S1E3: The Great Canadian Voyage
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In this insightful episode of the Travel Trends Podcast, host Dan Christian welcomes Jason Sarracini, the esteemed Founder of Landsby, for an engaging discussion on his new media venture, Northern Soul, and building a brand during the pandemic. Prepare to explore the core of Jason's new media venture, Northern Soul, understand the nuances of building a brand during the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic, and gain valuable perspectives on his plans to cultivate a unique voice within the Canadian tourism sector as the industry recovers.
Jason shares fascinating insights into his latest project, Northern Soul, and the vision behind it. He recounts the experience of establishing a brand amidst the difficulties presented by the pandemic. Additionally, Jason reflects on his personal journey growing up in a family travel business and details the strategies he employed to navigate the various challenges within the industry. You'll also discover his aspirations for developing a distinctive perspective on Canadian tourism as the travel landscape rebounds. And finally, don't miss Dan putting Jason's Canadian knowledge to the test in our engaging Travel Trivia challenge!
Curious to explore the evolving landscape of Canadian tourism?
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Connect with Our Guest: https://landsby.ca/
Dan: 0:14
Our special guest today is Jason Saracini. He's a good friend and a longtime travel industry colleague. Jason has launched a new company called LANs B, and he is also been working on a new media venture called Northern Seoul. Today we're gonna talk about his career, his business. We're gonna talk about some of the trends that he's noticed in the Canadian travel industry, and then of course we're gonna hit in with a few trivia questions. Welcome, Jason. Great to have you.
Jason: 0:36
Thanks, Dan. Great being here.
Dan: 0:38
Now you grew up in this business, right? So I'd love to just start and kind of set the stage for everyone who was listening to this. For those people that are new to the industry or coming back to the industry or that have been in the industry for many years. Your family had a travel agency. And so why don't you take us through that story first and then we'll get into a bit more about your career. But your your family background and travel is really interesting and unique. So why don't you tell us a bit about that first.
Jason: 1:03
Sure. I, I actually didn't have a chance, so my, my grandfather founded a travel company in Toronto in 1967. So it's really in my dna. You know, it's, it's ever since I was a kid, I've been traveling. I went to a school where we traveled twice a year with the school choir and my father is in the business, my aunt's in the business. So it's, it's inevitable that I was I was gonna get into the travel industry, so at a university, I went to York. I had no idea what I wanted to do, so I started as in back office in, in the family travel agency. And I spent my time there for I think the first five years until 2004 when I founded. An online travel agency called Target vacations.ca. So that was that was when I sort of started or embarked on my own career that was not family oriented.
Dan: 2:02
Got it. And now tell us a little bit about the connection. Cause now we're gonna talk about LANs be and talk about Northern Seoul, but Saracini travel and O S T. Just give us a bit of context about how the. Family is, business is structured today.
Jason: 2:14
Sure. So oc.travel. Is our umbrella company. And within that we have three brands. So there's Saini Travel, which is. The agency that was founded by my grandfather. We have a wholesale and retail company called Omega Tours, which was founded in 2005. Omega focuses primarily on the escorted touring market. And distributes globally? Well we do direct b2c and we also distribute globally. Globally through channels like Tour Radar, tour Amigo and others. Saini, the agency right now focuses mainly on, we do a lot of custom work, so custom itineraries, private touring, small group touring to Europe the US Caribbean, and within Canada. And then the third brand was founded in June of 2020, the infamous 2020. Which is which is LANs b which is primarily or only focused on Canada and everything that is wonderful and unique in our country.
Dan: 3:17
Yeah. That's great. Well, I do wanna come to LANs, be in a moment, but I think it would be worthwhile just touching on some of the experience you've had outside of the family business because you and I have bumped into each other at numerous conferences. So we've known each other for a long time. We've bumped into each other and we whether it be at plug and play at like Silicone Valley, you've been working on startups. You obviously worked at Travel Zoo as well, so you have a great wealth of industry experience outside of the family business. So just take us through a little bit of that with your career and then how you came back to the fold to then now really expand the family business, which obviously in part has to do with all of that knowledge that you gained from working in startups and understanding how the wider industry works.
