What’s the secret behind Secret Food Tours — one of the fastest-growing culinary experience brands in the world? Co-founders Oliver Mernick-Levene and Nico Jacquart join The Best Part of Travel co-hosts Janelle Visser and Stephen Joyce to share how they scaled from one city to over 100, all while keeping each experience personal, local, and delicious.
They open up about building their own tech, staying cautious about AI, and their two-pronged approach of organic growth and acquisition. Plus: their favorite food stories (yes, that's where the sea urchin comes in), and the secret to getting 50,000 five-star reviews.
🎧 Listen/watch for:
See also:
👉Arival research on the fastest-growing experiences categories (including food tours!)
👉What to Expect When You're Expecting... to Buy or Sell
👉Secret Food Tours has an Appetite for Acquisitions
👉Try Haggis for yourself with Secret Food Tours Edinburgh
The Best Part of Travel podcast is brought to you by Arival. Season Two is sponsored by Protect Group.
Can tour operators grow without relying on OTAs? In this episode of The Best Part of Travel podcast, we explore how private tours and personalized experiences are reshaping the future of travel. Context Travel’s CEO June Chin shares why private, personalized experiences are the key to long-term growth and loyal customers.
Discover:
✅ Why personalization is becoming the competitive edge in travel
✅ How private tours build loyalty and repeat bookings
✅ Why and how the company has avoided distribution through major OTAs (and what they do instead)
✅ Finding the balance between agency partnerships, direct sales, and digital channels
✅ How AI is reshaping search, discovery, and operations—and what “AEO” means for operators
✅ Context’s vision for scaling from 100,000 to 1 million travelers annually by 2030
✅ How Context is seeing triple-digit growth in Japan
✅ The importance of expert guides to maintain high quality experiences
If you’re looking to future-proof your business, this episode offers actionable insights into how personalized travel and direct connections with your customers can fuel sustainable growth.
See also:
👉 Arival research on the rise of the private tour taker
👉Arival research on the 2025 Experiences Traveler
👉 June Chin on the Private Tours, Big Profits panel at Arival 360 | Washington, DC
👉 How generative AI is revolutionizing Travel
👉 Distribution strategy with Arival
People are choosing experiences over things — but what happens when even experiences risk becoming commodities? In this episode of the Best Part of Travel podcast, Joe Pine, co-author of The Experience Economy and author of the forthcoming book on The Transformation Economy, joins hosts Janelle Visser and Stephen Joyce to talk about experience design, commoditization, and how tour and activity operators can design experiences that are not just memorable, but life changing.
Key topics include:
The economic evolution from commodities to goods and services to experiences… to what’s next.
How travel brands can encourage repeat business by offering experiences focused on personal transformation.
Commoditization, differentiation and standing out in a “sea of same.”
What it takes to design travel experiences that are not only memorable, but meaningful — and even transformational.
The upcoming Arival 360 conference in Washington, D.C.
If you’re in the business of experiences, this conversation will challenge how you think about travel, guests, and the future of the industry.
👉 Resources & Links:
Escaping the Tour Commoditization Trap: https://arival.travel/article/escaping-the-tour-commoditization-trap/
The Experience Economy by Joe Pine and James Gilmour: https://www.amazon.ca/Experience-Economy-New-Preface-Authors/dp/1633697975/
The Transformation Economy book by Joe Pine (forthcoming): https://www.amazon.ca/Transformation-Economy-Guiding-Customers-Aspirations/dp/B0DS4649VL
Arival 360 | Washington DC and the Executive Summit: https://arival.travel/event/2025-washington-dc/ , https://arival.travel/event/2025-washington-dc-exec-summit/
The Best Part of Travel podcast is brought to you by Arival. Season Two is sponsored by Protect Group.
In this episode of the Best Part of Travel podcast, hosts Janelle Visser and Stephen Joyce discuss the current state of AI in the travel experiences sector (and their favourite androids). Joined by special guest Janette Roush, Chief AI Officer at Brand USA, they delve into the opportunities and applications of AI in travel, both practical and creative.
Key topics include:
The episode also covers the upcoming AI Forum for Destination Experiences at Arival 360 | Washington, DC, aimed at helping travel professionals explore and share AI technology knowledge and experiences.
The Best Part of Travel podcast is brought to you by Arival. Season Two is sponsored by Protect Group.
In this episode of the Best Part of Travel podcast, hosted by Janelle Visser and Stephen Joyce, we discuss the evolution of online booking systems, or "restech platforms" in the tours, activities and attractions sector of travel, and listen in on a conversation between Andrea Carini, CEO of FareHarbor, the largest restech in the travel experiences space, and Arival CEO Douglas Quinby, which took place at the recent Arival 360 conference in Valencia, Spain.
