ALL EPISODES
Company Spotlight: Inside Airbnb’s Growing Experiences Business
The tours and activities sector is one of the fastest-growing and most competitive areas of travel. With so many platforms offering similar experiences, what does it take to stand out? And how do you bring together iconic attractions, authentic local experiences, and the personal connections that make travel memorable?
In this Company Spotlight episode, Dan sits down with Doug Weiss, Global Head of Airbnb Experiences, to explore how Airbnb is reimagining the way travelers discover and book experiences around the world.
S8/E6 The 2027 Travel Marketing Playbook Part 1: Brand, PR & the Human Advantage
As the travel industry looks ahead to 2027, standing out is becoming harder than ever. Performance marketing is more competitive and expensive, AI is flooding the market with content, and travellers have more choices at their fingertips than ever before. So what makes someone choose your brand, trust it and keep coming back?
In the first episode of our three-part Marketing Series, sponsored by Propellic, Dan is joined by Laurel Greatrix, Chief Communications Officer at Tripadvisor; Roman Townsend, Managing Director at Belvera Partners; and Fabio Bin, Co-Founder and CMO of WeRoad, to explore why brand, PR and human connection matter more than ever.
Event Spotlight: Can Travel Change the World? Live Recording from GX Cambodia on World Tourism Day
Can travel do more than take us somewhere new? Can it actually change the way we see the world?
Recorded live on stage at G Adventures' GX Summit in Cambodia, this special episode brings Dan together with Bruce Poon Tip, Founder of G Adventures, for an inspiring and thought-provoking conversation about the power of travel to change lives, strengthen communities and make a real difference in the places we visit.
The Evolution of Timeshare: Tech in Timeshare
AI is rewriting the rules of timeshare, and the biggest shift is simpler than it sounds: we are finally fixing communication. Recorded live at ARDA’s Spring Conference in Las Vegas, Dan sits down with two leaders working at the intersection of technology and vacation ownership, and we get concrete about what’s working right now and what’s about to change next.
This is the final episode in our 3-part series exploring the evolution of timeshare.
First, Jason Tremblay, CEO of One Agency, explains how AI moves from “cool idea” to practical application in sales and marketing. We dig into real-world use cases like turning social media comments into two-way conversations, handling skepticism at scale, and using persistent memory so a prospect’s context follows them from platform to platform. The takeaway is clear: better conversations mean better conversions, and AI makes one-to-one personalization possible without burning out teams.
Company Spotlight: From the Front Lines to Founder: Reinventing Travel Technology with Aderra Solutions
A CRM system is supposed to make life easier, but for many travel companies, implementing one becomes a costly and frustrating experience. So why do so many Salesforce and CRM projects fall short, and what does it take to get them right?
In this Company Spotlight episode, Dan sits down with Amber Halliday, Founder and Principal Consultant at Aderra Solutions, to explore the common mistakes travel companies make when implementing CRM technology and how to avoid them. With more than 15 years of experience in the travel industry, including hands-on roles in reservations, sales and operations, Amber understands the challenges from both sides.
S8/E5 Travel Trends Monthly Report - October 2026
Booking patterns are moving in two directions at once. Some travelers are locking in premium, high-value trips months or even years ahead, while others are waiting until much closer to departure, particularly for shorter trips. It’s what we’re calling travel’s two booking clocks, and it has major implications for tour operators heading into 2027.
In this month’s Travel Trends Report, Dan sits down with Travis Pittman, CEO and Co-founder of TourRadar, to unpack what TourRadar’s proprietary booking data tells us about the multi-day market. Travis shares how booking windows change based on trip length, price, age and party size, including why shorter trips are being booked later while higher-value and capacity-constrained experiences are selling much further ahead. We also look at the rise of solo travel and small groups, and why flexibility and free time are becoming increasingly important to travelers.
Iceberg Ahead with TourRadar
Most travellers judge a tour platform by what they can see: the itinerary, the price, the reviews and the “Book Now” button. But behind every booking is a much more complicated system moving money between travellers, operators and partners around the world.
In the final episode of our three-part Multi-Day Commerce Series with TourRadar, Dan sits down with Shawn Pittman, Co-Founder and SVP of FinTech at TourRadar, to unpack the money flow behind multi-day travel and why payments become especially complex when the average booking is around $3,000.
