10 Must-listen Podcasts for Travel, Tourism & Hospitality Professionals

This week I celebrate 6 years since I launched my podcast, Destination on the Left, an award-winning show focused on creativity and collaboration in the travel and tourism industry. This week also marks the airing of my 300^th episode and more than 75,000 downloads, more milestone markers crossed! Since launching one of the first podcasts in the industry, many others have been released and I follow several shows to keep myself up to date on what’s happening in our industry. Here is a curated list of must-listen podcasts for travel, tourism and hospitality professionals. I hope you check them out and subscribe!

1. Destination on the Left

Of course my show, Destination on the Left, kicks off the list. Over 6 years, host Nicole Mahoney (that’s me) has interviewed people from all over the world who are passionate about travel, tourism and hospitality. The podcast focuses on tourism marketing, specifically showcasing the creative collaborative work that is unique to the industry. Whether it’s an airline, hotel, and attraction working together to create a travel package or a regional approach to market a tourist destination, I believe travel and tourism professionals are leaders in demonstrating how collaborating to leverage resources and expertise can deliver big results. With 300 episodes and counting, this show explores creativity and collaboration from all viewpoints and segments of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry with guests from a mix of backgrounds including DMOs, Accommodations, Attractions, Tour Operators and Industry Consultants.

2. No Vacancy with Glenn Hausman

No Vacancy with Glenn Hausman is a show I have been listening to for over 5 years. Glenn focuses primarily on the hotel and hospitality industry. His guests are industry insiders who will give you a glimpse of how the biggest brands operate. As described on the podcast website this show is, “a fun, fast-paced genre-bending program peeling back the travel business veneer. Perfect for road warriors, leisure travelers and industry insiders, we look behind-the-scenes of the travel business by sharing stories, experiences, and with interviews featuring the industry’s biggest names.”

3. Skift Podcasts

This is another long-standing series of shows. Skift Podcasts publishes four podcasts each week and you can subscribe to the ones that interest you the most. I subscribe to the Skift Travel Podcast, which brings me the latest industry trends and thought leadership from an international perspective.

4. DMOU- Destination Marketing University

DMOU is a show launched by longtime industry thought-leader, Bill Geist. I enjoy Bill’s format of three questions plus a bonus round. Bill takes a lot of care in selecting and preparing questions for his guests with a focus of sharing innovative case studies and evolving philosophies in destination marketing.

5. Destination Marketing Podcast

Destination Marketing Podcast is hosted by Adam Stoker of Relic Agency. This show focuses on real-world tips and perspectives from people in the field of marketing within the tourism industry. This show promises no fluff and actionable strategies and tactics. The topics are as varied as marketing attribution, managing budgets, stakeholder engagement and branding your destination.

6. Architects of Destination Advocacy

Destinations International produces this podcast hosted by Andreas Weissenborn, Vice President of Research and Advocacy. Architects of Destination Advocacy is for advocates in the tourism sector featuring stories of tackling the biggest issues in the industry.

7. The Travel Vertical Podcast

The Travel Vertical Podcast offers bi-weekly episodes of the latest news in the tourism industry curated specifically for tourism marketers and agencies. The show co-hosts are Laurie Jo Miller from The Travel Vertical and Adam Stoker from Relic Agency.

8. The Future of Tourism Podcast

The Future of Tourism Podcast is a series of candid conversations with industry leaders, luminaries and visionaries about the challenges and opportunities facing the travel and tourism industry today. It’s hosted by David Peacock, Senior Advisor to the Future Tourism Group at Simpleview.

9. Eventful: The Podcast for Meeting Professionals

Hosted by Northstar Meetings Group, Eventful: The Podcast for Meeting Professionals features insightful conversations about hot topics in the meetings and events industry. Tune in for interviews and analysis of the editorial coverage in Meetings & Conventions, Successful Meetings, and Meeting News and Incentive.

10. Tourism Heads and Their Tales

Tourism Heads and Their Tales is a new podcast featuring interviews and conversation with today’s tourism leaders and influencers, exploring how they are shaping the future of travel and tourism. The show is hosted by Bob Gilbert, who for over three decades, has focused on the ever-changing dynamics of travel and tourism. I recently found this show and see many of my colleagues featured as early guests. With that line-up, you know this will be a show to follow!