Travel News: NTA tour operators are optimistic about 2026 2:55 — Road Tip: No more awkward silences 12:15 — A comprehensive guide to group travel’s economic impact 15:38 — The $90 billion question 17:40 — Surprises hiding in the group travel data 19:35 — How do you measure the size of the tour industry? 22:34 — Which U.S. states are the most popular for groups? 24:29 — How group travel stacks up against other travel segments 25:50 — How tourism marketers can leverage data to benefit their destinations 29:02 — Using data to impact policy 31:07 — The impact of adverse policies on the group travel business 46:20 — Hot Minute: Has technology made international travel better — or worse? Watch the Full Interview See the full interview with Lew and Omneya on our YouTube channel. About the Podcast Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly. You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

    51 分钟

  4. 11月5日

    Where Should Your Travel Team Work?

    Can remote work really work for travel professionals? Ryan Kramer believes that it can. After a life-changing group trip brought him into the tourism business, a detour through other sectors taught him how to do work-from-home right. He’s now the leading culture strategist at GroupCollect, and he joins this episode of the podcast to share how you can work from home without losing your mind or your money. Ryan discusses the habits and disciplines that give his life balance as a remote worker. He shares tips for hiring great remote team members and pulls back the curtain on the process his team employees to keep the remote culture healthy and thriving. Plus, we have news about growth at American Cruise Lines, ; a Road Tip about traveling in the rain; and a Hot Minute about the ways governments are failing the tourism industry. Insights from Ryan Kramer Ryan had lots of great insights about how teams can work from anywhere and get great things done. Here’s what he had to say about how he learned to build a great remote culture: “We set up guardrails around when the virtual office opened and the virtual office closed. If you wanted to stay late or get there early, you were welcome to do that. “It’s a cameras-on culture. If we’re going to be virtual, great, but let’s talk. Let’s look each other in the eye. The companies that failed I think lost site of the fact that it is possible to build that camaraderie. They discounted that that could happen and said ‘this could only happen in the office,’ and they gave up.” Plus, he had great perspectives on: Whether remote employees are cheating you Tapping your network to maximize your talent pool Keys to holding great in-person meetings Resources Mentioned in This Episode Email Ryan Kramer at ryan@groupcollect.com. Follow Ryan and GroupCollect on LinkedIn. Sign up for our OnSite familiarization tour list at https://grouptravelleader.com/fams/. Key Moments From This Episode 1:33 — Travel News: American Cruise Lines adding six new ships 2:43 — Road Tip: Preparing your travelers for rainy days 8:03 — Meet us on the road this season! 11:57 — The band trip that kicked off a tourism career 15:10 — How Ryan Kramer learned to love remote work 21:15 — Why companies fail with work-from-home culture 24:58 — Work from home without losing your mind 27:30 — Tips for hiring remote team members 30:26 — Are remote employees ripping you off? 32:42 — Building a strong remote culture 34:53 — Keys to holding great in-person team meetings 47:25 — Hot Minute: Is the federal government failing the tourism industry? Watch the Full Interview See the full interview with Ryan on our YouTube channel. About the Podcast Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly. You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

    52 分钟

  5. 10月29日

    BONUS: Missed the Bus, Changed the World

    In 1951, Barbara Johns missed the school bus. That started a chain of events that made her a hero of the Civil Rights Movement. Johns was a student at Robert Russa Moton High School, a Black school in segregated Farmville, Virginia. When a passing white school bus driver refused to help her get to class, Johns decided to start a student boycott to protest school segregation. Her protest and subsequent lawsuit became one of the important actions leading to the Supreme Court decision overturning segregation in schools. On this special bonus edition of Gather and Go, we’re sharing a preview of an upcoming episode of the U.S. Civil Rights Trail podcast that tells the stories of Barbara Johns and how her bravery changed history in the United States and beyond. Subscribe to the U.S. Civil Rights Trail podcast to hear the whole story when it debuts early in 2026. This episode is brought to you by Virginia Tourism. Resources Mentioned in This Episode Learn about the U.S. Civil Rights Trail and explore more podcast episodes at civilrightstrail.com. Learn more about visiting historic sites in Virginia at virginia.org. About the Podcast Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly. You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

    14 分钟

  6. 10月22日

    Handling Payments? Don’t Get Swiped!

