Episodes

In 1960, Nashville’s college students sat down at lunch counters — and stood up for a different future. Nashville is famous for its music, but its Black colleges helped shape something even bigger: the Civil Rights Movement. Students trained in nonviolent protest faced harassment, beatings and arrests as they challenged segregation in the city’s downtown stores. When a bombing targeted the attorney defending them, thousands marched through Nashville, setting the stage for a confrontation that h...

Sometimes your best protection from a travel disaster is as thin as a sheet of paper. Jeff Ment believes that having well-crafted legal documents can make the difference between a peaceful problem resolution and a lengthy legal nightmare. And he would know — after working as a travel agent, a tour guide and an airline salesman, he found his place in the world as a travel attorney. On this episode, Jeff shares the most common legal mistakes most tour operators and travel professionals are makin...

Is recruiting a “pied piper” the key to building successful group trips? Ali Raymer things so. After years of leading student trips as a high school English teacher, she launched Peace & Pearl Travel Co. and stumbled upon a recipe for partnering with community luminaries to create meaningful group trips that rack up big sales. On this episode, Ali shares her formula for identifying great pied pipers in places you might not expect. She breaks down her marketing approach and shares some warning ...

Group travel makes a massive impact on America’s economy — and we’ve got the data to prove it. On this episode of Gather and Go, Fred Ferguson and Lew Myers of the American Bus Association share the results of a brand new economic impact study that demonstrates just how important group travel really is to destinations and businesses across America. They break down how the market has grown in the last 12 months, the biggest challenges facing the group tourism industry, and how travel pros can us...

Douglas Quinby knows what profitable tour businesses have in common. After decades studying group tourism, first as a journalist and then as a researcher, Douglas launched the tour education community Arival. And he and the team recently finished one of the most comprehensive studies of the multiday tour industry ever undertaken. On this episode, Douglas shares the major findings of that study, including the surprising traits that the most tour companies have in common. He shares insights into...

For James Redcay and Stephanie Tiboris, music is serious business. James and Stephanie lead MidAmerica Productions, a performance travel company that Stephanie’s father founded decades ago. They have helped thousands of young musicians perform at Carnegie Hall and other high-profile venues around the world. And they have seen firsthand how staying true to their passion has helped their business grow. On this episode, James and Stephanie share how their commitment to serious music has been seri...

Artificial intelligence could revolutionize your tour business… if you’re willing to let it. Kelsey Tonner believes believes AI could be the greatest tool ever developed for travel entrepreneurs. As the founder of Guest Focus, he has helped hundreds of tour and experience operators launch and scale successful businesses. And he’s going all in on artificial intelligence as a core operations tool. Kelsey returns to this episode of the podcast to talk about the power of smart AI implementation. H...

What if you could ensure every tour departs with a full load of clients? Harish Shroff believes it’s possible to sell every seat on every departure. He has helped Indus Travel scale up to become one of Canada’s premier world wide tour companies. And he knows how to help your company do the same. Harish joins this episode of the podcast to talk about the systems that help tour companies scale from from mom-and-pop to power players. He also shares sales and marketing techniques to help fill ever...

It’s vacation season, so this week’s episode is a little different. I’m taking some time away with my family, but I didn’t want to leave you without an episode of Gather and Go. So instead of our usual format, I’m bringing you a featured conversation with returning guest Stacy Barry of Sharin’ the South. Stacy has participated in hundreds of familiarization tours throughout her career, both as a tour operator and as a destination partner. She joins the podcast to share practical advice for get...

It’s vacation season, so this week’s episode is a little different. I’m taking some time away with my family, but I didn’t want to leave you without an episode of Gather and Go. So instead of our usual format, I’m bringing you a featured conversation with returning guest Stacy Barry of Sharin’ the South. Stacy has participated in hundreds of familiarization tours throughout her career, both as a tour operator and as a destination partner. She joins the podcast to share practical advice for get...

The tourism industry has spent years talking about workforce shortages. But what if part of the solution starts with us? Elizabeth Whalen believes that industry engagement is a critical part of cultivating new tourism talent. As a tourism professor at Middle Tennessee State University, she works every day with students who are interested in working in our industry. And she knows what a difference early engagement can make. Elizabeth joins this episode of the podcast to explain how she prepares...

The tourism industry has spent years talking about workforce shortages. But what if part of the solution starts with us? Elizabeth Whalen believes that industry engagement is a critical part of cultivating new tourism talent. As a tourism professor at Middle Tennessee State University, she works every day with students who are interested in working in our industry. And she knows what a difference early engagement can make. Elizabeth joins this episode of the podcast to explain how she prepares...

