Your personal passions might just be the launchpad for a fantastic travel company. Anna McKitrick is proof.

After building a following as a vegan influencer on social media, Anna stumbled into group travel — and leveraged her following to build a tour company operating 17 trips a year. Anna joins the podcast to discuss her journey from Instagram to tourism and share secrets of how she has built her operation without spending any money on digital marketing.

Anna discusses the many opportunities for vegan travel in 2025 and why even meat-lovers enjoy her trips. She also shares how she leverages the power of a niche audience to build a travel travel experiences that align with her values and thrill her customers. Plus, we have news about changing U.S. travel statistics; a road tip about avoiding travel bloat; and a Hot Minute about the the dumbest thing happening in America.

Anna had lots of great insights about how she builds trips to align closely with a niche set of values and interests. Here’s what he had to say about how a small audience helps her develop great product:

“About half the people signed up for our trips now are past travelers. In many ways, it makes it kind of easy to scout and create the perfect trip for that person. Those repeat travelers are in my mind when I’m in a new destination.”

Plus, she had insightful thoughts on:

Follow Anna McKitrick on on Instagram and TikTok.

Find Vegan AF on Instagram and TikTok, or visit the website at veganaftravel.com.

Learn more about GroupCollect at groupcollect.com/gatherandgo.

1:36 — Travel News: U.S. Travel has downgraded its 2025 forecast

3:00 — Road Tip: The perfect trick for avoiding stomach bloat on the road

14:07 — How an Instagram career led Anna McKitrick to tourism

16:06 — What makes a vegan trip different?

18:10 — How serving a niche audience is a pro, not a con

21:15 — Building a social following without ads

24:08 — Organic social tips for boosting sales

29:14 — Transitioning from solopreneur to CEO

32:59 — How content creators can make money on group travel

38:06 — Curating authentic local experiences for special interests

38:45 — How Brent finds great young employees

50:18 — Hot Minute: The dumbest thing about America

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

Thanks to our sponsor Louisville Tourism for making this episode possible. Learn more about group travel to the Bourbon City at gotolouisville.com/travel-professionals.

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 operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Are people problems holding your travel business back?

As a tour operator or travel entrepreneur, you likely have to work with team members or contractors to make your trips happen. But if your team isn’t working well, can cause major problems. Rebekah Snider feels your pain. Through many years of trial and error she has become a respected tourism leader — and has learned through experience how to find good team members and lose bad ones. She joins this episode of the podcast to share her insights on hiring and leading great tourism teams.

Rebekah shares her secrets for finding great employees and the questions she always asks herself before having difficult conversation with struggling teammates. She also provides insights about how to lead multi-generational teams and what core workplace wishes everyone has in common. Plus, we have news about America’s top travel inspiration source and a thought-provoking question about the role of social media in all our lives.

Rebekah shared lots of great wisdom about how she builds high-functioning tourism teams. Here’s what she had to say about the top characteristics she looks for in employees:

“We’re really looking first and foremost for somebody that has a kindness to them and a relatability. I think people do business with people they like. Those things are important to our brand and to hospitality…. I have found that if we have someone who is a good communicator and has a kindness and warmth to them, we can usually teach them the skill set they’re going to need.”

Plus, she had great perspectives on:

Email Rebekah at [email protected].

Read our Buyer’s Guide for the Group Travel Industry here.

2:14 — Travel News: Social media becomes America’s top source of travel inspiration

3:37 — Your best source for group travel insight and intelligence

9:17 — How Rebekah Snider became a tourism leader

10:12 — Key traits of great mentors

12:45 — Dealing with imposter syndrome

14:57 — Leading a multi-generational team

20:31 — Setting expectations for team members

21:50 — Navigating difficult conversations with employees

27:04 — How to find great employees for your travel business

29:45 — Exercising influence in your community

44:15 — Hot Minute: Is using social media still morally acceptable in 2025?

See the full interview with Rebekah on our YouTube channel.

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 operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

What’s your biggest struggle as a travel entrepreneur?

No matter what you’re wrestling with, Andrea Ross has been there. Over the course of 12 years, she started a tour company from the ground up, grew it to profitability and eventually sold it. She’s now a business advisor who helps other travel company owners through the same process, and she joins this episode of the podcast to share her insights.

Andrea discusses the good decisions — and the bad mistakes — she made in her time as a tour operator. She shares the most common challenges travel entrepreneurs face and how you can measure and grow the value of business. Plus, we have news about free Wi-Fi on Southwest Airlines; a Road Tip about dealing with sick travelers; and a Hot Minute about the reality of struggling travel businesses.