    Is taking credit card payments — or using the wrong cards when you travel — costing your business more than it should? Greg Bottenhorn thinks travel business owners need to keep a close eye on the way they use and process cards, both to keep their clients’ funds safe and to keep their costs low. As chief marketing officer at fintech company Jassby, he specializes in helping tour operators leverage payment technology to meet their needs in innovative ways. He joins this episode of the podcast to walk you through the world of travel payments and show you how to save time and money. Greg discusses the basics how credit and debit card processing fees work. He explains the secrets of foreign transaction fees and shares how new card technology allows tour companies to offer trips that are both flexible and fully inclusive. Plus, we have news about an impending “hotel recession” in the U.S.; a Road Tip about dealing with excess travel swag; and a Hot Minute about the relationship between AI and the travel industry. Insights from Greg Bottenhorn Greg had a lot of interesting ideas about the best way to handle funds and payments in the context of travel. Here’s what he had to say about the benefits of using debit cards on the road: “A debit card links directly to your funds, but that means you can control how many funds are accessible via that card. You can keep that amount lower or move money to that card every day…. I’ve always found that challenging purchases with my bank, who I have relationship with, has been far easier than when I try to challenge a credit card transaction… I would much rather have that conversation with my local bank than a credit card 800 number.” Plus, he had great perspectives on: The risks of traveling with cash Reducing your credit card processing costs Keeping your financial data secure when you travel Resources Mentioned in This Episode Find Jassby online at jassby.com. Learn more about GroupCollect at groupcollect.com/gatherandgo. Sign up for our OnSite familiarization tour list at https://grouptravelleader.com/fams/. Key Moments From This Episode 1:16 — Travel News: A “hotel recession” in the U.S.? 2:41 — Road Tip: What to do with your tourism swag 8:54 — Your source for great FAMs 12:43 — Is cashless the future of travel? 14:42 — When fintech meets tourism 16:43 — Who gets a cut of your credit card fees? 20:26 — Can you reduce your company’s processing costs? 23:20 — Beware foreign transaction fees 27:37 — Credit vs. Debit: Which is better for travel? 30:04 — How secure are credit cards today? 32:41 — How tour companies are using prepaid cards on trips 47:42 — Hot Minute: Does AI understand tourism? Watch the Full Interview See the full interview with Greg on our YouTube channel. About the Podcast Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly. You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

    52 分钟

  7. 10月8日

    One Vegan Launched a Travel Movement. Here’s How.

    Your personal passions might just be the launchpad for a fantastic travel company. Anna McKitrick is proof. After building a following as a vegan influencer on social media, Anna stumbled into group travel — and leveraged her following to build a tour company operating 17 trips a year. Anna joins the podcast to discuss her journey from Instagram to tourism and share secrets of how she has built her operation without spending any money on digital marketing. Anna discusses the many opportunities for vegan travel in 2025 and why even meat-lovers enjoy her trips. She also shares how she leverages the power of a niche audience to build a travel travel experiences that align with her values and thrill her customers. Plus, we have news about changing U.S. travel statistics; a road tip about avoiding travel bloat; and a Hot Minute about the the dumbest thing happening in America. Insights from Anna McKitrick Anna had lots of great insights about how she builds trips to align closely with a niche set of values and interests. Here’s what he had to say about how a small audience helps her develop great product: “About half the people signed up for our trips now are past travelers. In many ways, it makes it kind of easy to scout and create the perfect trip for that person. Those repeat travelers are in my mind when I’m in a new destination.” Plus, she had insightful thoughts on: Creating a compelling social media strategy Transitioning from trip leader to CEO Creating authentic local experiences for special interests Resources Mentioned in This Episode Follow Anna McKitrick on on Instagram and TikTok. Find Vegan AF on Instagram and TikTok, or visit the website at veganaftravel.com. Learn more about GroupCollect at groupcollect.com/gatherandgo. Key Moments From This Episode 1:36 — Travel News: U.S. Travel has downgraded its 2025 forecast 3:00 — Road Tip: The perfect trick for avoiding stomach bloat on the road 14:07 — How an Instagram career led Anna McKitrick to tourism 16:06 — What makes a vegan trip different? 18:10 — How serving a niche audience is a pro, not a con 21:15 — Building a social following without ads 24:08 — Organic social tips for boosting sales 29:14 — Transitioning from solopreneur to CEO 32:59 — How content creators can make money on group travel 38:06 — Curating authentic local experiences for special interests 38:45 — How Brent finds great young employees 50:18 — Hot Minute: The dumbest thing about America Watch the Full Interview See the full interview with Anna, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel. Thanks to our sponsor Louisville Tourism for making this episode possible. Learn more about group travel to the Bourbon City at gotolouisville.com/travel-professionals. About the Podcast Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly. You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

