Tourpreneur Tour Business Podcast
Tourpreneur is a community of passionate tour business owners eager to improve their skills and increase their profits. Our community is passionate about helping each other. As small tour business owners, we understand it’s a lonely job, a daily grind, and easy to become a busy fool… working harder but not smarter. The Tourpreneur community helps you get advice from your peers as well as experts in the areas you need to grow your business and make it more profitable. Whether you explore our hundreds of free articles, podcasts and other resources, or join our Tourpreneur+ community, we’re here to help!
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Homefans: The Rise and Rise of Sports Tourism
08/29/2023
Homefans: The Rise and Rise of Sports Tourism
The Rise and Rise of Sports Tourism with Daniel Alejandro Velásquez González As discussion with Daniel Founder and COO of Homefans a sports experience marketplace, where avid travellers can book unique sports experiences anywhere in the world, hosted by fully-vetted local hosts.
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How a Buyer/Seller Conference Can Help Grow Your Tour Business
08/24/2023
How a Buyer/Seller Conference Can Help Grow Your Tour Business
Mitch talks with Catherine Prather of the National Tour Association (NTA) about their Travel Exchange conference, and how the buyer appointments, networking sessions, and other events can help grow your tour business.
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Tourpreneur+ Guest Coaching Teaser
08/21/2023
Tourpreneur+ Guest Coaching Teaser
This episode is a snippet of a Guest Coaching session, available for Tourpreneur+ members. Guest Coach Komal Darira (Women for World) will share how she built mostly female guide teams in Delhi, a city where being a tour guide is still not considered an ideal career for a woman. While her destination is specific, you'll walk away with some ideas on how, to build a truly diverse guide team, you might need to think outside of the box.
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Better Business On Purpose: Make Money. Create Impact. Be A Force For Good.
08/07/2023
Better Business On Purpose: Make Money. Create Impact. Be A Force For Good.
Conversation with Neil Witten on how tour operators can be highly profitable and be a force for good at the same time as having a very clear purpose. An engaging listen about how difficult and challenging doing business with a purpose is but one that when done correctly is highly rewarding. Join us for Tourpreneur Connect Seville, November 27-30, 2023 For those interested, we recommend you check out Neil's book: https://amzn.eu/d/0TLas5o
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The Launch of the Multi-day Podcast
07/20/2023
The Launch of the Multi-day Podcast
In this series, Mat Newton talks to multi-day tour operators around the world to gain insights on how they started their business, what they've learned along the way, and more. In this teaser, we chat about the goals for the podcast and why we created a separate series for multi-day. Tourpreneur is a community that offers peer and expert support to tour business owners. Whether you're not sure where to start, or you're already operating tours in multiple destinations, we're here to help you grow your business through our podcast, articles, educational events, and free community platform. tourpreneur.com/podcast/
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What Makes a Great Tour Guide
07/17/2023
What Makes a Great Tour Guide
In this far-ranging conversation, Mitch and Claire Bown — two tour guide trainers — dive into the state of tour guiding today, and the skills that make a guided experience truly powerful. Find out more about Claire - Join us for Tourpreneur Connect Seville, November 27-30, 2023
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The Power of Cultural Context in Travel Experiences
07/04/2023
The Power of Cultural Context in Travel Experiences
On this episode of our entrepreneur series with Kelly Lewis, we hear from Stephanie Flor, founder of a luxury travel company that focuses on providing a unique travel experience through a beauty lens. Join us for Tourpreneur Connect Seville, November 27-30, 2023 Sponsored by TripAdmit’s powerful digital tipping solution that doesn’t require an app or any additional hardware, enable guests to tip without cash and guides to receive payments seamlessly. Our tipping solution is entirely digital, providing a swift, effortless, and practical way for guests to tip digitally. Thanks to our ‘Tap to Tip’ technology, guests can now make contactless payments through their iPhone or Android phone, eliminating the need for bulky card readers.
