Tourism Heads and Their Tales

Today's Tourism Heads & Their Tales podcast focuses on the world of meeting planners, hotels, CVBs and booking technology. We sit down with hospitality veteran Tim Flors, SVP and Chief Customer Officer with Groups360. Tim explains how his company is changing the very nature of group transactions. We learn about the philosophy behind Groups360, its rapid expansion, and its partnering with major glo...

Today's Tourism Heads & Their Tales podcast focuses on the world of meeting planners, hotels, CVBs and booking technology. We sit down with hospitality veteran Tim Flors, SVP and Chief Customer Officer with Groups360. Tim explains how his company is changing the very nature of group transactions. We learn about the philosophy behind Groups360, its rapid expansion, and its partnering with major glo...

Today, Tourism Heads & Their Tales welcomes Scott Balyo. Scott is the Executive Director of Capital Region USA (CRUSA), which is the official destination marketing partner of Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia, working together to promote the region to overseas leisure travelers. In this episode we discuss the history of Capital Region USA, its programs and initiatives, we talk about the relat...

Today, Tourism Heads & Their Tales welcomes Scott Balyo. Scott is the Executive Director of Capital Region USA (CRUSA), which is the official destination marketing partner of Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia, working together to promote the region to overseas leisure travelers. In this episode we discuss the history of Capital Region USA, its programs and initiatives, we talk about the relat...

Today's Tourism Heads & Their Tales episode focuses on the best part of travel: the "things to see and do" that trigger a leisure trip. The desired experience. Join us as we sit down with Douglas Quinby CEO and co-founder of Arival, as we gain valuable insights in to travel's third largest and most essential sector: Tours, Activities & Attractions. Learn about the changing needs of customers post...

Today's Tourism Heads & Their Tales episode focuses on the best part of travel: the "things to see and do" that trigger a leisure trip. The desired experience. Join us as we sit down with Douglas Quinby CEO and co-founder of Arival, as we gain valuable insights in to travel's third largest and most essential sector: Tours, Activities & Attractions. Learn about the changing needs of customers post...

Brand USA is our nation's DMO, tasked with showcasing the USA as a premier travel destination. In this episode we welcome Tom Garzilli, Chief Marketing Officer for Brand USA. During today's episode Tom will dive into Brand USA's mission to create and build incremental inbound visitation from around the world to impact the diverse experiences our country has. We'll also discuss which international...

Brand USA is our nation's DMO, tasked with showcasing the USA as a premier travel destination. In this episode we welcome Tom Garzilli, Chief Marketing Officer for Brand USA. During today's episode Tom will dive into Brand USA's mission to create and build incremental inbound visitation from around the world to impact the diverse experiences our country has. We'll also discuss which international...

The Short Term Rental market has exploded over the years and today is a key segment in lodging options. Today we're joined by Kellen Kruse, Head of Tourism Solutions & Partnerships for AirDNA, the leading authority in Short Term Rental data. On today's episode, Kellen will share the history of AirDNA and where it's headed, and unpack how they are able to provide meaningful data and trends to desti...

Tourism Heads and Their Tales welcomes Caroline Beteta, universally acknowledged as one of the most influential global leaders in travel and tourism. Caroline serves as president & CEO of Visit California. In addition to navigating California tourism, she currently serves as a member of the United States Travel and Tourism Advisory Board, which advises the Secretary of Commerce on issues that affe...

Tourism Heads & Their Tales welcomes Amir Eylon, President & CEO at Longwoods International and arguably the most frequent business traveler in tourism! Listen as Amir shares his insights and advice on key issues of the day including cultivating the power of local engagement and new ways DMO's can engage the community, how tourism strategy impacts economic development, how ARPA funds are best util...

Today's episode features short sound bytes around the topic of future trends with Visit Stockton's CEO, Wes Rhea, Discover Long Islands president and CEO Kristen Reynolds, Tourism Cares CEO Greg Takehara, Rita McClenny, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation and Dave Lorenz, VP Pure Michigan. Enjoy........