Jason: 4:00
for sure. No, thank you. I, I. You know, like I said, I sort of cut my teeth at the family travel agency and having been surrounded by it since I was young, I think I had a feeling that oh my goodness, I'm gonna spend my entire adult career in my family business and I'll have done nothing at all. Right. So 2000 fours when I founded or co-founded with a group of investors an online travel agency called Target Vacations. So that was, you know, package market, sun destinations outta Canada with the Sun Wings and Air Canada vacations of the world. And I had that for eight years. And in 2012 I sold that to the Toronto Star of the Digital Arm of the Toronto Star. So at the time they were working on a company called Wag Jag and the whole group buying space, and they have a travel vertical called Jaunt. And we sort of, we were bolted into that travel vertical. So I spent a couple years at, at Tour Star, an incredible team. And then I went on to run the Canadian Operations for Travel Zoo. So travel Zoo International Media Company, headquartered outta New York with. Terrific Canadian team. And that's actually where I was introduced to a lot of the Canadian experiences that inspired Lands Beat. So I can, I can come back to that. After travel in, in the media side, I wanted to come back into sort of the retail side. So I worked for a luxury travel company outta Mississauga called Tully Luxury Travel which was formally the cruise professionals. So we were we were owned by a, a VC group out of the uk. And we did some terrific work in the luxury space, expanded out the cruise market into safaris and, and high-end sort of villa yacht and, and luxury travel. After my time there I went more the technology side. So I was part of the senior leadership team at a Canadian company called Umap, so travel technology company called Umap who were headquartered outta Montreal, but had a team here in Toronto. And we ended up selling or being acquired by the Flight Center Travel group which was an incredible experience. So I've, listen, I've been fortunate enough to see the retail, wholesale, media and technology sides of the industry. And after you mapped, I basically ended up back at the at our family travel company. I just, you know, I want to come back and make my own schedule and do things on my own and, and, you know, sort of be that next generation. And that helped that, that that return happened three weeks before Covid. So yes, I had to muster everything I had learned for the next couple years I were to come.
Dan: 6:42
Perfect timing. Yeah. But certainly experiencing all those different teams work dynamics, the gave you good exposure to the industry that now that travel's coming back, that obviously you're well positioned with these two new ventures. So clearly you gained a lot, there's a huge amount of benefits. So that would be good for everyone to understand that because that's, you know, my understanding of your background is diverse, impressive. You've got a number of successful accomplishments and that obviously positions you well, not only for LANs Bee, but very keen to highlight Northern Souls since that's gonna be launching very shortly as well. So let's, let's get into LANs Bee because now you're back in the family business and LANs Bee didn't exist. So you're back in the family business and this is where the the genesis story of, of LANs be. Which for those of you who aren't familiar as a Nordic term for village, and I think it's worth checking out, obviously, the lans.ca website and getting more acquainted with the brand, but tell us how the brand came to be.