Topics of discussion include:
Some resources that we mention:
The Best Part of Travel podcast is brought to you by Arival. Season Two is sponsored by Protect Group.
In this episode of the Best Part of Travel podcast, hosted by Janelle Visser and Stephen Joyce, we travel Down Under to delve into Australia's unique approach to cultural attractions tourism and visitor experiences.
Featuring guest interviews with:
The episode covers how Australian attractions are collaborating to attract more travelers to their attractions by offering elevated, immersive experiences for both international and domestic travelers. Discussions include the rise of passion-based travel, the importance of bespoke and VIP experiences, and Arival research on visitor attractions and the affluent traveler.
Some resources we mention:
The Best Part of Travel podcast is brought to you by Arival. Season Two is sponsored by Protect Group.
We’re kicking off the new season of our (re-named and re-launched) Best Part of Travel podcast with an exploration of travel trends in 2025.
In this first episode of season two, your podcast hosts Janelle Visser, Managing Editor of Arival, and industry veteran Stephen Joyce are joined by special guest Dan Christian from the Travel Trends podcast to discuss the top travel trends for 2025 — and what they mean for tour, activity, attraction and experience businesses.
We dive into five key topics, including (spoiler alert):
1. The AI-powered operator: We explore the significant impact of AI on travel planning and booking, and how tour, activity and attraction operators are using AI today.
2. Social video is the new search: We explore the shift towards social media, particularly TikTok, for travel discovery and booking.
3. OTAs Accelerate: We discuss the rising influence of OTAs (Online Travel Agencies), and the importance for operators of getting their pricing right.
4. (Over) Tourism Management Gets Real: Ticket Access & The Destination Shift: We address overtourism and its implications for operators and destinations, and the ongoing challenge of accessing tickets to popular attractions.
5. What (Affluent) Travelers Want: We cover the rise of the affluent traveler, and how their spending power is driving change in experiences, for example towards more private, immersive and community-focused tourism.
Some resources we mention:
Top 5 Travel Trends in 2025 (article by Janelle and Dan): https://arival.travel/article/tourism-trends/
Arival Guide to AI in Experiences: https://arival.travel/research/arival-guide-to-ai-in-experiences/
Optimizing for AI in Search:
https://arival.travel/article/optimizing-tours-for-generative-ai-search/
Social Video Takes on Google:
https://arival.travel/article/hot-topics-social-video/
Arival Guide to OTAs & Digital Distributors:
https://arival.travel/research/arival-guide-to-otas-digital-distributors/
Attraction Ticket Access for Tour Operators:
https://arival.travel/article/attraction-access-for-tour-operators/
The Affluent Traveler:
https://arival.travel/article/affluent-millennials-changing-travel-planning/
The Best Part of Travel podcast is brought to you by Arival. Season Two is sponsored by Protect Group.
In this episode, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser recap the first season of the Arival Voice of Experiences podcast. They discuss their favourite episodes, the variety of content they covered, as well as the top five episodes from Season One by listener ranking.
The top five episodes mentioned feature the following guests: 5) Peter Brown from Big Bus Tours, 4) Christian Watts from Magpie Travel, 3) Kelsey Tonner from Guest Focus, 2) Emmanuel Marot from Google, and 1) Johannes Reck from GetYourGuide.
Reviewing clips from these conversations, they highlight the importance of elevating the guest experience, the potential of AI in the tours and activities industry, the advantages of working in the corporate sales niche, and the potential of AI tools like ChatGPT and Gemini. They also highlight the importance of personalization and elevating experiences in order to stand out both to AI-generated search results and to human travelers. The conversation touches on the challenges of bias in AI models and the need for unique and valuable content to improve visibility.
Key Takeaways:
You can find out more about and connect with the speakers here:
You can find out more about Arival research and events here:
Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser.
If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!
In this conversation, Jon Owen, CEO of Go City, and Douglas Quinby, CEO of Arival, discuss the multi-attraction pass. They explore the size and scope of the pass market, the structure of the pass model, and the range of attractions and experiences offered. They also discuss the evolving trends in the market, such as the shift towards more experiential and off-the-beaten-track offerings. The conversation touches on the economics of the pass model, including commission rates and the drive for incremental business. They also discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by the shift towards managed inventory, variable pricing, and dynamic pricing. Finally, they address the issue of over-tourism and the role of city passes in managing visitor flows and promoting a more balanced exploration of destinations.
