Gather and Go makes you a more successful group travel pro. Whether you own a thriving tour company or are just starting on your group travel journey, this is the travel podcast you can’t afford to miss. Every two weeks, veteran group travel journalist Brian Jewell interviews tourism innovators, experts and thought leaders who share insights to help you grow your group travel program — and your profits. Plus, you’ll also get tourism news you won’t hear anywhere else, along with clever travel hacks and hot takes on the biggest issues facing group travel planners every day.
Gather and Go with Brian Jewell
Claim This Podcastby The Group Travel Leader Inc
5.0(23 reviews)
104 episodes
Updated Weekly
Accepts GuestsHas SponsorsLocation 🇺🇸
74
Podcast Authority
BetaGoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality80
Social0
YouTube93
Engagement77
Podcast Overview
Gather and Go makes you a more successful group travel pro. Whether you own a thriving tour company or are just starting on your group travel journey, this is the travel podcast you can’t afford to miss. Every two weeks, veteran group travel journalist Brian Jewell interviews tourism innovators, experts and thought leaders who share insights to help you grow your group travel program — and your profits. Plus, you’ll also get tourism news you won’t hear anywhere else, along with clever travel hacks and hot takes on the biggest issues facing group travel planners every day.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
5/4/2022
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74
Podcast Authority
BetaGoodBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality80
Social0
YouTube93
Engagement77
8
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excellent
Episode Length
53 minutes
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Every 15 days
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Recent Episodes
May 20, 2026
MAKEOVER: A New Way to Teach Tourism
<p>Stephen Ekstrom believes tourism education has a serious problem.</p> <p>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 alongside Dee Kansiime, a tourism professional from Uganda whose own career journey reflects the power education can have to change lives and communities.</p> <p>Stephen and Dee discuss why traditional tourism education often falls short, how accessible learning can empower tourism professionals around the world ,and why stronger education may even help destinations address issues like overtourism and community tension. Plus, we have news about a major lawsuit involving New York City’s controversial motorcoach policies and a Hot Minute about whether tourism is too often harmed by bad government decisions.</p> <div style="height:27px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Insights from Stephen</h2> <p>Stephen and Dee had a lot of thoughtful perspective on the future of tourism education and the importance of creating learning experiences that actually change people. Here’s what Stephen had to say about what’s missing from traditional tourism education:</p> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"> <p><strong>“</strong>You could sit through a workshop, but there was nothing that you could do with the information that you received. You were simply talked at. So you might have some knowledge, but there’s no change in who you are, your behavior or the work that you get to do because of it.</p> <p>“The second piece that most were missing was engagement. Somebody talking at you, or that webinar that plays in the background — people weren’t actively participating in their own learning experiences. And a huge part of learning is self-discovery.”</p> </p> </blockquote> <div class="wp-block-group"> <div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <p>Plus, they had great perspectives on:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><strong>Why tourism education needs more engagement and accessibility</strong></li> <li><strong>How education can help uplift communities in developing countries</strong></li> <li><strong><strong>Why transferable skills matter more than job titles in tourism careers</strong></strong></li> </ul> </p> </div> </div> <div style="height:51px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Resources Mentioned in This Episode</h2> <p>Follow Learn Tourism on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/learntourism/"><strong>LinkedIn</strong></a>.</p> <p>Discover more about Learn Tourism at <strong><a href="https://learntourism.org/">learntourism.org</a></strong>.</p> <p>Learn how to get involved with high-end group travel at <strong><a href="https://selecttraveler.com/start/">selecttraveler.com/start</a></strong>.</p> <div style="height:0px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <div style="height:49px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-black-color">Key Moments From This Episode</mark></h2> <p>1:17 — Travel News: American Bus Association sues New York City</p> <p>2:39 — News From Us: An amazing resource for high-end group travel planners</p> <p>8:43 — How Stephen Ekstrom found his calling in tourism education</p> <p>11:35 — Why traditional tourism education is broken</p> <p>14:13 — How accessible education empowers global tourism communities</p> <p>17:28 — Does better education solve overtourism issues?</p> <p>20:25 — Tourism challenges in the developing world</p> <p>23:55 — Charting a career future in tourism</p> <p>32:18 — Learn Tourism’s resources for tourism entrepreneurs</p> <p>49:10 — Hot Minute: Is tourism always the victim of bad government?</p> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-black-color">Watch the Full Interview</mark></h2> <p>See the full interview with Jan on our <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/sxcSsZBMags">YouTube channel</a></strong>.</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZVbrPJGWfoI?si=alXvtmfh9BBv8iy2" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <div style="height:36px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/> <div style="height:0px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">About the Podcast</h2> <p>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.</p> <p>You can find Gather and Go <a href="https://grouptravelleader.com/podcast/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>wherever your listen</strong></a> to podcasts or <a href="https://grouptravelleader.com/podcast-subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>subscribe by email</strong></a>.</p>