Jason: 7:42
You know, a lot of time when you have, you have time to think, ideas come and they generate and they move forward, right? So due to Covid, we had a lot of time to think there wasn't really much we can do. And it was at that time, like I mentioned, I had been introduced to the Canadian Signature Experience portfolio back when I was with Travel Zoo. So it was effectively owner operated, unique experiences across the country. That were designated to have this sort of stamp of approval by the Canadian Tourism Board, but they, they lived in a PDF on the tourism board website. Right. So I I was like, some, I remember thinking back then at some stage, someone has to do something with these. Right. And that sort of lodged in, in, in the back of my mind as I progressed in my career. And with Covid, we have this very unique set of circumstances in Canada where. Canada was traditionally marketed to international travelers and Canadian as Canadians, as residents. We leave to travel, right? The, the Canadian flag on your backpack and et cetera, et cetera. So with Covid, no one could come in and no one could leave, right? So we had this, all of a sudden, this domestic market that that had to be created that didn't really exist. So listen, it, it was a window of opportunity that that I saw. To create a portfolio which was basically a unique angle of Canada for Canadians by Canadians, which is sort of who we are and who we did it for. And listen, so we launched, we launched a portfolio on our Omega Tours brand back in June of 2020. And, you know, listen, the world was still shut down and et cetera, et cetera. So it's not that it drove. Any sort of meaningful amount of revenue. But what we did is we start to have really interesting discussions with whether it be the experience partners or tourism boards whether it be regional, provincial municipal or other. Because now three years on and, and LANs be as a brand will be two years old, come, come June. There's really no one doing what we're doing still. And it's sort of a quite unique approach to the Canadian tourism space that lands be's taken. So, you know, I think outside of Yes, it, it means village and the origins of the word Canada. Our cannata, which also means village. And I think just at that time, if we all think back. We are looking for community, we are looking for engagement because that's what Covid did is sort of, you know tore that all apart. So I had time to think, LANs be the word came to me and I can't remember where. Think, think I was sitting at my son's in my son's room at, at his desk and and, and there we go. So, you know, it was a window. It was a window that was open and a and a time. A, a time where, you know, the world was basically shut down that that LSB started and here we are three years on I would say flourishing.
Dan: 10:47
Yeah. Well, since you mentioned can. Which was gonna be one of my trivia questions for you because as you pointed out, that also means village. But the concept with Lands beat, the one thing I think it would be worth highlighting that I've come to understand is The places that you're opening for Canadians to travel, the Yukon being one example but traveling further afield in Canada. So I'd love to hear a little bit more about the destinations you're focusing on that are unique, like, you know, air North for example. You know, getting people to the Northwest Territories, getting people to the Yukon for the Northern Lights. These are great. Places to open Canadians and international travel too. And the other thing I'd love for you to touch on too, which we know is so important for us and for our industry is sustainability. I saw you had just recently been recognized by regenerative travel, so I do wanna touch on that as well, because when you're building out these trips and First Nations being, another important consideration is how best to approach this product to not only make it unique, make it compelling for travelers, and really opening up opportunities to travel that maybe weren't there before. So tell us a little bit about the types of destinations that you're really focusing on with Lands B.
Jason: 11:59
The approach that we took, So we launched this portfolio of Canadian signature experiences, which were already designated and available to work with trade. So, like I said, because we had that scenario where the international and transporter traveler couldn't come into the country, we were all of a sudden looking for this new domestic market, right? So when we launched the Lands Be Brand, it was positioned by someone I knew as sort of the first regenerative travel company, but not because. We were necessarily taking steps to leave less of a footprint or be sort of, you know, positively have a positive impact on the environment, but more because we were really trying to connect, right? We were trying to connect our traveler with. With what is on the ground, whether it be the supplier or the owner operator or a storyteller, whoever it is, right? So we created product, I'd say specifically in Ontario and BC to start out with that was hyper, hyper-local, right? So we're talking about an inn, we're talking about a small restaurant. We're talking about an indigenous operator someone who has spirit horses in southwestern Ontario. So it was a hyper-local multi-day product that we really focused on that that resonated. And that really no one else was doing and that we will continue to do. I think it's sort of a refocus for us now that people can leave and people can sort of go back to their, you know, the Canadians trauma to, to Europe or travel to the Caribbean or trauma in the Asia, getting on their cruise ships. We're sort of doubling down on that hyper-local initiative cause it's so incredibly important. Other, other, listen, other regions we think about, we think about Muskoka and Montreal and, and, you know, Newfoundland and, and BAM and Vancouver, sort of those known. But if you, if you look outside of those areas, It also seems that, wait a minute, how does the international traveling know about all these places? And we don't. So we've had huge success with the Yukon, which is basically an all year round destination. Sees effectively all four seasons, has incredible phenomena like the Northern Lights and the Aurora Borealis incredible outdoor activities. The culinary scene there is really, really interesting. Lodges and accommodations like we don't know typically see. And then you start to look at airline partners, like you said, where you know, someone like an Air North, if you have, you know, a massive gateway like a Toronto, you can fly into the northwest territory's nonstop for three hours. So you can go north for to yellow knife and have an incredible experience. In the same amount of time that you fly to Florida, right. And get to the beach and fly to Miami. So, you know, we're starting to provide people with opportunities that maybe they wouldn't have otherwise thought about. You know, of course as you get into BC and sort of the, the Great Bear Rainforest incredible tour in the Badlands in, in Alberta. You know, Churchill and, you know, the season that they have there with the belugas and, and, and the polar bears and again, the northern lights, you know, you sort of go across 10 provinces and three territories and there's some incredible, incredible experiences that there's not a lot of Canadians talking about those Canadian experiences. And that's where I think the value of a LSB can come into play because it's not just about the experience. But also the people behind those experiences, which really fosters a regenerative approach to tourism because you're connecting people in place, right?