Multi-attraction passes, such as Go City, offer a convenient and flexible way for travelers to explore a destination. These passes provide access to a curated list of attractions and experiences, allowing visitors to prepay for multiple activities and avoid the hassle of booking each one individually. The passes also offer guidance on when to visit popular attractions to avoid crowds and maximize the overall experience. For operators, being included in a multi-attraction pass can attract incremental visitors who may not have otherwise visited their attraction.
Key Takeaways:
You can find out more about and connect with the speakers here:
You can find out more about Arival research here:
Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser.
If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!
In this episode, Martin Harlow discusses the importance of having a distribution strategy and online travel agencies (OTAs) for tour and activity operators and attractions. He emphasizes the need for a basic strategy to get products to market and highlights that OTAs are often the first point of contact for consumers during the research phase. Martin explains that the choice of OTAs should be based on the target audience and the specific niche of the product. Martin provides insights on how to choose and work with OTAs, including the importance of connectivity, representation, and interaction with the OTA. In this conversation, Janelle Visser and Martin discuss various distribution channels for operators beyond OTAs. They highlight the importance of attending industry events and trade shows to network with account managers and potential partners. They also emphasize the value of face-to-face communication and building relationships with OTAs. The conversation explores the challenges of working with OTAs, such as maintaining multiple channels and ensuring accurate and consistent information. Finally, they address the issue of competing with OTAs for search terms and suggest strategies for handling this challenge.
Key Takeaways:
You can find out more about and connect with the speakers here:
You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here:
Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser.
If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!
Summary
In this conversation, Janelle and Stephen discuss the importance of LGBTQ+ travelers. They explore the meaning of LGBTQ+ and its variations, as well as the significant economic value of LGBTQ+ travel. The guests, Glenn Tkach and Rebecca Fisher, share their experiences in designing and leading LGBTQ+ history tours in Vancouver and Philadelphia, respectively. They discuss the challenges of uncovering and presenting LGBTQ+ history, as well as the impact of their tours on different audiences. The conversation also touches on the age demographics of LGBTQ+ travelers and the importance of authenticity and storytelling in engaging with this audience. Overall, the conversation emphasizes the need for tour operators to prioritize inclusivity and representation to attract and cater to LGBTQ+ travelers.
Key Takeaways:
You can find out more about and connect with the speakers here:
You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here:
Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser.
If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!
Summary
In this conversation, Christian Watts from Magpie Travel discusses the impact of AI on tours, activities, and attractions. The discussion covers the use of AI in rewriting content, customer service, and personalized trip planning. The conversation also delves into the challenges and opportunities of using AI, as well as the tools and technologies being used in this sector. The conversation covers a wide range of topics related to AI in tourism, including the impact of AI on human interaction, the use of AI in tour operations, the ethical considerations of AI-generated content, and the potential implications for consumer trust. The discussion also delves into the practical applications of AI in the tourism industry, such as customer service, content generation, and storytelling. Additionally, the conversation explores the role of AI in responding to reviews and the importance of maintaining brand credibility in the age of AI-generated content.
Key Takeaways:
You can find out more about and connect with the speakers here:
You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here:
Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser.
If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!
Summary
Janelle and Stephen speak with Kelsey Tonner from Guest Focus about corporate sales and how tour businesses can tap into the corporate market. He shares his background in the industry and how he transitioned to focusing on tour business coaching. Kelsey emphasizes the advantages of corporate sales, such as regular and repeat business, premium pricing opportunities, streamlined planning process, and diversification of revenue streams. He advises tour operators to niche down and create a distinct corporate offer with upsells or experience enhancers. Kelsey also suggests conducting a guest deep dive and using AI tools to brainstorm ideas for corporate upsells. The conversation explores the benefits of offering corporate tours and experiences. We discuss the importance of negotiation in sales and the ability to customize offers to meet the needs of corporate clients. We also discuss the importance of understanding the specific needs and pain points of different corporate niches and tailoring offers accordingly.
Key Takeaways:
You can find out more about and connect with the speakers here:
You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here:
Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser.
If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!
Summary
Tom McGarry, Head of New Business at Holiday Extras, discusses his journey in the travel industry and the company's focus on business development and ticketing. He explains how the company is leveraging customer data to offer personalized recommendations for things to do while traveling. The conversation also delves into the company's culture and the efforts made to create a collaborative and flexible work environment. The impact of COVID-19 on the company's community and culture is explored, as well as the changes in consumer behavior, such as the shift to online chat for inquiries and bookings. Holiday Extras has seen a shift from phone calls to chat session, with roughly 80% of of customer interactions now made through chat. Flexibility in bookings, such as the ability to change or cancel without penalty, has become paramount. Holiday Extras is working on making all of their products flexible and easy to change. They have developed a system to amend bookings even for partners that don't support API connections, ensuring a seamless customer experience. Holiday Extras has also utilized AI to improve the customer experience, including creating an AI tool for theater bookings and a tool for insurance policy understanding.