Event Spotlight: Adventure Travel World Summit 2026
35+ voices. Seven hours. One extraordinary adventure travel community.
There’s something special about a gathering where old friends greet you with a hug, new connections quickly become friendships, and people genuinely want to help each other succeed. That’s the spirit of the Adventure Travel World Summit, and Quebec City gave us an unforgettable setting for its biggest and best edition yet.
As the official podcast partner, Travel Trends was proud to return for our third ATWS Event Spotlight, recorded September 14–17, 2026. This one breaks a major record for our Event Spotlights: seven hours of conversations featuring more than 35 speakers from across the global adventure travel community, in mostly 15-minute segments you can explore at your own pace.
S8/E4 What Wellness Travelers Really Want
Wellness travel is having a moment, but at its core, the idea is simple: travellers want to come home feeling better than when they left.
In this episode, Dan sits down with Robin Ruiz, Founder & CEO of WITT (Wellness in Travel & Tourism); Lauren Pronger, Founder & CEO of Well Inspired Travels; and David T. Stevens, WITT-AP, Co-Founder and Wellness Architect, to explore what wellness travel really means and how the industry can separate meaningful experiences from clever marketing.
We get practical about what hotels can do to better support travelers, and it doesn’t always require an expensive spa or the latest biohacking technology. Blackout curtains, better sleep environments, healthier food options and opportunities for movement can all make a difference. Robin explains why standards and certification matter as more hotels position themselves around wellness, while Lauren shares what clients are looking for, from burnout recovery to performance-focused travel.
How an Organized Adventure Finds Its Traveler with TourRadar
You can feel a shift happening in multi-day travel. Travelers still want the ease and support of an organized trip, but they also want experiences that feel personal. At the same time, tour operators are looking for ways to reach more customers without losing what makes their product unique.
In the second episode of our three part Multi-Day Commerce Series with TourRadar, Dan sits down with Brendan Roberts, Chief Commercial Officer at TourRadar, to look at the distribution side of the multi-day business and how the right trip ultimately reaches the right traveler.
Company Spotlight: How Nezasa Is Building the AI Workforce for Travel
A trip doesn’t usually become complicated when it’s booked. The real challenges come later, when flights change, strikes are announced, wildfires disrupt plans, hotels overbook or border delays throw an itinerary off course. Suddenly, operations teams are dealing with hundreds of small tasks that take up time, slow down response and eat into margins.
In this Company Spotlight episode, Dan sits down with Manuel Hilty, CEO and Co-founder of Nezasa, the travel technology company behind TripBuilder, to explore how AI could help travel companies manage that complexity.
S8/E3 How Food Is Changing the Way We Travel
Food has always been part of travel, but increasingly, it’s becoming a reason to travel in the first place. Instead of simply asking what there is to see, travelers are thinking about what they want to eat, where they want to eat it and the people and stories they can discover along the way. That shift is helping fuel the growth of culinary travel and changing what travelers expect from a great trip.
In this episode, Dan sits down with three people who have built their businesses around food and local connection: Annie Sim, Chief Eating Officer of The Table Less Traveled; Daniel Cerda, Founder and CEO of Eating With Carmen; and Kenny Dunn, Managing Director of Eating Europe.
Multi-Day’s Time To Shine with TourRadar
Multi-day travel has spent years being misunderstood, often associated with traditional coach tours even as the category evolved into something much broader. Now, as AI changes how travelers discover and plan trips, multi-day travel is getting a fresh look.
In the first episode of our three-part Multi-Day Commerce Series, Dan sits down with Travis Pittman, CEO and Co-Founder of TourRadar, to explore how the category has evolved and why its next chapter could look very different.
Travis takes us back to TourRadar’s beginnings as a London travel magazine featuring tour deals and its 16-year journey to becoming a global marketplace for organized adventures.
Company Spotlight: AI Teammates for Hospitality: Built by Hoteliers, for Hoteliers with GuestOS
Your hotel phone can either help drive revenue or quietly become a source of missed opportunities. Unanswered calls, slow responses and endless back-and-forth can all add up, especially when hotel teams are already stretched.
