Tourism Entrepreneur Podcast

Topics: Easol, ex-commerce, experience economy, Shopify for experiences, Travel, tourism entrepreneurship, Tour operators Welcome to the tourism entrepreneur podcast, I am your host Vanessa Mbenoun and today we are going to take a closer look at tours and experiences and talk about the rise of “ex-commerce”. Today we welcome the co-founder of EASOL, the first e-commerce platform dedicated to travel and experience businesses. Lisa Simpson is our guest so please stay tuned and don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and visit tourismentrepreneur.com TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:00] Lisa’s intro and background [9:50] What is Ex-commerce and how does it differ from E-commerce [13:50] When could experience businesses start generating revenues again? [20:30] (From Easol report) American travellers concerns regarding COVID19 [23:12] ( From Easol report) Group travel beyond the pandemic [24:10] Growth tips for Ex-commerce businesses [29:12] What’s next for EASOL That’s it for today! Coming up next week: a conversation with Andy McNeill, CEO of AMI and co-host of Destination Everywhere podcast. In the meantime, visit tourismentrepreneur.com to join our community and monthly events! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: EASOL: https://easol.com/ EASOL report:  https://easol.com/easol-better-days-are-coming.pdf

Topics: Sustainability, Responsible travel, Fair Trade in Tourism, Community conservation, Travel, tourism entrepreneurship, future of African travel Welcome to the tourism entrepreneur podcast. I am your host, Vanessa Mbenoun and today we will conclude our series on sustainability. People, brands, destinations… It seems like everybody talks about it but what is it really about? To make sure we get the right answers this morning, we welcome one of the leading figures of sustainable tourism in Africa . She has over 20 years’ experience working with the tourism sector with a focus on community based tourism and community conservation. she was awarded the Sustainable Citizen Award by Forbes Woman Africa and she is the founder of the Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda (STTA Kenya). Judy Kepher-Gona is on the tourism entrepreneur podcast so stay tuned and don’t forget to subscribe and visit tourismentrepreneur.com TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:45] Judy’ s intro and background [11:50] Sustainable Travel and Tourism Agenda ( STTA Kenya) [32:10] Definition of sustainability and sustainable tourism [44:20] Understanding the concept of community conservation [50:10] What should Africa’s priorities be when it comes to making our tourism industry more sustainable? [59:40] About the African Tourism Leadership Awards: challenges and next edition [1:03:00] Advice for tourism entrepreneurs and responsible travellers [1:09:40]  What is next for STTA That’s it for today! Coming up next week: a conversation with Lisa Simpson from Easol. In the meantime, visit tourismentrepreneur.com to join our community and monthly events! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: STTA Kenya: https://sttakenya.org/ Kamaroutes: www.kamaroutes.com SATSA: https://www.satsa.com/

Topics: Fair Tourism, Sustainability, travel, travel trends, covid19, future of travel Welcome to the tourism entrepreneur podcast. I am your host Vanessa Mbenoun and the next 2 episodes will focus on 2 amazing women, who are consistently striving to build a more responsible and sustainable tourism industry. This week we are welcoming Charlotte Louwman-Vogels, the CEO of Fair Tourism, a NPO based in Netherlands. Please stay tuned and don’t forget to subscribe and share the podcast! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:00] Difference between Fair Tourism and Sustainable Tourism [3:00] Charlotte’s background and the creation of the Fair Tourism foundation [6:50] Unfair and harmful practices in the travel industry [10:00] Community Based Projects the foundation is involved in [17:30] Fair Tourism in Africa [20:45] How can we make the tourism industry more sustainable and fair [24:00] How to join/ collaborate with Fair Tourism NL That’s it for today! Coming up next week: Judy Kepher-Gona of STTA Kenya. In the meantime, visit tourismentrepreneur.com to join our community and monthly events! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Fair Tourism: https://www.fairtourism.nl/en/ Kamaroutes: https://www.kamaroutes.com/ Tourism Entrepreneur: https://www.tourismentrepreneur.com/

Topics: Travel, tourism entrepreneurship, sustainability,  travel trends, covid19, future of African travel, inAfrica travel, PAWA Africa Welcome to the tourism entrepreneur podcast. Today is Africa Day and we are welcoming not one, but two leading female entrepreneurs, to talk about sustainable tourism and running a tourism business in South Africa. My guests are Alesimo Mwanga, Executive director of PAWA Africa and Phakamile Hlazo, founder of Zulu Nomad and inAfrica Travel. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:24] Alesimo’s intro and background [3:50] Phakamile’s intro and background [11:50] Definition of sustainability by Alesimo [19:00] How to future-proof your tourism business by Phakamile [23:08] About the long-term social and economic impacts of the pandemic in Africa by Alesimo [30:58] How can SA tourism entrepreneurs secure investments by Phakamile [39:18] About bootstrapping and starting small by  Alesimo [46:50]  About diversity and inclusion in SA tourism industry by Phakamile [57:45] Future plans and projects That’s it for today! Coming up next week: we will be chatting to Charlotte Louwman-Vogels of Fair Tourism NL. In the meantime, visit tourismentrepreneur.com to join our community and monthly events! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: inAfrica : https://inafrica.travel/ Zulu nomad: http://www.zulunomad.com/ Phakamile Hlazo: http://phakahlazo.com/ PAWA Africa; https://pawaafrica.com/ Tourism Entrepreneur: https://www.tourismentrepreneur.com/