May 6, 2026
Surprise! Hotels Are Cheaper Than You Think
<p>Are hotel rooms more expensive than they used to be? Jan Freitag’s answer may surprise you.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>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 stay, shares his forecast for hotel pricing for the rest of 2027, and gives some tips for how you can score great hotel values for your tour groups. Plus, we have news about travel company closures at home and abroad and Brian’s reflections about when and how to wind down a travel enterprise.</p> <div style="height:27px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Insights from Jan</h2> <p>Jan brought a data-rich perspective on the hotel business that helped illuminate the current pricing environment. Here’s what he had to say about the perceived high prices of hotels today:</p> <blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow"> <p><strong>“</strong>They may feel expensive; the reality is the price increases in the hotel industry have actually not kept track with the inflation rate. So when you go back to 2019, you see that today’s rates are roughly 22% higher than they were then, which may sound like a lot. But CPI, the consumer price index, went up 25%. So in what economists call real terms, room rates today are actually cheaper than they were pre-pandemic.”</p> </p> </blockquote> <div class="wp-block-group"> <div class="wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained"> <p>Plus, he had great perspectives on:</p> <ul class="wp-block-list"> <li><strong>How demand impacts hotel pricing</strong></li> <li><strong>How the Canadian inbound dip is impacting the American hotel market</strong></li> <li><strong><strong>Why luxury travel continues to skyrocket</strong></strong></li> </ul> </p> </div> </div> <div style="height:51px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Resources Mentioned in This Episode</h2> <p>Follow Jan Freitag on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/janfreitag/"><strong>LinkedIn</strong></a>.</p> <p>Learn more about CoStar Group and find “Tell Me More: A Hospitality Data Podcast” at <a href="https://www.costargroup.com/"><strong>costargroup.com</strong></a>.</p> <p>Learn how to improve your group travel program with our <a href="https://grouptravelleader.com/article-category/essentials/"><strong>Group Travel Essentials</strong></a> series.</p> <div style="height:0px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <div style="height:49px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-black-color">Key Moments From This Episode</mark></h2> <p>1:19 — Travel News: Travel company closures at home and abroad</p> <p>2:45 — News From Us: Essential education for group travel planners</p> <p>6:41 — Hotels aren’t as expensive as they seem</p> <p>9:07 — How hoteliers handle inflation</p> <p>10:18 — The factors driving hotel prices up</p> <p>13:53 — Is immigration policy impacting hotel staffing?</p> <p>15:52 — Forecasting hotel trends for 2026 and beyond</p> <p>17:21 — Surprising ways demand is affecting hotel prices</p> <p>21:45 — The stratospheric rise of luxury travel</p> <p>23:24 — Is the Canadian inbound slump impacting room rates?</p> <p>25:53 — How to find hotel savings for tour groups</p> <p>29:32 — How COVID disrupted the hotel renovation cycle</p> <p>34:00 — Are hotels any cheaper abroad?</p> <p>47:06 — Brian’s thoughts on when (and how) to close your travel company</p> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading"><mark style="background-color:rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)" class="has-inline-color has-black-color">Watch the Full Interview</mark></h2> <p>See the full interview with Jan on our <strong><a href="https://youtu.be/sxcSsZBMags">YouTube channel</a></strong>.</p> <p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MnaIwiJM8qk?si=alXvtmfh9BBv8iy2" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe></p> <div style="height:36px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <hr class="wp-block-separator has-css-opacity"/> <div style="height:0px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">About the Podcast</h2> <p>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.</p> <p>You can find Gather and Go <a href="https://grouptravelleader.com/podcast/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>wherever your listen</strong></a> to podcasts or <a href="https://grouptravelleader.com/podcast-subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>subscribe by email</strong></a>.</p>
April 29, 2026
BONUS: Courage That Changed History
<p>The bravery in Birmingham inspired the word — and eventually changed history.</p> <p>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.</p> <p>This episode is brought to you by the Alabama Tourism Department.</p> <div style="height:100px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Resources Mentioned in This Episode</h2> <p>Hear more of the Alabama Civil Rights Trail Podcast and learn more about visiting Alabama’s Civil Rights sites at <strong><a href="https://alabama.travel/experience-alabama/civil-rights-legacy">alabama.travel/civilrights</a></strong>.</p> </p> <div style="height:25px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div> <h2 class="wp-block-heading">About the Podcast</h2> <p>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.</p> <p>You can find Gather and Go <a href="https://grouptravelleader.com/podcast/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>wherever your listen</strong></a> to podcasts or <a href="https://grouptravelleader.com/podcast-subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><strong>subscribe by email</strong></a>.</p>
104 total episodes available
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- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates weekly.
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This podcast is available on 9 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
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No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.
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