Dan: 15:21
Yeah. Well, one of the thing that I noticed with some of the Ontario destinations is clearly they're also designed to appeal to Americans that may consider crossing the border. And there may be Americans of course, listening to this. So maybe highlight a little bit about that opportunity for people coming to Canada, especially for international travelers that are considering a trip to Canada. So how do you factor in Americans, for example, into the marketing of these packages and destinations?
Jason: 15:48
Yeah, I think we can be really strategic with it. So, you know, you look at. A southwestern Ontario, which, which borders Michigan and New York State you know, three, four days at a bmb with wineries, with maybe an indigenous experience is, is something that's unique plus right now anyways, the benefit of the US dollar, the, the, the strength of the US dollar versus the Canadian dollar. I think that it's really advantageous, right? So we really think about, you know, that that drive market, who, who are the demos that we're looking at? What are some, you know, interesting experiences that, that, that we could offer them that they might otherwise not get in their own, their, their home state or the same distance away. So you know, also LANs BE'S had a real focus on. Shoulder to low season, which has typically, if you don't ski Canada might not be your number one destination, but we think there's so much more to offer. Right. And I, I think coming out of covid, the ability to travel when it's quieter, whether it be with pricing or less people or you know, airports are quieter or whatever else, you just have a much more intimate experience and I think a much more fulfilling experience. And I think that's where. Especially for the domestic traveler LANs being sort of, and, and, and those experiences can really have an impact and be influential.
Dan: 17:13
The I know you've touched on regenerative travel. And you mentioned indigenous which I know is important as well. Tell us a little bit more about how you even got this recognition, like what's actually involved in that. Because I think for a lot of people who look at travel and. Clearly, most people do want to travel sustainably And it, and being in the industry for a long time, as we both have, we know it's important, but it often isn't one of the first three factors in people's decision about where they travel. It's almost they wanna make sure that it also is sustainable. So many, and we know there's greenwashing and there's various approaches to, whereas you and your team with what you're building, This is a, this is a true commitment for you and how you wanna build the future of this business. Let's spend a little bit more time just understanding that. So what, help, help me, I guess, wrap my head around what the recognition of regenerative travel actually means. How did you get that and what, what do you need to do to, to maintain that?
