Caroline Boland and Gary Curran together run the Dingle Peninsula Tourism Alliance , located on the southern coast of Ireland. Gary serves as chairperson of the alliance, and Caroline is a marketing consultant for DPTA. Gary grew up on the peninsula and now runs Greenmount House, a 4-star rated bed and breakfast in Dingle. Caroline visited some years ago and knew this beautiful place was where she wanted to live. Together, Gary and Caroline have been traveling in Massachusetts and New York on be...
Dec 05, 2018•55 min•Ep. 104
Cory Lee is a travel blogger and advocate accessibility to accommodate disabilities of all kinds. At a young age, Cory was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy, but that certainly did not diminish his desire to travel. He has visited destinations on six of seven continents (Antarctica is still on the to-visit list!) Since starting his blog, curbfreewithcorylee.com in 2013, he has gained more than 50,000 followers across social media and his blog won the prestigious 2017 Lowell Thomas Award for...
Nov 28, 2018•27 min•Ep. 103
Jay has been in the travel industry since 1974, beginning his career operating camping programs for students throughout North America. Jay moved to Massachusetts in 1987 with his family and shortly after started up Sports Travel and Tours . The business first began with group trips primarily for baseball and expanded quickly to include most other major sports. The business has a specific niche, tapping into the passion of the sports fan experiencing games and events live. Jay also serves on the ...
Nov 14, 2018•41 min•Ep. 102
David Huether currently serves as the Senior Vice President of Research at the U.S. Travel Association . In this role, David manages the association’s economic, tourism marketing and advocacy research programs. The U.S. Travel Association is a national non-profit travel advocacy organization working within all aspects of the travel and tourism industry, generating $2.4 trillion in economic output and supporting more than 15 million jobs in the United States. Before he joined U.S Travel in Januar...
Nov 07, 2018•26 min•Ep. 101
Nicole Mahoney is the host for the Destination on the Left podcast. She is also the CEO of Break The Ice Media, the travel and tourism marketing agency she founded in 2009. Break The Ice Media specializes in working for clients in the travel and tourism industries, through the strategic use of public relations, social media, digital advertising, tourism marketing campaigns, influencer marketing, and video marketing. Nicole got her start in the business world while attending college when she work...
Oct 31, 2018•8 min•Ep. 100
The travel industry is changing all the time. But some things are timeless. The challenge is to meet the evolving needs of clients, but retain all of the standards of good customer experience that are indeed timeless. On this episode of Destination on the Left, we talk with a true practitioner of this art. Justin Osbon talks with us about his experience with a truly legendary European tour operator, how to thrive as a 3rd generation company, and how to look to the future. Justin Osbon started wi...
Oct 24, 2018•39 min•Ep. 99
In a region with a lot of tourism opportunity, sibling rivalry is just part of the dynamic of working together. Even more so with metropolitan areas in close proximity: like the two Kansas Cities, or Dallas/Fort Worth, or my guest’s hometown of St. Paul and Minneapolis. On this episode of Destination on the Left, Adam Johnson of Visit Saint Paul talks with us about the fun you can have with this sort of friendly rivalry. We talk about working together to bring people to the region. And humor – t...
Oct 17, 2018•45 min•Ep. 98
Getting influencers and travel writers to pay attention is a great way to showcase what you are offering to the travel and tourism public. Bringing them onsite and having them write about your organization can be a big public relations win. But how do you make the connection? Email and phone calls are hit-or-miss at best, if you haven’t got an established relationship already. That’s why a tactic called the “desk-side visit” can really break the ice and get you and that writer enthused about wor...
Oct 10, 2018•25 min•Ep. 97
Why are people interested in traveling to your destination? Finding out the “why” makes marketing more precise and leads to more visitors and ergo, more revenue. Finding out the “why” gets beyond lumping people into demographic categories. It helps us understand what motivates them and what could potentially motivate them to choose us. Our guest this episode of Destination on the Left is Susan Baier. Susan is an Audience and Marketing Strategist. She helps organizations figure out what’s going o...
Oct 03, 2018•51 min•Ep. 96
Today’s podcast is a little different from our regular episodes. We are talking to one of the Break the Ice Media team members on another team-cast episode, Rhonda Vaccaro. We are going to dive into a topic that is a favorite of Rhonda’s- creating successful FIT itineraries. Rhonda is a Vice President and Senior Consultant at Break the Ice Media. She brings more than 20 years of sales and new business development to her role at Break the Ice. She’s a master at creating relationships and has a de...
