There's no explaining this episode. It's rambling and angry and raw and weird, but probably a very useful episode to listen to.

Mr. AI-is-the-future Peter Syme and Mr. Human-Connection-is-Everything Mitch Bach are joined by two brilliant guys who have made their living creating travel content. Stuart McDonald founded Travelfish to offer true expert insights into Southeast Asian travel destinations. And Matthew Barker is the founder of Horizon Guides, which helps tour operators sell tours by pairing their products with expert content.

Both Matthew and Stuart have spent decades in the travel content business, and have a lot to say about what Google's content updates and the general shift to AI has done to the spirit of travel planning & discovery. But the conversation gets much broader, real quick. Mitch rants about the poverty of fast-food AI tour guide experiences and what it's doing to customer behavior, and Pete valiantly defends technology.

Nothing is firmly decided, but the debate is definite informative for anyone struggling to figure out where we're headed as a tour industry.

Timestamps

• 00:00 Introduction to the Changing Landscape of Travel Content
• 04:29 Understanding Google’s Evolving Algorithms
• 08:35 Creating Quality Travel Content
• 13:40 The Impact of AI on Travel Content
• 18:17 The Role of Human Connection in Travel Experiences
• 25:01 Navigating the Future of Travel and Content Creation
• 44:22 The Impact of Digital Culture on Personal Identity
• 46:15 The Illusion of Choice in a Digital World
• 48:26 Mindless Travel: The Loss of Agency
• 51:48 The Backlash Against Mindless Travel
• 55:00 The Role of Authenticity in Travel Experiences
• 58:48 The Importance of Connection in Guiding
• 01:01:21 Creating Meaningful Content in Travel
• 01:05:58 The Power of Personal Stories in Travel Marketing
• 01:12:12 Designing Immersive Experiences Without Screens