Today's guest on Tourism Heads & Their Tales is a unicorn. Hear how a Tank Commander became a DMO! Wes Rhea, CEO at Visit Stockton, CA, was indeed a Tank Commander when serving in the military! Wes is a well known destination marketing leader and influencer who takes an active role in many DMOs and local organizations. We'll discuss how Wes, a Stockton native, manages crisis and recovery, how tech...

Today  we welcome Discover Long Island president and CEO, Kristen Reynolds. In this episode we'll hear about Kristen's background and journey to Long Island, NY.   We chat about a wide variety of topics including partnering with New York City, engaging the local community and the importance of that relationship, partnering with county officials and economic development, the art of story telling, t...

Join me in the latest episode of Tourism Heads & Their Tales.  Today , our guest is Roni Weiss, Executive Director of Travel Unity,  a non-profit, whose focus is on increasing diversity in the world of travel through individual and community empowerment. Listen as we discuss key aspects of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). We talk about the need for DEI standards in travel and tourism, the ra...

Join me in the latest episode of Tourism Heads & Their Tales.  Today , our guest is Roni Weiss, Executive Director of Travel Unity,  a non-profit, whose focus is on increasing diversity in the world of travel through individual and community empowerment. Listen as we discuss key aspects of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). We talk about the need for DEI standards in travel and tourism, the ra...

On today's Tourism Heads & Their Tales podcast episode we are joined by a prominent tourism industry leader, David Lorenz. Dave leads tourism for the state of Michigan under the brand Pure Michigan as Vice President. Listen as we discuss wide ranging topics including the history of the Pure Michigan brand, authenticity and how to blend reality and aspirational messaging, the marriage of tourism an...

Rita McClenny is president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation and serves on the board of directors for a wide variety of prestigious industry associations. In today's episode, Rita shares her career journey and discusses the greatest challenges facing the Commonwealth of Virginia while reviewing the recovery efforts and how grant programs support this regionally. We'll also learn about ho...

Greg Takehara has been the CEO of Tourism Cares since May 2019. He previously served on its Board, acting as Chairman before becoming CEO. His career has spanned thirty-four years in the travel industry. He is on the Board of the US Travel Association and has sat on the Boards of NTA and the IGLTA Foundation (International LGBTQ+ Travel Association), as well as numerous industry committees. In tod...

Stuart Butler has a university degree in Rocket Science (yes, Rocket Science) and applies that inventive approach to his role as CMO for the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB, the official DMO for the Grand Strand. Listen as we discuss how he leverages cutting-edge technology and takes a scientific and innovative approach to everyday marketing challenges. Stuart, a native of the UK, disc...

Catherine Prather is a recognized face of leadership in the travel industry. Joining the National Tour Association in 1994, today she is president of the organization, whose members create and promote packaged travel to, from, and within North America. Join us for a great discussion about the origins of NTA, the fight for member advocacy, the pandemic, labor shortage issues and economic impact, IP...

Liz Bittner is President and CEO for Travel South which is the largest regional alliance in the USA. Join Liz and myself as we talk about the genesis of Travel South and how it has evolved. We discuss cooperation between states with common interests, the value of inbound tourism, leveraging the outdoor recreation, foodie tourism, Brand USA and much more. Join us on Tourism Heads and their Tales…....

For three decades, Travis Christ, known for his transformational thinking, has been at the forefront of integrated marketing for some of the world's most iconic travel brands including American Airlines and Continental Airlines. In his current role Travis is Head of Marketing for Avelo Airlines – America's first new airline in more than a decade. Hear Travis talk about the background to Avelo laun...

Bob Gilbert has lead Hospitality Sales and Marketing International for 26 years. His knowledge and experience are second to none. Bob and I discuss the challenges and changes in the world of hospitality hitting on key topics that include distribution, channel management, technology, revenue optimization, and talent acquisition. Join the two Bob Gilbert's on Tourism Heads and their Tales ….   

Today's guest on Tourism Heads and their Tale's is Brian Wright, Head of Marketing for Mammoth Lakes Tourism, California. We discuss why understanding the voice of the community is vital to marketing a destination and that we are all stewards of these special places we call home. We talk about key takeaways from the Pandemic and the impacts increased visitation has on marketing decisions in smalle...