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Tourpreneur Roundup 29th June 2023
06/29/2023
Tourpreneur Roundup 29th June 2023
In this roundup, Mitch, Chris, Pete and Nikki are joined by our multi-day podcast host Mat Newton! Today we talk about Mat's Podcast, the importance of owning your own marketing accounts, Pete at the Travel Tech Conference and news on our venue for Tourpreneur Connect! Join us for Tourpreneur Connect Seville, November 27-30, 2023 Sponsored by TripAdmit’s powerful digital tipping solution that doesn’t require an app or any additional hardware, enable guests to tip without cash and guides to receive payments seamlessly. Our tipping solution is entirely digital, providing a swift, effortless, and practical way for guests to tip digitally. Thanks to our ‘Tap to Tip’ technology, guests can now make contactless payments through their iPhone or Android phone, eliminating the need for bulky card readers.
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Tourpreneur Roundup 15 June 2023
06/15/2023
Tourpreneur Roundup 15 June 2023
In this roundup, Mitch, Chris, Pete and Nikki chat about the sale of Rezdy, the growth of content creators in our community and the opportunity this can bring to operators, the power of long-form video in marketing and much much more! Sponsored by TripAdmit’s powerful digital tipping solution that doesn’t require an app or any additional hardware, enable guests to tip without cash and guides to receive payments seamlessly. Our tipping solution is entirely digital, providing a swift, effortless, and practical way for guests to tip digitally. Thanks to our ‘Tap to Tip’ technology, guests can now make contactless payments through their iPhone or Android phone, eliminating the need for bulky card readers.
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The Power of Consumer Generated Content to Boost your Bookings
06/12/2023
The Power of Consumer Generated Content to Boost your Bookings
By encouraging user generated content, operators can not only gather valuable feedback and insights from their customers, but also use it to showcase their offerings, attract new visitors and increase bookings. Tourpreneur's own Chris Torres provides some insights into why you must implement this now to grow your bookings in future. Sponsored by
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Tourpreneur Roundup 8th June 2023
06/08/2023
Tourpreneur Roundup 8th June 2023
In this roundup, Mitch, Chris and Nikki chat about the launch of our new Multi-Day podcast, hosted by Mat Newton, changes to how Facebook will track your data as they phase out cookie tracking, Google AI Search, GYG new round of funding and more.
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The Art of Crafting a Transformative Experience
06/05/2023
The Art of Crafting a Transformative Experience
On this episode of Tourpreneur, guest James Wallman shares his insights on designing unforgettable experiences, the shift from materialism to experientialism, and the importance of transformational experiences for happiness. He also shares his thoughts on the future of experientialism and the role of the organization in transforming the quality of life in the 21st century. Join us for Tourpreneur Connect Seville, November 27-30, 2023
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The Tourpreneur Roundup: 24th May '23
05/25/2023
The Tourpreneur Roundup: 24th May '23
In this roundup, Mitch, Chris, Pete and Nikki chat about our Huddle in Puerto Rico, content creators, our Scottish meet-up and Huddle, announcing our 100 person event CONNECT in Seville and what the future holds for Tourpreneur. Join us for Tourpreneur Connect Seville, November 27-30, 2023 https://tourpreneur.com/connect/
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[Women] Travel Entrepreneurs: Moving Past Uncertainty to Build a Strong Business
05/22/2023
[Women] Travel Entrepreneurs: Moving Past Uncertainty to Build a Strong Business
On this episode of [Women] Travel Entrepreneurs, we delve into the multi-day business with Just Alujiangana, who shares her journey of starting a business in Tanzania. With over a decade of experience in the industry, she talks about the challenges she faced and the lessons she learned along the way. Justa and Kelly discuss the importance of understanding your clients' needs, creating experiences from personal content, and the role of accommodations in the tourism industry. Join us for Tourpreneur Connect Seville, November 27-30, 2023
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How the Concept of “Play” Can Improve Your Tours
05/11/2023
How the Concept of “Play” Can Improve Your Tours
