Winning Tours for Every Age Group

Is it possible to get travelers of every age group to travel together — and have fun doing it?

Kyle Campbell has proven that it is. A lifelong group travel planner and founder of Sudden Journeys, a boutique tour company, Kyle routinely leads trips that include baby boomers, Gen Xers, millennials and even Gen Z travelers. She joins this episode of the podcast to share how she builds and markets tours that appeal to every age group.

Kyle shares her insights about what each generation needs for successful trips; how intergenerational trips can be more fulfilling; and her secrets to creating deep and meaningful moments on the road. Plus, we have news about an online passport renewal system; a road tip about helping your travelers keep track of their passports; and a Hot Minute about a Thrillist article calling for the end of group trips.

Insights from Kyle Campbell

Kyle had lots of insights about the different hopes, dreams, needs and aspirations that people of various generations bring to the group travel experience. Here’s a sample:

“[Retired people] are living out dreams they have had for decades. They have waited to travel. They’re actualizing these dreams, and they have a wealth of experience behind them in their life.

“People who are 19 to early 30s are extremely savvy with the technology, but they have a desire for the connection they have missed out on. They are worn out of working from home and online communities. They are craving connection.

“I’m having to keep all these needs in mind when I’m planning trips.”

Plus, she had great things to say about:

• Creating meaningful moments on the road
• How travel can be a gateway to healing
• Skills she learned from entry-level tourism jobs

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Learn more about Kyle Campbell and Sudden Journeys at mysuddenjourneys.com.

Follow Kyle Campbell on Instagram.

Apply to attend our OnSite Familiarization Tour in Louisiana’s Capital City Region.

Read “Why It’s Time to Let the Group Trip Die” at Thrillist.

1:37 — Travel News: Can you renew your passport online?

3:17 — Road Tip: Stop your travelers from losing their passports

9:48 — Join us for a FAM in Louisiana’s Capital City Region

15:09 — How Kyle Campbell learned to be a tour operator

24:28 — The secret to planning tours for all ages

27:57 — What different generations want from group travel experiences

32:46 — Creating meaningful moments on the road

35:48 — How travel can be a gateway to healing

53:09 — Hot Minute: Is it really time to “let the group trip die?”

See the full interview with Kyle, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Coastal Mississippi for making this episode possible. Learn more about Coastal Mississippi’s travel experiences for groups at coastalmississippi.com.

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 operat