Sep 26, 2018•25 min•Ep. 95
Destination tourism often has a larger story to tell beyond just one institution, even one as iconic as the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY. Even if you don’t pay close attention to baseball, you know it as “America’s National Pastime.” Part of the joy of this industry is finding the story to tell that brings people to a region and to your specific tourism destination. Cooperstown has a bit of everything: a perfect small-town vibe, birthplace of author James Fenimore Cooper, and fall fo...
Sep 19, 2018•22 min•Ep. 94
As tastes and sensibilities change, your organization needs to change with them, or else deal with a shrinking market share. If your organization has history, another challenge is perceptions that change more slowly than your brand message. That’s what was happening at Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY. The zoo was growing as a leader in wildlife conservation from upstate New York all around the world. On this episode of Destination on the Left, I speak with Pamela Reed Sanchez. Pamela has served...
Sep 12, 2018•45 min•Ep. 93
The field of travel and tourism is ever changing. Adaptation and collaboration are a part of the territory to stay relevant and to stay in business. Group touring has been a segment of the industry where adaptation has been especially necessary. Finding new alliances, experimenting and learning from both successes and flops – it’s all part of the job. On this episode, Nicole speaks with guest Nick Calderazzo about all of these dynamics and more. Nick has been working in the hospitality industry ...
Sep 05, 2018•36 min•Ep. 92
In any competitive landscape, keeping a legacy cultural institution relevant is a challenge. Keeping it relevant while retaining the original vision is an even greater challenge. For many in the travel and tourism industry, we’re always looking to strike a balance between differentiation and collaboration. We really need both to thrive. In New England, where you can’t walk ten feet without bumping into a place with historical significance, Old Sturbridge Village is striking this balance. In this...
Aug 29, 2018•39 min•Ep. 91
What do you do when a destination is perceived as being geared toward a certain age group or other segments of the population? That has been one challenge for the Strong Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. In a market like Rochester, with plenty to keep children and adults occupied, capturing attention even with the idea of play can be a challenge. On this episode, we explore the study and curation of play, and how to market a museum dedicated to playing to travelers and tourists of all ages....
Aug 22, 2018•38 min•Ep. 90
As businesses, we live or die on data. Understanding the market, understanding who is coming to our destination, who is interested but doesn’t know enough to make a decision – these pieces of information are vital to our ability to thrive in travel and tourism. But gathering and interpreting this data is a challenge for everyone. Our guest on this episode of Destination on the Left is an expert in gathering and analyzing data, specifically for our industry. Our guest is Erin Francis-Cummings. Er...
Aug 15, 2018•43 min•Ep. 89
Can a small niche destination become a regional anchor destination? That’s an apt description of the Corning Museum of Glass. Promoting any destination takes creativity and hard work. Our guest in this episode brings both to her work, and examples of both for us to learn from. In this episode, we talk with Beth Duane of the Corning Museum of Glass. Throughout our conversation, she explores how the museum has shattered stereotypes about what a glass museum can be. For instance, kids are very welc...
Aug 08, 2018•45 min•Ep. 88
Digital and social presence are a necessary part of an effective marketing plan, and they can be a great deal of fun as well. Working with partners in a region and harnessing the power of influencers who love your destination are avenues to explore and exploit as you promote your region. In this episode of Destination on the Left, Nicole talks with Anna Pakman, VP of Digital Marketing for Empire State Development. She serves as Head of Digital for New York State’s chief economic development agen...
Aug 01, 2018•21 min•Ep. 87
Art has the power to build bridges between cultures. Our guest in this episode understands that more deeply than most. What if art could even assist in the process of new language learning? On this episode, we explore the way of the possible with guest Patricia Lannes. Patricia has over 30 years of experience in the cultural field, especially in museum education and visual literacy. She envisions, curates, and produces transformational learning experiences from museum, art, and education profess...
Jul 25, 2018•44 min•Ep. 86
Being part of an established cultural institution is exhilarating and challenging all at the same time. You know you have so much to offer, but staying relevant and communicating your value is a job that never stops. In this episode, we explore one such place, the George Eastman Museum in Rochester, New York. Eastman was a larger than life figure who left a lasting legacy especially in the world of photography and film. But of course, there is so much more to him and to the museum that bears his...