On this episode of Tourpreneur, we delve into the world of play and its importance in creating fulfilling and engaging travel experiences. Our guest expert—Samantha Hardcastle from The Storied Experience—discusses the various types of play and how they can be incorporated into your tours. We explore the demand for more interactive and creative experiences while learning how play promotes continuous learning and growth. Sam and Mitch both share experiences using gamification to engage children and adults, and how we can incorporate different modes of play in travel experiences to create a comfortable and enjoyable time for the guests. We learn how play can help us grow personally and let tourists challenge themselves and their beliefs. By the end of the episode, you will have a comprehensive idea of how to infuse play into your travel experiences to make them fulfilling and enjoyable. For show notes and more resources, visit
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Using Brain Science to Craft Immersive Tours w/ Paul Zak
04/26/2023
Using Brain Science to Craft Immersive Tours w/ Paul Zak
Mitch Bach talks with neuroscientist Paul Zak about his latest book "Immersion", and how the brain principles he's discovered can help tour operators create more engaging tours. . on the Tourpreneur website As always, get accesss to bonus content, including a course on designing more immerive tours. Guest Bio Paul J. Zak is a professor at Claremont Graduate University and is ranked in the top 0.3% of most cited scientists with over 180 published papers and more than 19,000 citations to his research. Zak’s two decades of research have taken him from the Pentagon to Fortune 50 boardrooms to the rainforest of Papua New Guinea. Along the way he helped start a number of interdisciplinary fields including neuroeconomics, neuromanagement, and neuromarketing. He has written three general audience books and is a regular TED speaker. His latest book, Immersion: The Science of the Extraordinary and Source of Happiness (2022), identifies the neurologic basis for extraordinary experiences and uses 50,000 brain measurements to show readers how to create high-impact marketing, entertainment, training, customer experiences, and employee experiences. The book shows that extraordinary experiences drive up customer lifetime value and provide the neurologic foundation for increased individual happiness.
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How will AI Impact Tourism and Tour Operators?
04/20/2023
How will AI Impact Tourism and Tour Operators?
Peter Syme chats with Terry Jones, Founder of Travelocity and Founding Chairman of Kayak, who is currently building again in the AI travel space. AI will impact every single tour operator but not all will be impacted in the same way. "AIs are “learning” systems. They grow and improve with each interaction. You will be left behind if your competitors adopt and you do not!
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What Tour Operators Can Learn from Content Creators
04/14/2023
What Tour Operators Can Learn from Content Creators
Join Nikki Padilla Rivera as she speaks with Amanda Walkins, (, ) who shares her insights on how to bridge the gap between tour operators and content creators to foster more effective partnerships. Nikki and Amanda also discuss their experiences attending the and how it provides a valuable opportunity for tour operators to connect with content creators. They share their thoughts on the importance of these types of events for building relationships, networking, and learning about industry trends. Women in Travel Summit , 50% off with code: tourpreneur50 Tourpreneur Happy Hour Event- https://tourpreneur.com/podcast/
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New TP Series Reboot: [Women] Travel Entrepreneurs
04/12/2023
New TP Series Reboot: [Women] Travel Entrepreneurs
Nikki Padilla Rivera chats with Kelly Lewis, founder of and host of the rebooted '[Women] Travel Entrepreneurs' series. In this teaser, Kelly talks about the intention behind the series and her vision for showcasing the diverse experiences of women who are building businesses in the travel industry. The stories will be valuable listening for anyone looking to start or grow a business in the travel industry, regardless of gender. https://tourpreneur.com/podcast/
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Risk Management: Strategies For Improving Safety, Mental Health, And Duty Of Care
04/03/2023
Risk Management: Strategies For Improving Safety, Mental Health, And Duty Of Care
