Katalina Mayorga is the powerhouse founder of El Camino Travel, a multi-day tour company reimagining the group trip experience for a new generation.

But she's also much more than a tour operator. To sell her trips she's leaned heavily into community, creating a membership that serves not only as a customer base, but a space for likeminded 'bold women' to share recommendations and advice. And to power this community, she's created a new tech platform that is re-imagining the travel booking flow in an age where we're all drowning in the mediocre recommendations of AI and endless clickbait blog posts.

In this episode, Tourpreneur's Mitch Bach talks to Katalina about:

• what it takes to design and market the group travel experience to millennials.
• what makes a great DMC relationship, from both perspectives.
• what social responsibility really means
• building a community-driven brand
• How to build a brand when you’re small
• the growing ‘nichification’ of travel

...and so much more.

For show notes and more info, visit tourpreneur.com. And be sure to join nearly 20,000 Tourpreneurs in our bustling Facebook group.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction to El Camino Travel

01:50 - Katalina's Journey to Founding El Camino

06:50 - Reinventing Group Travel Experiences

11:39 - Building Unique Travel Experiences

17:33 - Community Engagement and Co-Creation

23:54 - The Importance of DMC Relationships

32:12 - Defining Brand and Community in Travel

35:40 - Defining Your Customer Avatar

38:36 - Building a Strong Brand Identity

40:59 - The Role of the Founder in Brand Success

44:58 - Creating a Community Around Travel

50:18 - The Future of Travel and Community

57:43 - Navigating Conflict and Kindness in Travel