Jul 18, 2018•43 min•Ep. 85
What if you got along with your sibling enough to travel with them – on a regular basis? That’s the life today’s guests are living. On this episode, we explore the world with Colleen Kelly and Catie Keogh. We’ll talk about what it takes to follow your dream – and then market and produce something that makes your dream cash-flow positive! Colleen is the host, creator, and executive producer of the popular national PBS television series Family Travel with Colleen Kelly . The well-known travel seri...
Jul 11, 2018•39 min•Ep. 84
Traveling full-time is the dream of many of us. It’s a lifestyle drenched with allure. On this episode of Destination on the Left, Nicole talks with Dalene Heck, travel influencer and owner of Hecktic Media. She and her husband have been living the travel-full-time dream for nearly 10 years. Unless you are just plain independently wealthy, you need a plan to make travel your lifestyle. Dalene dives into how she and her husband have monetized their passion, overcome obstacles, and live life that ...
Jun 27, 2018•38 min•Ep. 83
Celebrities and influencers post their amazing travel and adventure on social media all the time. Often, that is not by accident. Product placement and influencer marketing can bring attention and interest to your hotel or travel destination. In today’s episode, we talk with Stacy Jones, who has been doing product placement and influencer campaigns for over 20 years. We talk about the creative process of working with celebrities and influencers (pro tip: get everything in writing!) It’s a fascin...
Jun 20, 2018•39 min•Ep. 82
Americans work hard, which is great. But the data shows that many of us think that means we should leave vacation time unused which is a loss for you and your family. It is also means lost productivity and less job satisfaction, which is bad news for employers. Today on Destination on the left, Katie Denis and Nicole talk about what gets left on the table and what to do about it. People are losing out on travel and enriching their lives – and the travel industry is losing real dollars. Katie is ...
Jun 13, 2018•39 min•Ep. 81
We recently attended the 2018 Museum Association of New York annual conference and spoke with attendees from all over New York State representing all types of museums and cultural institutions. I found the conversations enlightening and inspiring. Through this series, I hope you will find a new perspective on this important segment of the tourism industry and how museums and cultural institutions are working to build community, reach audiences beyond their local markets and creating new programm...
Jun 11, 2018•34 min•Ep. 80
In an area known for its scenic mountains and lakes that can keep you exploring outdoors indefinitely – how do you draw people indoors to explore the history and present of this beautiful region? That’s the challenge for The Adirondack Experience – the museum on Blue Mountain Lake. Today in this episode, Nicole is joined by Jennifer Bine, Director of Interpretation at the Adirondack Experience. Together they discuss challenges and opportunity in reshaping established institutions. They explore t...
Jun 06, 2018•37 min•Ep. 79
In this episode, you’ll learn different ways that you can diversify your audience from Billye Chabot, Kara Gaffken, Ed Varno, and David Hutchings. We recently attended the 2018 Museum Association of New York annual conference and spoke with attendees from all over New York State representing all types of museums and cultural institutions. I found the conversations enlightening and inspiring. Through this series, I hope you will find a new perspective on this important segment of the tourism indu...
Jun 04, 2018•41 min•Ep. 78
Keeping the engine of New York State tourism humming along doesn’t just happen – it takes the hard work of local tourism boards, big campaigns like “I Love New York,” all of the businesses that cater to visitors, and coordination and cooperation among all of those entities. Keeping a finger on the pulse of all of that is more than a full-time job. Mark Dorr is president of the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association, an industry trade group based in Albany. Mark previously served as v...
May 30, 2018•39 min•Ep. 77
In this episode, we will learn about how to create programs and special events that attract new visitors from Starlyn D’Angelo, Kevin Walsh, and Katherine Jennings. We recently attended the 2018 Museum Association of New York annual conference and spoke with attendees from all over New York State representing all types of museums and cultural institutions. I found the conversations enlightening and inspiring. Through this series, I hope you will find a new perspective on this important segment o...
May 28, 2018•34 min•Ep. 76
On this episode, you’ll learn how the Motorcoach travel industry is changing and catering to individual needs – not just one-size-fits-all group packages, with Peter Pantuso. Peter Pantuso is the President, and CEO of the American Bus Association. ABA is the largest transportation, travel, and tour organization in the United States with nearly 4,000 members. It represents 65 percent of the nation’s private motorcoach fleet. The industry provides 600 million passenger trips annually. Peter overse...
May 23, 2018•44 min•Ep. 75