Join Mitch Bach as he hosts the Tourpreneur Podcast with Dave Dennis of the Cornerstone Safety Group, Kristin Dennison, VP of Trip Experience at TrovaTrip, and Mike Megan, Executive Director with Global Expeditions Group. They discuss risk management in the travel industry and how tour operators can ensure safety for travelers. Hear their stories from TrovaTrips and Global Expeditions, learn about Cornerstone's services such as a resource library and on-call services for members, and discover how to create conditions for powerful transformation of people through travel experiences. 0:02:57 Risk Management and Duty of Care: A Conversation with Dave 0:05:16 Discussion on Duty of Care: Legal and Moral Obligations of Tour Operators 0:07:38 "Risk Management and Safety in the Travel and Adventure Industry" 0:10:47 Prioritizing Safety in Travel Delivery and Onboarding 0:13:00 Exploring Global Risk Management and Duty of Care Obligations for Travelers 0:14:34 Risk Management Communication: A Discussion on Physical and Mental Risks 0:16:07 Crisis Management Planning for Travel Organizations 0:21:35 Discussion on Duty of Care and Secession Planning in the Workforce 0:22:44 Conversation on Crisis Response Structures and Risk Management for Field Staff 0:25:05 Conversation on Mental Well-Being and Emotional Support in the Travel Ecosystem Post-Pandemic 0:26:53 Exploring Mental Health Support for Travelers and Staff in the Post-Pandemic Landscape 0:31:27 Examining the Impact of the Pandemic on Teamwork and Mental Health in College Programs 0:33:46 Discussion on Student Burnout and Mental Health Issues in Travel Programs 0:35:32 Mental Health Training for Tour Operators and Guides 0:39:07 Setting Appropriate Emotional Boundaries for Field Staff and Office Teams 0:42:47 Setting Boundaries for Transformative Experiences 0:47:08 Conversation on Risk Management and Intentional Travel Planning 0:48:38 Discussion on Developing a Framework for the Travel Industry
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Multi-Day Series: Growing a Multi-Day B2B Business
03/31/2023
Multi-Day Series: Growing a Multi-Day B2B Business
In this first episode of our Multi-Day series with Mat Newton, Ruth Franklin shares her journey to success in the B2B tour business, discussing the importance of having documents in place, creating a succinct pitch deck, connecting with product managers and CEOs on LinkedIn, and making connections and adding value to stand out in a competitive market at trade shows. 00:00 🤝 Pick 10 of your "dream clients" to start selling to as a strategy for success in the tour and travel industry. 08:09 💡 Ruth's journey to success in the B2B tour business is discussed, including the importance of having documents in place and creating a succinct pitch deck to share with prospective partners. 13:07 🤔 Use risk assessment and conversation to plan a successful tour and share your lessons with your younger self. 9:08 🤝 Connecting with product managers and CEOs on LinkedIn, I generated over 250,000 in revenue and created potential for multi-million dollar revenue stream over the next 10 years. 28:16 🤝 Building relationships with businesses takes time and effort, be social and friendly online but keep personal rants to a minimum. 33:25 🤝 Connecting with your tourism board and setting up in a coffee shop can help first-time exhibitors get the most out of trade fairs, with potential for 15 current partners, 20 new contacts, and 3 quotations already received. 40:22 🤝 Make connections and add value to stand out in a competitive market at trade shows by researching and pre-working, and follow-up emails can help keep the conversation going. 49:29 🤝 Connect with Ruth Franklin on Linked In! Join Tourpreneur+ for even more content:
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U.S. Tax Strategies for Tour Operators and Guides
03/27/2023
U.S. Tax Strategies for Tour Operators and Guides
In this episode of Tourpreneur, Mitch Bach interviews Chris Foxcroft-Hibbs, the owner of Happy Lifestyle Accounting. Chris specializes in working with tourism businesses, including guides and operators. The episode focuses on income taxes and strategies for tour guides and operators to consider. Chris emphasizes the importance of making sure all transactions are recorded properly and all debts are in order. He also suggests working with a good accountant to help maximize deductions and ensure profitability. The discussion emphasizes the joys that can come from proper tax planning and preparation. [00:02:52] Tax strategy for small businesses. [00:04:54] Saving on your tax bill. [00:07:09] S corp taxation benefits. [00:10:50] Finding Personal Benefit of Business Deductions. [00:14:34] Chart of Accounts and Deductions. [00:18:21] LLC vs Series LLC. [00:21:54] Budgeting strategies. [00:27:34] Educational tour operations. [00:28:57] Cash vs Accrual Accounting. [00:34:05] Profit Planning and Growth. [00:35:54] Business Metrics to Track. [00:39:51] Building a healthy accountant-client relationship. [00:42:45] Fixed pricing in accounting. [00:46:12] Operational Efficiency. Help us keep this community alive by becoming a member of Tourpreneur+ This helps us bring in speakers, run events and provide even more value to our community. All for less than a coffee per day!