Jason: 18:13
For sure. So we were approached by regenerative travel, which is association I believe outta New York. They also have a head office in, in California and they primarily over the last couple of years, they've had a focus on hotels around the world that have regenerative practices. So they have sole property in Canada, which is Foggo Island in And, you know, Phil Go Island's an incredible story with shore fasts and that that can probably make for a whole nother podcast for you. But they, they approached us because of our, our approach, the hyper-local type of travel that we were promoting and putting together in packaging. So we became one of their founding travel agencies of change, not because everything that. I, Jason does, or we as employees of lands, my team does from a regenerative aspect or sustainable aspect, but more so because the types of travel that we are promoting foster a regenerative approach to tourism. So it's more, it's first about the community. That someone's visiting and then about the traveler. It's not the other way around. The traveler's not forcing their will on the community. It's actually the community. Like it's, it's the traveler being welcomed into the community that they're visiting. Right? I think that, that, that is the approach. So we're doing that with a whole bunch of different regions whether it be in Ontario or across the country, and we're, we're very much a work in progress. Like we're, we're at the starting line here, but that whole idea around. Leave a place in a better spot than when you arrived, is really that whole idea. Right. So they saw us as, as fitting sort of one of their founding agencies of change, I do believe, without whitewashing, which is incredibly important and, and, and dangerous. That, you know, a lot of the, the, a lot of the experiences that we are promoting and surfacing. Very much aligned with both regenerative travel, but also with the indigenous way of life. And we signed a few weeks ago we signed a pledge with the in Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada, where they are striving to become the number one indigenous tourism organization in the world by 2030. And we very much believe through the work that we are, we've started to do and are doing with. With the Indigenous Tourism Association that they very much align with regenerative travel, so they go hand in hand. So it makes perfect sense for us, you know, if someone is coming to if someone's coming to Canada and they're gonna, they want to visit Quebec City and so they have, you know, we want them to go visit WIA and the Mosa First Nations, right? It's really, really important that they have, that. They don't have to immerse their entire experience. It doesn't have to be a, you know, a week of. Soul indigenous, cuz that might be, that might not be the introduction that people want. But there are different ways to approach, I think a trip that is much more respectful of the community versus the way that we are traveling previously.
Dan: 21:17
Yeah, that was great. Juice and I, I think it'll be. Worth now kind of talking about Northern Soul because there are clearly some commonalities in what you've built with LANs be, and then how you're envisioning the media arm of LANs be the northern soul branding, especially as regenerative and indigenous and telling the stories and building out content beyond just creating product and encouraging people to travel. So the Northern Soul. Venture. I'd love to understand how that came about with the idea of like, you've launched LANs be, you have the LANs be Journal, so you've already got a content strategy. You're doing newsletters, you're doing frequent blog posts, but clearly with this initiative, you wanna take it to a whole nother level. You see an opportunity in the market that is currently being underserved or not addressed. When it comes to Canadian content, so can you just give, give us a little bit of a background on how the, the ideation for that concept, and then we'll talk a bit more about how it's gonna come to life.
Jason: 22:21
For sure. So I think it goes back to you know, what, what we were discussing at the beginning, I've, I've spent time on the media side of the industry and having gone through covid. You know, travel advisors, it's not the best sort of business model out there, right? Where you do a whole bunch of work upfront and then if someone travels, you know, you're remunerated. It's, it's not the best model. So, you know, coming outta Covid and launching LANs b, we're, we're how, how do we create a model that has value for the consumer and for the trade, by the way, Because that's, I think, an incredibly important demo if you may, moving forward. That makes sense. From a, from a, from a business perspective, where can we add value? So in the same way that we don't really have in Canada, A company like LANs be that's doing what we're doing in, in this, in that same, there's not really an authoritative voice in Canada on tourism in Canada. And, and we saw that and, you know, LANs be's been leading with storytelling and, and, and content like you said from the beginning. And you know, as we were working through these Canadian signature experience at the beginning and all the people that I met, and the incredible stories like, wait a minute, we need a home for all these things, right? Because anyone that goes on a holiday, The memory that's edged in stone is that one where there's a connection with something or someone. That's the memory that people come back with. It's not necessarily, you know, the, the extra half hour you spend out in the sun or that extra drink that you have at the bar. It's not that. It's, it's the connection that you have. So how can we promote that in a way that doesn't really exist in Canada right now, outside of the tourism boards? So we have, I, we, I, I think we have a window. There's a window here where. Canada needs a voice that is authoritative, that is positive, that is talking about the elements of the industry that really need to surface that be like we said, you know, regenerative, sustainable way of traveling. Indigenous. Let's tell the stories of the makers. Let's get down to the local businesses and, and their value and their importance. How do we use that to inspire a new generation of. You know employees in, in, in the industry. Cuz that is a struggle. People that actually want to work in the industry and we think that Northern soul can, can influence that. So we need in Afar Magazine, we need a travel leisure, we need a Conde NA in Canada. And we think that Northern Soul can fill that void.
Dan: 24:48
So just so everyone can kind of wrap their head around, nor how Northern Soul will come to life or has come to life, is is it an extension of LANs be, is it on the LANs be website? How will people consume this content?