Andrea had lots of hard-won insights from her time in the trenches as a tour operator. Here’s what she had to say about the common pain that almost all travel entrepreneurs feel:

“Across the spectrum, the challenges are the same. How do I duplicate myself? I’m working 80 hours a week, I’m exhausted. How do I force myself to work on my business so I can grow some of the processes and procedures and some of the training, when really I’m just holding a fire extinguisher putting out fires?”

Plus, she had great perspectives on:

Email Andrea Ross at [email protected].

Browse our catalog of more than 250 free group tour itineraries here.

1:49 — Travel News: Southwest launching Free Wi-Fi fleetwide

3:07 — Road Tip: You need a sick policy

7:48 — Your best source for group travel itineraries

12:35 — How Andrea Ross launched, grew and sold a tour company

18:15 — The pain every tourism entrepreneur feels

20:09 — Growing your company beyond yourself

22:18 — Problems that come with a growing tour company

24:00 — How to know when it’s time to sell your travel business

32:13 — Overcoming pandemic PTSD as a tourism professional

49:13 — Hot Minute: Do you have a travel business or a travel hobby?

See the full interview with Andrea on our YouTube channel.

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 operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

A bad logo could be costing you business.

Ross Evans has seen all manner of wild and weird logos. A longtime branding expert and vice president at Redpoint Marketing PR, he has worked with many travel companies to create logos and branding that transform their identity and make a big impact on their bottom lines. He joins this episode of the podcast to share insights on why your branding isn’t working and how you can make it better.

Ross discusses the basics of a strong visual brand and how you can leverage them to increase your company’s profits. He explains why travel companies need to put more emphasis on visual branding than other organizations and gives tips for how to achieve great brand design on a budget. Plus, we have news about a new tour concept for travelers in their 40s and 50s; a Road Tip about the best shoes for travel; and a Hot Minute about the most important ingredient your trips are missing.

Ross had lots of insights about how your visual branding impacts customer decisions — without them even realizing it. Here’s what he had to say about why visual branding is so important:

“A visual brand is the language a company uses to articulate its brand pillars, its brand values, how it treats its customers…. They’re important because they make a first impression. We process color and texture and shape before we read a single word.”

Plus, he had great perspectives on:

Find Redpoint online and subscribe to Tickled Red at redpointmarketingpr.com.

Hear our interview How The Pandemic Changed Travelers with Dan Christian here.

Register to attend Dan’s Travel Trends AI Summit with this link and use the code TTGATHER at checkout to save $100 on registration.

1:10 — Travel News: Tauck launching a brand for younger travelers

2:30 — Road Tip: The ideal travel shoes

7:37 — Save big on the Travel Trends AI Summit

11:42 — How Ross Evans discovered the importance of visual branding

14:05 — The basics of visual branding

15:30 — How fonts and colors communicate your values

17:28 — How bad branding holds travel businesses back

18:55 — Why visual branding is more important in travel than in other businesses

21:22 — The essentials of a travel company brand

24:16 — What kind of design support do small travel businesses need?

26:20 — How you know it’s time to rebrand

31:41 — Getting a great brand design on a budget

36:12 — How to avoid design by committee

37:19 — Leveraging your brand to sell more trips

47:54 — Hot Minute: The most important ingredient your trips are missing

See the full interview with Ross on our YouTube channel.

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 operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Travel is better when you don’t drink.

That’s what Darci Murray believes. A longtime travel professional, Darci realized years ago that she had developed an unhealthy relationships with alcohol — and that it was negatively impacting her travel experience. She joins this episode of the podcast to share the journey that led her to start the alcohol-free tour company Hooked.

Darci discusses the explosion of interest in “sober curious” and “sober supportive” travel. She gives us an inside look at how she builds thrilling alcohol-free trips to destinations around the world shares secrets of helping travelers connect in deep and meaningful ways. Plus, we have news about a tourism coalition pushing back on trade policy; a Road Tip about making non-drinkers feel special on your trips; and a Hot Minute about the way your trips might be making your customers better people — or worse.

Darci had a lot of hard-won insights into the ways alcohol dependency has infused the tourism industry. Here’s what she had to say about why she thinks travel is better without booze:

“There are so many hours lost in the itinerary that are just sitting around looking for the happy hour. At hooked, we start early and see way more than the average tour company. We focus on what I call full sensory experiences. When you’re not drinking, all your senses are intact, so I try to play off that.”

Plus, she shared really helpful perspectives on:

Follow Hooked on Instagram.

Learn more about Hooked and upcoming tours on their website.

Apply to attend our Alabama FAM tour here.

1:52 — Travel News: Tourism coalition calls for trade policy changes

3:11 — Road Tip: Accommodating alcohol-free travelers

6:41 — Reserve your spot on our Alabama FAM tour

13:30 — How a young-adult group trip sent Darci Murray down a bad road

14:44 — How alcohol negatively impacts the travel experience

17:05 — Transitioning to alcohol-free living and traveling

20:56 — Sober-curious, sober-supportive, gray-area drinking?