In this Company Spotlight episode, Dan sits down with Jessie Fischer, Founder and CEO of GuestOS, to talk about how AI could change the way hotels communicate with their guests. GuestOS is built around a simple idea: give hotels a 24/7 multilingual AI teammate that can answer the phone, respond to guest questions, support bookings and provide local recommendations, all through a single phone number with no app required.
S8/E2 Accessible Travel Isn’t a Niche: Designing Travel for Everyone
Travel is still leaving both travellers and money on the table, largely because people aren’t getting the accessibility information they need to book with confidence.
In this episode, Dan sits down with Dr. Yvette Pegues, Chief Prevention Officer at Your Invisible Disability Group; Alvaro Silberstein, Co-founder and CEO of Wheel the World; and Lorraine Woodward, CEO and Founder of Becoming rentABLE, to talk about where the travel industry is falling short and what needs to change.
We start with what accessible travel actually means, because it goes far beyond ramps and wheelchair access. From airports and airlines to hotels and short-term rentals, the conversation explores why seemingly small details can make or break a trip. Bed height, door widths, bathroom layouts, thresholds and even the surface between the parking lot and front door can determine whether a traveller can comfortably use a space. Just as important is making that information easy to find before someone books.
Company Spotlight: Travel’s Next Big Community: Why G Adventures Is Betting on Sports Fans
Watching football on TV is one thing. Standing in a packed stadium surrounded by thousands of fans singing the same song is something completely different.
Sports tourism is booming, and football is helping drive that growth. In this Company Spotlight episode, Dan sits down with Yves Marceau, VP of Product at G Adventures, and Aly Handler, Product Development and Travel Style Manager, to talk about the launch of Away Games, G Adventures’ new small-group travel style built entirely around football culture.
S8/E1 Heading to the Poles: Season 8 Begins with Quark Expeditions
We're so excited to launch Season 8, and we’re kicking things off with something our listeners have been asking for: more timely, practical industry data and insights they can actually use.
In our Season 8 premiere, we’re launching the Monthly Travel Trends Report, a new recurring feature designed to cut through the headlines and take a closer look at the trends, data and shifts shaping travel right now. For our first edition, Dan is joined by Max Tremaine, CEO of Sherpa, and Marius Nigond, CEO and Co-founder of iWander and a member of the Travel Trends Advisory team.
Then, we head somewhere completely different.
Sam Seward, President of Quark Expeditions, joins Dan from Quark’s Toronto office for a closer look at the world of polar travel.
Company Spotlight: Building the Backend for Multi-Day Tour Operators with Tourseta
Your tour business shouldn’t need a custom-built system just to manage departures, rooming, payments and traveller documents. In this Company Spotlight episode, Dan sits down with Alex Ragin, Founder of Tourseta and Zoftify, to explore what happens when multi-day and group tour operators finally have technology built around the way they actually work.
Alex shares how his experience building custom software for travel companies eventually led to Tourseta, and why the decision to buy versus build technology looks very different for small and mid-sized operators. He explains how Tourseta has evolved beyond a booking platform into an all-in-one tour management system, bringing together costings, customer records, quotes, itineraries, reminders, forms and many of the everyday workflows that become increasingly difficult to manage as a tour business grows.
Company Spotlight: How LivTours Is Defining Small Group Travel
There’s one rule LivTours refuses to compromise on: no more than six guests per tour. In this Company Spotlight, Dan sits down with Angelo Carotenuto, Founder and Co-owner, and Kristin Karstendotter, Co-owner of LivTours, to explore how that simple decision helped shape a very different kind of tour company.
Angelo and Kristin explain why six isn’t just a number. Smaller groups remove many of the things travellers have come to associate with traditional sightseeing, from following flags and listening through headsets to being rushed through an attraction on a fixed script. Instead, guides can have real conversations, adjust the experience on the fly, and create the kind of personal connection that travelers remember long after they return home.
Event Preview: Arival 360 Spokane 2026
If you work in tours, activities, attractions, or multi-day travel, you already know the industry is changing fast. Distribution is evolving, the way travellers discover experiences is shifting, and AI is rewriting the playbook. In this Event Preview episode, Dan sits down with Bruce Rosard, Co-founder and COO of Arival, to preview Arival 360 Spokane Oct 12-15 2026 and discuss the trends every experiences business should have on its radar.