Jason: 25:01
So right now we have a blog where we've been, you know telling stories and generating posts for the last couple of years. But what we really want to do is take that what's called the LANs B Journal and evolve it into a platform that can be consumed really in a, in a visual, in a digital way. First, that is the way people are consuming media. Dan, you and I have had this discussion many, many times where, you know, our, our, the ability to capture someone's attention is really, really short. It, right? So we wanna do something that is digital first. We wanna do something that's very visual, that really inspires people. And I, I, you know, we look at it as a platform and that platform is going to be innovative. It's going to be you know, sort of the, the digital mediums that are coming out today and that are, that are. That really reinforces the way people are, are consuming media. That is the approach that that Northern Soul is gonna take. So it will, it will be found on LANs be, but it will have its own platform and it'll have its own, you know, we, we hope that it it definitely has legs to to get itself off the ground.
Dan: 26:10
Well, the number of people that I meet in my global travels that have never been to Canada, that still have a lack of understanding about our, you know, landscape, geography, culture, history. They just see Canada as this open land mass of isolation. And and I thought New Zealand did a fantastic job of really rebranding their marketing around adventure. And that's certainly what Canada has a lot to offer. And I know you work with a lot of the tourism boards and so I think that this northern soul concept really has a great deal of potential to tell a new story that not only Canadians can be proud of, but also international travelers will look at Canada differently and realize what a great. Place it is to to visit to holiday. And, and so the one thing I just wanted to share with you, which I think we touched on previously, but just for everyone else's a, a quick story before we go into the trends is that I was living in Australia. I was working for Lonely Planet at the time, and I was, and still am, a big Bill Bryson fan. And I got a chance to go and see him give a talk when he was touring for his autobiography, the Tales of the Thunderbolt Kid for the fans out there that love Bill Bryson. I've read every book and to say I love his writing and I, the part that I never understood is why has he not written a book about Canada? He's written many books about England, the USA and Australia. In fact tales from a sunburnt country or down under, depending on where you get the pick up. The book is by far one of my f favorites bill Brayson books. So I finally had a chance to ask him at the end of his talk, he asked opened it up to questions. And so I was so eager I was on the second level and I he picked me from my question and I just told him partly what I just said to you. And I asked him, why has he not written a book about Canada, especially cuz he's from Northern USA. And. His answer was he's always wanted to write a book about Canada. He's always been intrigued about Canada growing up in the US and seeing this gray mass above their country when it came to temperatures. Like what happens after you cross that line? Like it's just this big void. And so he was always intrigued by Canada, but I guess he went to his publisher and said to him I'm keen to write a book about Canada. And he said he watched the publisher's blood drain from his face and he said no one would ever read a book about Canada. Not even Canadians will read a book about Canada. And I I sat there as all the Australians were laughing in the theater. And then it turns out the next day, the age, which is like the star in Melbourne quoted that line. And I just, I felt so humbled as a Canadian that I mean, Australia's a beautiful country and, but so is Canada, and I just, it kind of shocked me that that's how people still view. This great country of ours. So my hope is for you with what you're building with Northern Soul, it'll change that perception that a public would look back at Bill Bryson and say, that's a terrific idea. You should definitely do.
Jason: 29:04
Yeah, no complete, you know, with ideas, timing's always a big one, right? So we have seen, listen, obviously the tourism board plays a huge part in this, and we have seen a shift in the Canadian Tourism Board with how they are branding the destination. And I think that's in Incre, that's a catalyst. And we've also had a massive catalyst in this, you know, this pan global pandemic, which. You know, shut everyone down effectively. Right. And everyone in the world had the same problem. So, you know, I think it's a catalyst for change and LANs Be's gonna take advantage as, as best we can with with LANs being Northern Soul.