Topics: Travel, Black Travel, content creators, tourism entrepreneur, travel trends, digital marketing, covid19, future of black travel, TravelEatSlay, The travel Box Welcome to the tourism entrepreneur podcast. I am your host, Vanessa Mbenoun and today is the 2nd and last part of our series on black content creators. Our guest today is an experienced travel content creator who has been featured in Conde Nast traveler and Travel Noire. She is a is the founder of TravelEatSlay, an apparel brand and community of travel enthusiasts. Caroline Sande is on the tourism entrepreneur podcast so stay tuned and don’t forget to subscribe and visit tourismentrepreneur.com TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [0:44] Guest intro and background [3:10] How to make your travel brand unique [5:20] introducing Travel Boxx [9:11]  About diversity, inclusion and Black travel. [17:13] Tips for travel content creators That’s it for today! Coming up tomorrow: it’s Africa Day and we will be chatting to Phakamiile Hlazo of inAfrica and Alesimo Mwanga of PAWA. In the meantime, visit tourismentrepreneur.com to join our community and monthly events! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Travel Eat Slay: http://traveleatslay.com/ The Travel Boxx: https://thetravelboxx.co.uk/ Tourism Entrepreneur: https://www.tourismentrepreneur.com/

Topics: Travel, Black Travel, content creators, travel trends, digital marketing, covid19, future of black travel Welcome to the tourism entrepreneur podcast. I am your host, Vanessa Mbenoun and this morning we are welcoming a travelpreneur who was one of Travel Noire’s “11 Influential Black Women in Travel You Should Know”, she’s been featured on USA Today, Huffington post and Lonely Planet. She is also a published author, a digital marketing strategist and if you haven’t guessed it yet, her name is Rachel V Hill and trust me, you don’t want to miss this chat. So stay tuned and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [1:00] Guest intro and background [06:37] Demystifying travel in the Black community [8:20] How to transform an idea into a valuable digital product [12:28]  How can we as an industry make Black travel content creators more visible [16:20] Key points to consider in influencer marketing [19:50] Marketing war room podcast and other resources available on rachelvhill.com [22:50] Tips for travel content creators That’s it for today! Coming up next week: we chat to Caroline Sande, founder of TravelEatSlay.com .In the meantime, visit tourismentrepreneur.com to join our community and monthly events! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Rachel V Hill websites: https://www.rachelvhill.com/ & https://www.racheltravels.com/ Tourism Entrepreneur: https://www.tourismentrepreneur.com/

Topics: Africa, travel trends, tourism marketing, covid19, future of travel Welcome to the tourism entrepreneur podcast. I am your host, Vanessa Mbenoun and today we will be talking to a well-known figure of our industry about the future of African Travel. Her name is Katja Quasdorf, you might know her as the CEO of the Jenman safaris group but she is also a passionate leader and conservationist. I am petting sure she is going to share valuable insights regarding the crisis our industry is currently facing so please stay tuned and don't forget to subscribe to the podcast and our YouTube channel! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [0:39] Guest intro [01:31] Katja’s background and future career plans [06:46] Jenman Safaris covid19 coping plan and internal procedures [14:46] Suggestions on how to reopen travel successfully [18:28] “ whether it’s in terms of recruitment or ability of Africans to travel, do you think out industry is inclusive or conducive enough?” [21:45] Trends that will impact the future of African travel [26:36] Katja’s final remarks and tips That’s it for today! Coming up next week: we chat to Caroline Sande, founder of TravelEatSlay.com .In the meantime, visit tourismentrepreneur.com to join our community and monthly events! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Jenman safaris: https://www.jenmansafaris.com/ Chilo Gorge safari lodge: http://chilogorge.com/ Kamaroutes: www.kamaroutes.com African tourism trends by Phakamile Hlazo: https://www.tourismentrepreneur.com/top-african-tourism-trends-for-2021/ Lightning Travel Recruitment: https://lightningtravelrecruitment.com/