    55 分钟

  8. 9月24日

    A Travel Pro’s Guide to Hiring … and Firing

    Are people problems holding your travel business back? As a tour operator or travel entrepreneur, you likely have to work with team members or contractors to make your trips happen. But if your team isn’t working well, can cause major problems. Rebekah Snider feels your pain. Through many years of trial and error she has become a respected tourism leader — and has learned through experience how to find good team members and lose bad ones. She joins this episode of the podcast to share her insights on hiring and leading great tourism teams. Rebekah shares her secrets for finding great employees and the questions she always asks herself before having difficult conversation with struggling teammates. She also provides insights about how to lead multi-generational teams and what core workplace wishes everyone has in common. Plus, we have news about America’s top travel inspiration source and a thought-provoking question about the role of social media in all our lives. Insights from Rebekah Snider Rebekah shared lots of great wisdom about how she builds high-functioning tourism teams. Here’s what she had to say about the top characteristics she looks for in employees: “We’re really looking first and foremost for somebody that has a kindness to them and a relatability. I think people do business with people they like. Those things are important to our brand and to hospitality…. I have found that if we have someone who is a good communicator and has a kindness and warmth to them, we can usually teach them the skill set they’re going to need.” Plus, she had great perspectives on: The importance of finding quality mentors Setting expectations for team members How to dismiss an employee with dignity Resources Mentioned in This Episode Email Rebekah at rebekah@visitmilledgeville.com. Read our Buyer’s Guide for the Group Travel Industry here. Key Moments From This Episode 2:14 — Travel News: Social media becomes America’s top source of travel inspiration 3:37 — Your best source for group travel insight and intelligence 9:17 — How Rebekah Snider became a tourism leader 10:12 — Key traits of great mentors 12:45 — Dealing with imposter syndrome 14:57 — Leading a multi-generational team 20:31 — Setting expectations for team members 21:50 — Navigating difficult conversations with employees 27:04 — How to find great employees for your travel business 29:45 — Exercising influence in your community 44:15 — Hot Minute: Is using social media still morally acceptable in 2025? Watch the Full Interview See the full interview with Rebekah on our YouTube channel. About the Podcast Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

    52 分钟
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关于

Gather and Go makes you a more successful group travel pro. Whether you own a thriving tour company or are just starting on your group travel journey, this is the travel podcast you can’t afford to miss. Every two weeks, veteran group travel journalist Brian Jewell interviews tourism innovators, experts and thought leaders who share insights to help you grow your group travel program — and your profits. Plus, you’ll also get tourism news you won’t hear anywhere else, along with clever travel hacks and hot takes on the biggest issues facing group travel planners every day.

信息

  • 创作者
    The Group Travel Leader Inc
  • 活跃年份
    2022年 - 2025年
  • 单集
    92
  • 分级
    儿童适宜
  • 版权
    © Copyright 2022 The Group Travel Leader Inc.
  • 节目网站
    Gather and Go with Brian Jewell

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