Globetrotters Podcast

Big Bear Lake ecotourism goes way beyond the snow, and it might change how you travel. With 7.5 million visits a year to a mountain town of 20,000, Visit Big Bear CEO Travis Scott (no, not that one) says his job has changed: “It’s not just demand generation anymore. It’s demand management.” Instead of lecturing visitors, Big Bear gives them easy ways to give back. Book a stay and part of it goes to local conservation. Join Climate & Cocktails and you’ll pick up trash next to locals, then grab a drink with them. Every place we love to travel to is facing the same question: how do you welcome more people without loving a place to death? Big Bear is answering it in real time, through wildfire evacuations, global fame from its bald eagles Jackie and Shadow, and the heartbreak of losing Jackie, “the single largest ambassador for Big Bear Lake ever.” If you’ve ever wondered whether your trips help or hurt the places you visit, this episode gives you a playbook for being the kind of traveler a community is glad to see.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/globetrotters-podcast--5023679/support.

Freediving and spearfishing have taken Gabriella Gerbasi around the world. From the Bahamas and Costa Rica to Greece and remote islands in Fiji, much of her travel revolves around the ocean. We talk about learning to freedive, swimming with sharks, planning trips around specific fish, and why she sees spearfishing as a sustainable way to source seafood. Gabriella also shares how catching her own food has changed her relationship with the ocean and shaped her approach to conservation.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/globetrotters-podcast--5023679/support.

Creative travel is changing how people experience the world. Geetika Agrawal, founder of Vacation With An Artist (VAWA), has built a global network that lets travelers spend several days learning directly from master artists in their studios. The idea began with Geetika’s own travels, from spending summers learning traditional crafts in India to taking a year-long journey across 12 countries while turning VAWA from an idea into a business. Today, VAWA works with more than 215 artists across 43 countries. We get into the challenges of building a new kind of travel company from scratch, the travelers who have surprised her most, and why sometimes the best reason to travel is to come home seeing yourself differently.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/globetrotters-podcast--5023679/support.

Latin America has some of the world’s most incredible travel experiences—so why are so many travelers still hesitant to explore it? Kathleen Hall, co-founder of Explore the Americas and Dive the Americas, shares how moving to Costa Rica changed her life and ultimately shaped the kind of travel company she wanted to build. Picking up from Part 1 with her business partner Melanie Marsell, we talk about the misconceptions still holding Latin America back, what travelers actually want from the region, and why luxury can mean being pushed outside your comfort zone without sacrificing comfort. We also get into responsible wildlife tourism, choosing the right local partners, scaling a highly personalized business, and why destinations like Guatemala and El Salvador deserve more attention. Kathleen also shares why changing perceptions and a growing demand for experiential travel could make the next decade a defining one for tourism across Latin America.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/globetrotters-podcast--5023679/support.

Latin America accounts for just a fraction of global tourism—but Melanie Marsell believes travelers are overlooking one of the most diverse regions in the world. As the co-founder of Explore the Americas and Dive the Americas, Melanie has built her career around helping people experience the region differently. Born in Costa Rica and raised between Costa Rica and Florida, her journey took her from hotels and travel consulting to scuba diving and eventually entrepreneurship. In Part 1 of this two-part series, we talk about what travelers actually value, responsible tourism beyond the buzzwords, the misconceptions still holding Latin America back, and what it takes to build a travel company around the places and principles you genuinely believe in. Next Wednesday, Melanie’s business partner Kathleen Hall joins us for Part 2.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/globetrotters-podcast--5023679/support.