Dan: 29:43
Well, let's talk about trends then. Let's look at Canada. Especially coming outta the pandemics. Pandemic is a word. None of neith of us wanna to utter anymore, and I think we're all ready to move on. But at the same time, we have to recognize that it was three years of our lives ultimately. It's finally been lifted, but it's had a massive impact on our industry and also, and the way people travel. So I'm keen to know, since you've mentioned it a couple times in, you know, the development of LANs b coming back to the family business. I'm really keen to know what you see has, has changed since you've got such deep knowledge and experience in the industry before and going through it and now how you're seeing the industry coming back. So I'd love to know some of the. Trends that you are seeing, particularly for Canadian travel, but even, not necessarily just about the destinations, but how people are changing the way that they travel. So tell us what you're seeing at Lands B and and and coming up with Northern Seoul.
Jason: 30:36
So I, I. This is not specific to LANs being necessarily, but the role of a travel advisor has been cemented to me. I mean, the value is, is unquestionable and we're only seeing the importance of, you know, someone who's an expert. And being able to guide travelers through, and this is where the founding agency of change is so important because we do, we do play a role in how people travel moving forward. So it's not new, but the role of an advisor will continue to be there in my view, always in forever. As long as the expertise is there. We've heard the word bucket list so many times in the last couple of years when people come to us at LANs Beach. So you know, the Northern Lights are bucket list items, you know spending time. In the Arctic, these are bucket list items. Spending time on Vancouver Island and seeing the orcas in the grizzlies, these are bucket list items for people and we. I think people are taking that opportunity because they couldn't move around for so long to fulfill these bucket list you know, destinations and experiences that they thought about for a long time. So that's definitely something that we're seeing and we'll continue to see inevitably. Other trans list, custom to travel, custom travel itinerary, small groups, private travel. I don't, small group traveling is not gonna go away. It's like, you know, why would we go back? And there is a place for it for sure. But why go back to, you know, sort of the larger 52, you know, seat buses and, and you know, dropping, you know, hundreds of people on a destination. It's not a sustainable way to travel. It's not the best experience for the consumer. Right. So outside of the actual destination, so smaller groups, off season, shoulder season, some of the things I've discussed for sure. And, you know, so for us, I'm going to, you know, the Yukon is just, it's, it's one of my favorites. I was there last year and it's just an incredible destination, you know, and it's. It's more and more Canadians are becoming familiar, but, you know, the German market's extremely popular. The Australian market, the Asian market. And I, I just think it's a really, really underserved destination for Canadians and We'll, we'll help. We'll help improve that for sure.
Dan: 32:59
Yeah, in terms of technology and is there any other. Aspects you've seen certainly in terms of being able to get new products and new experiences off the ground. I'm assuming that your experience is consistent with many of us where things have become more efficient, faster to market, cause a lot of those things that, you know, trying to adjust to consumer trends, consumer behaviors. How has that evolved now that you're in a better position with either Lands Be or Northern Soul to be able to react to consumer feedback or looking at Google Analytics data? Is that something now that is really helping you shape your business to make sure you're offering products and services that consumers definitely want? How, how big a factor is, I guess, technology in the of this?
Jason: 33:43
Well, can we, I don't think we can talk about this without mentioning ai, right? So it's sort of, it's, it's, it's, it's part of the tech landscape that we, that we have to discuss. I mean, I actually think. And I've always hoped, and it hasn't really been there in the industry yet, that technology should support what an expert does and shouldn't replace what an expert does. And I do think that, you know, AI changes every week and sort of, you know, our ability to interact with it and all the different tools coming out. But I do think that whether it be from a content perspective, Or generating an itinerary really quickly for consumer or supporting a travel advisor with facts and data. I, I think that a tool, AI, or, or whatever comes of that initiative, will really support an expert at leveraging their knowledge and less about actually just creating documents. But I also think that it'll bring us closer from finding the right consumer. Right? So if we're talking about marketing, I think ai. Will allow us to get to a consumer quickly and really sort of shorten that, that funnel from inspiration down to actually purchase. And I, I, I really think those tools, you know, think about if I, if we all had them 20 years ago, those tools would be in a different place. But I think it'll shorten that, that that gap between inspiration and purchase.
Dan: 34:59
Yeah, that's interesting. I'm gonna switch over. I'm gonna do some travel trivia now, and and you.