Topics: digital nomads, travel, remote work, nomad villages, digital nomad visa, future of work, covid19 Hello everyone and welcome to the tourism entrepreneur podcast. I am your host, Vanessa Mbenoun and we are going to talk about the rise and future of Digital Nomads. Our guest today is Dan Rozenblum, podcast and blog editor of BecomeNomad.com TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [0:36] Guest intro [01:00] What is a digital nomad [04:28] Can anyone become a digital nomad ( perks & disadvantages) [08:18] Practicalities: taxes, insurances and how to ensure a steady income as a digital nomad [13:00] The future of remote work [15:30] What are the best destinations for digital nomads [24:00] Is there an ideal length of stay for digital workers? [26:30] How can African destinations position themselves as “digital nomad -friendly”? [30:00] Tips for anyone wishing to become a digital nomad. That’s it for today! Coming up next week: we chat to Katja Quasdorf, CEO of Jenman Safaris. In the meantime, visit tourismentrepreneur.com to join our community and monthly events! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: BecomeNomad: https://becomenomad.com/

Topics: tourism jobs, travel and hospitality, unemployment, labour market, covid19, recruitment in tourism, personal branding Hello everyone and welcome to season2 of the tourism entrepreneur podcast. I am your host, Vanessa Mbenoun and we are going to talk about the current state of the industry and the future of the labour market post-covid. To discuss this topic which is even more sensitive if we take into account the inevitable wave of job losses that hit the industry since last year,  we are welcoming Chris King, founder and CEO of Lightning Travel Recruitment in the UK! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [01:00] the current issues with recruitment in tourism [04:38] Adopting a human approach in recruitment [05:40] How has the pandemic affected the labour market and what skills are now in demand [09:25 The future of travel and employment in tourism [14:05] The importance of formal education for your tourism career [16:20] Tips to grow your personal brand in the tourism industry [19:00] Inclusion and diversity in the travel industry That’s it for today! Coming up next week: we partner with Chris King to launch the Own Your Brand webinar and you can book your seat for free HERE. In the meantime, let’s keep in touch! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Lightning Travel Recruitment: https://lightningtravelrecruitment.com/ Personal branding webinar: https://www.tourismentrepreneur.com/event/personal-brand-building-in-the-tourism-industry/ 

This is the last episode of the year and the closing topic for this first season is luxury travel. A much coveted niche which according to some observers, has been the hardest hit by the pandemic. Our guest is the founder of Bell & Bly travel, a boutique travel advisory for entrepreneurs & executives. She is also the host of the luxury travel insider podcast and a  contributing travel columnist for CEO World Magazine. Sarah Groen is our guest today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:37] Sarah’s background and how she started her tourism brand [03:50] The Luxury Travel Insider podcast [05:48] What is luxury travel and what differentiates luxury travellers from others [08:43] The state of luxury travel before and after the COVID19 pandemic [11:10] Future travel trends [15:03] Tips for luxury travel entrepreneurs and startups [18:33] That’s it for today! Coming up next week: the official launch of the tourismentrepreneur.com website! In the meantime, let’s keep in touch! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Luxury Travel Insider Podcast: https://www.stitcher.com/show/luxury-travel-insider Bell & Bly travel: https://bellandblytravel.com/luxury-travel-insider/

Topics: Inclusivity in Travel, Accessible tourism, Jezza Williams , Making Trax, disability tourism,  adventure travel,  Diversity in travel According to Making Trax, one in four New Zealanders have a disability and  approximately 650 million people have a physical disability. This is the last episode of our series on inclusivity in travel and today we are talking about how we can make adventure tourism more accessible to travellers with special needs. Our  guest is the man behind “LIMITLESS”, an award-winning documentary that depicts the life of a tetraplegic paraglider. He is also an international adventure guide, with more than 20 years’ experience and a world expert in inclusive tourism. The founder of Making Trax in New Zealand, Jezza Williams is our guest today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:37] New Zealand’s tourism in the covid-era [02:40] State of inclusive tourism [04:34] Tool: Making Trax’ inclusive directory [08:05] Inclusive tourism vs accessible tourism [11:28] Jezza’ story and personal experience [15:40] Challenges of a tourism entrepreneur with special needs [18:35] How to connect with travellers/clients with special needs [20:26] That’s it for today! Coming up next week: A chat with Sarah Groen of Bell & Bly on the state of luxury travel In the meantime, let’s keep in touch! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Making Trax: https://www.makingtrax.co.nz/ Limitless the movie: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5p89DobXUo We are explorers: https://weareexplorers.co/meet-jezza-williams-limitless/