24:14 — The incredible rise of mocktails

27:00 — Who joins an alcohol-free group trip?

28:28 — Where Hooked travelers go

29:55 — How alcohol-free travel supercharges relationship building

35:43 — Is alcohol-free travel poised to grow in the future?

36:39 — How to make alcohol-free travelers feel special on your trips

46:31 — Hot Minute: Do your trips make travelers better or worse people?

See the full interview with Darci on our YouTube channel.

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 operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Adventure travel is for everyone — no matter their age or fitness level.

That’s what Shannon Stowell believes. As the CEO of the Adventure Travel Trade Association, Shannon is on a mission to help more people discover the joy of adventure tourism and learn how to do so responsibly. He joins this episode of the podcast to bust common myths around adventure travel and help you discover the adventure style that will thrill and delight your travelers..

Shannon discusses how you might be leading adventure travel without even realizing it. He puts to rest the misconception that older travelers don’t like adventure and shares a framework for traveling like respectful guests in the places we visit. Plus, we have news about dozens of cancellations from a major cruise line; a Road Tip about making your devices and appliances work well abroad; and a Hot Minute about the unprofessional habits of some travel pros.

Shannon had lots of ideas about how planners can seek out and deliver enriching adventure activities for travelers of all kinds. Here’s what he had to say about what adventure travel really means:

“We did this deep dive study and found that three themes came out clearly to define the core of adventure: nature, culture and activity.

“The beauty of that is it’s accessible to everyone. So an 18-year-old who’s climbing a mountain in Nepal, that’s adventure for them. Somebody up there in years who would love to walk from inn to inn in Ireland — that’s an adventure too. They’re just a little bit different…. I think everyone should have access to adventure.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

Connect with Shannon Stowell on LInkedIn.

Purchase Shannon’s Book “Riding the Hulahula to the Arctic Ocean” on Amazon.

Learn more about the Adventure Travel Trade Association on their website.

Sign up for our FAM trip notifications here.

1:08 — Travel News: Norwegian cancels 40 cruises

2:20 — Road Tip: Using your electronics abroad

8:08 — FAM tour opportunities you don’t want to miss

13:11 — Shannon Stowell’s journey from e-commerce to adventure travel

15:09 — Defining adventure travel for the 21st century

18:04 — Adventure opportunities for older travelers

21:31 — How adventure travel providers are adjusting to today’s marketplace

24:11 — The incredible growth of the adventure travel industry

26:32 — Adventure travel opportunities in the United States

28:52 — Visiting the national parks in uncertain times

31:55 — Enjoying adventure travel responsibly

39:21 — Training people to become the “right” kind of travelers

52:24 — Hot Minute: Character traits tourism professionals must develop

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 operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

What’s the most important part of your travel business? Lauren Rilling believes it’s profit.

For more than a decade, Lauren has been helping small business owners solve their companies’ financial problems. And she believes that most business owners get into trouble by not prioritizing profit. She joins the podcast today to help you understand how to create and maximize profit in your travel company — and why this is essential to every other element of your business.

Lauren discusses how tour operators can ensure that every trip is profitable from day one. She gives tips about how to turn a travel hobby into a travel business and offers essential strategies for managing the seasonality and cash flow irregularities of the tourism business. Plus, we have news about the Big Beautiful Bill’s tourism implications; a Road Tip about selecting the best travel snacks; and a Hot Minute about the skyrocketing costs of tourism conferences.

Lauren had lots of ideas about how travel business owners can improve their companies’ financial performance. Here’s what she had to say about paying attention to profit from the very beginning of a company:

“You can really figure out what your expected profit will be ahead of time. You don’t have to take big financial risks. You don’t need a lot of capital to get started…. Know what your profit margins are. Start calculating your costs… And then know what you’re charging people. Then, the remaining amount is your gross profit.

“Gross profit is everything when it comes to tour companies. Knowing your gross profit for each trip will help you know how much you need to charge.”

Plus, she had insightful thoughts on:

Learn more about Lauren Rilling at savvystewardship.com.

Contact Lauren at [email protected].

Apply to attend our OnSite familiarization trip in Alabama here.

1:13 — Travel News: The Big Beautiful Bill’s impact on tourism

2:44 — Road Tip: What makes the perfect road trip snack?

8:12 — Join us for a trip to Alabama

11:52 — Lauren Rilling’s roots in travel

14:54 — How to know when to turn a travel hobby into a travel business

18:40 — When should you hire a professional accountant for your travel business?

21:20 — Why tourism entrepreneurs should put profit first

23:30 — Planning for profit when your travel business’ income is variable

25:24 — Should you operate tours that don’t make money?