Jason: 35:07
I've already answered one.
Dan: 35:09
And you can't, you can't use AI for this. You so I can see your hands if you're Googling. So,
Jason: 35:15
My hands are here. I'm not keyboarding it.
Dan: 35:18
So I'm gonna do a fast five Canadian trivia, so I'm gonna go easy on you. Everyone else can get their maple syrup ready for this one. It's the first one is actually gonna be a little more challenging and then I'll open it up a bit. So we'll see how you score out of five. Our friend Zach, I think you'll only do it two outta five. And but so set that sets the stage for you, sets the bar anyway. There's a picture behind me and actually I bought this image. It's a Canadian artist named Shane Nori who's from Ontario here. And his work is abstract landscape art, but focused on, on Canadian landscape. And so I bought this after a year of running acceleration team, and it serves as inspiration for me. I love the image, but I'm keen to know where in Canada you think that image is and think it's a tough one because.
Jason: 36:08
I'm gonna say Mount Logan in the Yukon.
Dan: 36:10
Incredibly. It's actually Cape Breton Trail. You remember that? Yeah. He certainly looks like there's mountains. And I think that's the initially that was my reaction too. But yeah, it's the Lighthouse Trail, Cape Breon Trail, which for those of you who haven't been, it's one of the most spectacular scenic drives in the world. It's about 284 kilometers. And and so, okay, you're over one so far, but let's see how you pick up all the rest. Right. So there's 20 UNESCO. Recognize UNESCO sites in Canada. The very first one was designated after they found a Viking settlement. In what? Canadian province.
Jason: 36:53
New Brunswick.
Dan: 36:54
Oh, my. Newfoundland. Newfoundland,
Jason: 36:56
See, I was, I was cussy, I was. I know first Viking, I should have gone a little further east
Dan: 37:02
Yeah. The The Newfoundland commercials, right? We're trying to get, encourage people to go Newfoundland and the kids are running around. There's Vikings coming and but alright, hope for two. Let's see. You gotta go three for three, like the Leafs. Now on the next one. So since you know the Yukon, there is a national park in the Yukon that's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What is the name of that national park?
Jason: 37:27
This gonna be one of two. So I'm gonna say Kiwani National Park.
Dan: 37:30
Done. Well done. There you go. You're back.
Jason: 37:32
I was also gonna say Tombstone, but yeah. Clemont National Park.
Dan: 37:35
No, you got this one. All right. Let's move over to bc. There's an archipelago in British Columbia that has been nicknamed the Canadian Galapagos.
Jason: 37:44
Yes.
Dan: 37:44
Where what? What is the name? Yes, there is What is what and has a name and it's got a indigenous name. Well done. There you go. One of the most beautiful parts of our country.
Jason: 37:57
That's my, probably one of my number one. It's on the top of my bucket list.
Dan: 38:02
Yeah. And a question that everyone needs to know and something we'll share again soon. A drink. What does Canada's national drink?
Jason: 38:11
Oh my goodness. That I will not know.
Dan: 38:14
It was invented in Calgary in 19 69.
Jason: 38:17
Nope. With maple syrup of some sort, I'm not sure.
Dan: 38:21
It's a mix. It's a mixed drink. You, you go to, no, you go to the US and they call it a Bloody, bloody Mary. But here we've got
Jason: 38:29
It's called a Caesar.
Dan: 38:30
yes, well done. Exactly. We've got that clamato clam juice that no one else understands why we have it or make drinks out of it. But no, it's been a real pleasure speaking to you, Jason. I wanna make sure before we do wrap up though I wanna give you the final word to highlight how. Anyone listening to this can find out more about LANs Be or Northern Soul.
Jason: 38:51
For sure. Thank you. So visit LANs b.ca. Northern Soul will be launching towards the end of the month and that can be found at Northern Soul Media or Northern Soul Media ca.
Dan: 39:04
That's great. Thanks a lot, Jason. Really appreciate you being here. Good luck with the new event.
Jason: 39:08
Thanks, Dan. Thank you so much.
Dan: 39:09
Bye for now.