Key Takeaways:
You can find out more about and connect with the speakers here:
You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here:
Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser.
If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!
Summary
In this episode, Stephen and Janelle discuss the hot topics panel from the Arival 360 Berlin event. They focus on the issue of access to attraction tickets for tour operators and the challenges they face in getting enough tickets to fulfill demand. They also explore the concept of concentrated tourism and the need to shift demand away from popular attractions to lesser-known, off-the-beaten-path experiences. The conversation highlights the importance of destinations, OTAs, and operators working together to create unique and interesting products that offer a more diverse and enjoyable travel experience for tourists.
Key Takeaways:
You can find out more about and connect with the speakers here:
You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here:
Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser.
If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!
Summary
In this episode of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser discuss the Lunch and Learn interview with Johannes Reck, CEO of Get Your Guide. They highlight the unique format of the interview and the relaxed and conversational vibe it created. Johannes shares the founding story of Get Your Guide, which started as a student trip to Beijing and the frustration of not finding activities online. This led to the creation of Get Your Guide, initially as a peer-to-peer tour guide marketplace. They later pivoted to the Get Your Guide platform we know today. Johannes also discusses the challenges and complexities of the experiences industry and the importance of harnessing technology to serve the diverse needs of travelers. The conversation also touches on the balance between being a CEO and a parent, and the long-term vision for Get Your Guide.
Key Takeaways:
You can find out more about and connect with Johannes here:
You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here:
Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser.
If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!
In this episode of The Voice of Experiences podcast, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser discuss the topic of AI in the travel industry. They review an interview with Emmanuel Marot, the Director of Product Management at Google, and explore the role of AI in trip planning and personalized recommendations. They also discuss the challenges of ranking and organizing information in the fragmented world of tours and activities. Overall, the conversation highlights the potential of AI to enhance the travel experience and provide more relevant and personalized recommendations. During the conversation, the speakers discussed the use of Gemini, Google's AI-powered search tool, for trip planning. They explored how Gemini makes decisions and recommendations, including the use of structured and unstructured data. They also discussed the role of personalization and the future of search and trip planning tools. The speakers addressed the question of whether sponsored results are factored into Gemini and the potential for payment as a ranking factor. They also touched on the challenges of confabulation and hallucinations in AI models.
Key Takeaways:
You can find out more about and connect with Emmanuel here:
You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here:
Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser.
If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!
Anna Araque shares her journey from a background in hospitality and tour operations to creating immersive experiences. She discusses her time working at The Shard and her transition to consulting. Anna also talks about the impact of COVID-19 on the travel industry and the future of travel experiences. Imagine Experiences creates immersive and interactive tours and activities that allow people to step into the world of their favorite movies and stories. They aim to revamp the tourism offering by providing unique and engaging experiences that go beyond traditional sightseeing. The inspiration for their experiences comes from a love of James Bond and other iconic characters. Imagine Experiences has weathered the challenges of the pandemic and is now focused on building new products and expanding to new locations. Their goal is to create experiences that become the best part of people's lives, offering purpose and connection with people.
You can find out more about and connect with Ana here:
You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here:
Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser.
If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!
In this conversation, Catherine Warrilow discusses her journey into tourism, travel, and brand strategy. She emphasizes the importance of targeting a specific demographic and differentiating small operators in a competitive landscape. Catherine also highlights the significance of consistency in brand messaging and building brand recognition for small operators. She shares insights on measuring success and conversions in the experiences space. Finally, Catherine explores the concept of building a community and nurturing relationships with customers.
Takeaways
You can find out more about and connect with Catherine here:
You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here:
Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce and Janelle Visser.
If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!
In this episode, Janelle talks with Jessica Dante, Founder of Love and London, a social media content creation company that is focused on providing content for travellers coming to London. Jessica talks about the inspiration for the company as well as their strategy behind using video and how their content has changed over time. Jessica also provides some useful tips on how tour operators can use video to promote their business on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.
You can find out more about and connect with Jessica and Love and London here:
You can find out more about the research that we mention in the episode here:
Connect with the hosts of The Voice of Experiences, Stephen Joyce, Janelle Visser, and Jeff Roe.
If you are not an Arival Insider Pro, consider joining to get access to all of the Arival research and don't forget to join us at one of our upcoming events!