27:45 — Managing cash flow in a seasonable business

30:48 — How travel business owners should pay themselves

35:27 — Don’t spend customer deposits until you have “earned” them

51:06 — Hot Minute: Are tourism conferences getting too expensive?

See the full interview with Lauren on our YouTube channel.

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 operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Legendary broadcaster Peter Greenberg is optimistic about the future of travel.

After decades reporting on travel and hundreds of travel shows for CBS News, PBS, Amazon and more, Peter has seen a lifetime’s worth of change and evolution in tourism — and he’s still excited about the industry’s future. In fact, he still travels 300 days a year and loves telling people his secrets for finding deals and inspiring wonder in the American public. He joins this episode of the podcast to help you do the same.

Peter discusses some of the biggest changes that have taken place in travel and how today’s tourism professionals can make the most of them. He explains why he’s optimistic about the future of cruising and how tour operators can become more profitable by pursuing specialization. Plus, we have news about a new tour company using the Pan Am brand; a Road Tip about hotel snack shops; and a Hot Minute about the new challenges facing the travel industry.

Peter had lots to say about the mindset of the American traveler — and the Americans who don’t travel. Here’s his take on why too many people tend to stay home:

“It’s a sad state of affairs that only 38% of Americans have a passport. That means 62% have made a conscious decision not to see anything. That’s a continued sadness, because we live in a global village. I think so much of America has made a conscious choice to be uneducated…. There’s this problem of a lack of curiosity and an overwhelming amount of fear. That combination is lethal.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

Learn more about Peter Greenberg and sign up for his free newsletter at petergreenberg.com.

Apply to attend our OnSite familiarization trip in Alabama here.

1:23 — Travel News: Pan Am brand takes flight again

2:49 — Road Tip: Why we love the hotel snack shop

7:50 — Meet us on the road this fall

13:05 — Peter Greenberg reflects on a life in travel

16:21 — Inspiring wonder among American travelers

22:17 — The most important travel changes in the last 30 years

28:39 — Are travel prices about to come down?

35:10 — Why specialization is great for tour operators

37:35 — Traveling with heads of state

47:53 — Hot Minute: Should you be panicked about challenges facing tourism?

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

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 operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

Could the right technology platforms put your travel products in front of the customers who want them?

Greg Fisher believes they can. The founder of numerous online travel agency (OTA) and reservation technology (restech) platforms, and author of “Mastering OTAs: The Definitive Guide for Tour Operators,” Greg literally wrote the book on how tour operators can use technology to grow their businesses. He joins this episode of the podcast to help you understand the changing travel tech landscape and how it can benefit your business.

Greg introduces tech tools that will help you extend your reach and streamline your operations. He also gives tips on how to make OTAs work for you and insight on why the rise of AI might be great news for small tour companies. Plus, we have news New York’s falling tourism forecast; a Road Tip about increasing socializing among your tour groups; and a Hot Minute about the silver linings of decreased tourism.

Greg had lots of insights about what kind of relationship multiday tour companies should have with OTAs and other travel distribution platforms. Here’s one thing he had to say about how to optimize your listings for maximum visibility:

“Make sure you have the absolute best photos. Your primary image should have something called a key moment. It’s that perfect, candid photo of the tour. Capturing those key moments, with people having the time of their lives. And the rest of your photos should tell the story of that experience from start to finish.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

Find Greg’s Book “Mastering OTAs” at masteringotas.com.

Follow Greg on LinkedIn.

Apply to attend our OnSite familiarization trip in Alabama here.

1:53 — Travel News: Hawaii is increasing tourism tax because of climate change

3:14 — Road Tip: Eliminating annoying lights in hotel rooms

8:48 — The travel newsletter you can’t afford to miss

14:05 — Why river cruising is booming in popularity

15:17 — How much does river cruising actually cost?

18:54 — How river cruise demographics are changing

21:45 — Are river cruises better than land tours?

22:54 — Can river cruise demand keep up with supply?

24:58 — Can Europe’s rivers sustain the growing level of cruise traffic?

30:50 — River cruising in exotic destinations

34:01 — Should you consider a river cruise in the U.S.?

35:31 — Is river cruising feasible for groups?

48:19 — Hot Minute: Can tourism taxes really affect climate change?

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

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 operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.

In 1961, a group of travelers boarded a motorcoach, and their journey changed the world.

The Freedom Rides were among many important demonstrations and activities that took place in Alabama during 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 the brave men and women who took the first Freedom Ride and how their courage continues to resonate today.

This episode is brought to you by the Alabama Tourism Department.

Hear more of the Alabama Civil Rights Trail Podcast and learn more about visiting Alabama’s Civil Rights sites at alabama.travel/civilrights.

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 operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.