Topics: Inclusivity in Travel, Martinique Lewis, Travel Magazine , The ABC Travel Greenbook , Black Travel Alliance,  diversity in travel We are still talking about inclusivity in travel and we are exploring more ways to make the tourism industry even better and more diverse. Today’s guest is an award-winning diversity in Travel consultant and the President of the Black Travel Alliance.  She is also the author of The ABC Travel Greenbook which is the number 1  resource connecting the African Diaspora Globally. Yes, you’ve guessed right: Martinique Lewis is our guest today! TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [01:20] Martinique’s background and her role as a diversity in travel consultant [02:16] The Black Travel Alliance [04:10] Definition of the concept of inclusivity [05:24] Tool for businesses: the diversity in Travel report card [07:16] The ABC Travel Greenbook [10:37] The Future of Travel [12:20] Upcoming projects [13:26] Marty’s advice to tourism entrepreneurs [14:39] That’s it for today! Coming up next week: A chat with Jezza Williams of Making Trax in New Zealand. In the meantime, let’s keep in touch! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: The ABC travel greenbook: www.travelgreenbook.com Martinique Lewis: https://www.martysandiego.com/ Making Trax:  https://www.makingtrax.co.nz/

Topics: Inclusivity in Travel, Robert Geller, Fabstayz, LGBTQ+ , Vacation rental, Airbnb We are still talking about inclusivity in travel and this week, we are going to focus on how to create a better industry for the LGBTQ+ community. It is clear that a lot of progress has been made so far, but truth is people who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender still face the harshest forms of discrimination, even in spaces claiming to embrace diversity. For instance, imagine having to disclose private information like your sexual orientation every time you book a room, to avoid any “bad surprise” when it’s time to check in… Well, our guest is the founder of a vacation rental company that brings an end to travellers having to come out to their hosts. His name is Robert Geller and he is the founder of Fabstayz. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:58] Robert’s professional background and previous venture [03:39] How and why Robert created Fabstayz [06:35] What sets Fabstayz apart from other LGBTQ friendly vacation rental companies [09:42] Importance of allies in the LGBTQ+ community [13:24] The Airbnb polemic and how Fabstayz ensures the quality of their listings [14:33] Upcoming projects [16:20] Lesson learned and advices to entrepreneurs [17:40] That’s it for today! Coming up next week: A chat with Martinique Lewis and the ABC Travel Greenbook. Let’s keep in touch! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: Fabstayz: https://fabstayz.com/ Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com MisterBnb: https://www.misterbandb.com/ Martinique Lewis: https://www.martysandiego.com/

Topics: Inclusivity in Travel, Ella Paradis, Travel Magazine , The Black Explorer, Black Travel, Tourism For the next 4 weeks we are going to explore a new topic which is kind of important if like me, you hope for a better, more diverse tourism industry. I am talking about the concept of Inclusivity in travel. We are going to talk to four entrepreneurs who have been working tirelessly to make our industry more welcoming to all kinds of people regardless of their races , genders, abilities or sexual orientations. Our first guest is the woman behind a new publication designed to showcase the voices of underrepresented Black Travellers. Her name is Ella Paradis and she is the founder of the Black Explorer Magazine. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:48] Ella’s background and why how The Black Explorer magazine was born [04:30] The essence of the Black Explorer [07:08] Challenges faced while creating a print magazine during a pandemic [09:17] Sneak peek: What to expect from the upcoming editions of the magazine [13:37] Trends: the future of solo female travel [15:00] Upcoming projects [16:47] Ella’s advice to new entrepreneurs [17:23] That’s it for today! Coming up next week: A chat with Robert Geller of Fabstayz. Let’s keep in touch! Connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: The Black Explorer magazine : www.theblackexplorer.com Fabstayz: https://fabstayz.com/

Topics: Virtual Events, Business tourism, Tropics Business Summit, Covid19, Venicia Guinot According to Ruben Castano of virtual events solution platform 6Connex, the virtual event industry has increased by 1000%  over the last few months. The covid19 pandemic badly impacted large and even small scale events worldwide so logically, organizers had to look for suitable alternatives. Although going virtual was one of the best options at the time, now borders are reopening and restrictions are slowly loosening up, and it is difficult to predict if the trend is here to stay. Today we are going to talk about virtual events and business tourism in South Africa with Venicia Guinot, the founder of the Tropics Summit (TBS) , one of the most prominent business meetings on the African Continent. TIME-STAMPED SHOW NOTES: [00:56] Venicia’s background and how the Tropics Business Summit was created [03:54] The State of Business Tourism in South Africa [05:02] Challenges of hosting virtual events [07:52] Are Virtual Events here to stay? [09:57] What to expect from the first virtual TBS [07:57] Albert’s Advice to fellow tourism entrepreneurs. [11:20] Upcoming projects and new ventures [15:55] That’s it for today! For the next 4 weeks, we will focus on the concept of Inclusivity in tourism. Let’s keep in touch: connect with us on Twitter and Instagram @tourismpreneur LINKS MENTIONED IN TODAY’S EPISODE: 6connex: https://www.6connex.com/ Tropics Summit website: https://tropicsbusinesssummit.com/