For some travel company owners, the real danger isn’t selling too soon — it’s waiting too long. Bob Sweeney and Doug Haugen of Innovative Travel Acquisitions have spent decades helping people buy and sell travel companies. They know the signs that a founder is losing the technological edge, the energy or the succession plan needed to keep a business healthy. Bob and Doug join this episode of the podcast to explain what it looks like to sell a tour company, how owners can know when it’s time to...

For some travel company owners, the real danger isn’t selling too soon — it’s waiting too long. Bob Sweeney and Doug Haugen of Innovative Travel Acquisitions have spent decades helping people buy and sell travel companies. They know the signs that a founder is losing the technological edge, the energy or the succession plan needed to keep a business healthy. Bob and Doug join this episode of the podcast to explain what it looks like to sell a tour company, how owners can know when it’s time to...

Does tourism education have a serious problem? Stephen Ekstrom believes it does: Too often, tourism professionals sit through workshops, webinars and conference sessions that leave them with information — but no meaningful transformation. After years working in tourism sales and destination development, Stephen co-founded Learn Tourism, a nonprofit educational platform designed to make tourism education more engaging, accessible and transformational. He joins this episode of the podcast alongsi...

Does tourism education have a serious problem? Stephen Ekstrom believes it does: Too often, tourism professionals sit through workshops, webinars and conference sessions that leave them with information — but no meaningful transformation. After years working in tourism sales and destination development, Stephen co-founded Learn Tourism, a nonprofit educational platform designed to make tourism education more engaging, accessible and transformational. He joins this episode of the podcast alongsi...

Are hotel rooms more expensive than they used to be? Jan Freitag’s answer may surprise you. As the national director of hospitality analytics at CoStar Group, Jan has been studying hotel pricing trends for years. And he believes that in many places, hotels are more of a bargain today than they were in 2019. Jan joins this episode of the podcast to help us make sense of the mystifying world of hotel pricing. He explains how inflation, demand and labor pressures shape the rates you pay when you ...

Are hotel rooms more expensive than they used to be? Jan Freitag’s answer may surprise you. As the national director of hospitality analytics at CoStar Group, Jan has been studying hotel pricing trends for years. And he believes that in many places, hotels are more of a bargain today than they were in 2019. Jan joins this episode of the podcast to help us make sense of the mystifying world of hotel pricing. He explains how inflation, demand and labor pressures shape the rates you pay when you ...

The bravery in Birmingham inspired the word — and eventually changed history. Birmingham, Alabama, was ground zero for much of the planning, protesting and other activities that were critical to the Civil Rights Movement. On this special bonus edition of Gather and Go, we’re sharing an episode of the Alabama Civil Rights Trail Podcast that tells the stories of Fred Shuttlesworth, Martin Luther King Jr., hundreds of student activists and how their courage continues to resonate today. This episo...

The bravery in Birmingham inspired the word — and eventually changed history. Birmingham, Alabama, was ground zero for much of the planning, protesting and other activities that were critical to the Civil Rights Movement. On this special bonus edition of Gather and Go, we’re sharing an episode of the Alabama Civil Rights Trail Podcast that tells the stories of Fred Shuttlesworth, Martin Luther King Jr., hundreds of student activists and how their courage continues to resonate today. This episo...

Gather & Go is turning 100! No, not 100 years old, of course. But this episode marks the 100th of your favorite travel podcast — and we’re celebrating in a creative way. On this special episode, guest host Erik Young puts Brian in the hot seat and interviews him about the origins of Gather & Go, the process of producing an episode, his favorite guests and more. Plus, we have news about rising hotel taxes in Chicago and bunch of amazing FAM and travel opportunities in the U.S. and around the wo...

Gather & Go is turning 100! No, not 100 years old, of course. But this episode marks the 100th of your favorite travel podcast — and we’re celebrating in a creative way. On this special episode, guest host Erik Young puts Brian in the hot seat and interviews him about the origins of Gather & Go, the process of producing an episode, his favorite guests and more. Plus, we have news about rising hotel taxes in Chicago and bunch of amazing FAM and travel opportunities in the U.S. and around the wo...

Is traveling Route 66 the best way to discover the heart and soul of America. Austin Coop believes it is. A longtime road-tripper turned group travel professional, he has guided of groups and and down the Mother Road — and created an innovative Route 66 tour experience that travelers of all ages love. Austin joins this episode to share why Route 66 is still an American treasure 100 years after its founding. He explains how the highway showcases the best of Americana and gives inside tips about...

Is traveling Route 66 the best way to discover the heart and soul of America. Austin Coop believes it is. A longtime road-tripper turned group travel professional, he has guided of groups and and down the Mother Road — and created an innovative Route 66 tour experience that travelers of all ages love. Austin joins this episode to share why Route 66 is still an American treasure 100 years after its founding. He explains how the highway showcases the best of Americana and gives inside tips about...