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Why You Should Embrace AI, Not Be Frightened Of It
03/21/2023
Why You Should Embrace AI, Not Be Frightened Of It
With so much discussion in the Tourpreneur Community about the good, the bad and the ugly of AI, Chris Torres advises on why he feels a lot of operators are missing the revenue opportunities it brings. AI is transforming the tourism industry by offering personalised experiences, hybrid tours, and self-guided options that can increase revenue and profits for businesses. 00:00 💰 AI is a game-changer for tourism businesses, that can drive revenue and profit while transforming society as we know it. 01:47 💻 🌍 Hybrid tours can boost brand exposure and profits by providing both digital and in-person experiences throughout the customer journey. 02:25 🤖 An AI Avatar guide offers personalised travel experiences from booking to insights during the trip. 04:54 💻 🌍 Hybrid tourism experiences that blend digital and in-person elements with the help of AI can increase revenue. 05:35 💰 AI-delivered self-guided options for customers unable to book in-person experiences. 06:36 🌍 Mac Adventure's switch to a fully self-guided model shows the exponential growth potential of the fast-growing self-guided travel sector. 07:30 💡 Understand the impact of AI on business and embrace its potential for generating revenue. Join Tourpreneur+ for more content and a Sprint on ChatGPT! Join our free community of over 6000 tour operators:
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Growing a Multi-Day Tour Business with Katy Clark
03/20/2023
Growing a Multi-Day Tour Business with Katy Clark
Katy, of , chats with Mitch and shares her insights on building a successful multi-day tour business in Italy through podcasting, affiliate marketing, and creating connections and community. 00:00 Starting a tour business in Italy? Katie Clark from Untold Italy shares her insights on building a multi-day tour business. 08:07 I have a strong relationship with Day Tour operators in Italy, which has resulted in successful revenue from affiliate sales, advertising, and sponsorship. 14:40 Podcasting is a great way to build relationships and market tour businesses. 19:35 Create a travel podcast to build a global business, provide value, and use affiliate marketing to make high margin revenue. 28:04 Developing a brand for off-the-beaten-path Italian experiences can lead to sustainable tourism and earning a little chunk off of recommendations. 36:14 Creating connections and community through shared experiences can create lifelong friendships and memories. 44:06 Be honest and collaborate to get the best results, rather than trying to go it alone. Join Tourpreneur+ for even more content:
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The future of tourism will be dictated by the Planet
03/20/2023
The future of tourism will be dictated by the Planet
The environmental and sustainability challenges with Professor Enda McGovern. Pete was lucky enough to come across Enda when we were both presenting at the AI Summer School For Tourism last year in Ireland. What he had to say opened my mind to the real problems and challenges that travel and tourism faces and the ones that will dictate all our futures. He holds nothing back with very strong views on the future of tourism in this podcast! Join our free tour operator community of over 5.4k members: Join Tourpreneur+ for even more content:
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How a Love of the Sandwich Became a Tour Business
03/13/2023
How a Love of the Sandwich Became a Tour Business
Ben Gollan, a former lawyer turned accidental entrepreneur, found job satisfaction in running sandwich tours in New York City called A Man and his Sandwich, shares insights on team building, niche food tours, and effective outsourcing. 00:00 🍔 Former lawyer turned accidental entrepreneur finds job satisfaction in running sandwich tours in New York City after being inspired by niche tour operators and starting as a hobby. 08:27 🏠 Airbnb's website relaunch in 2022 impacted experienced hosts' organic business, but CEO Brian Chesky promises a renewed focus on experiences in 2023. 16:28 🥪 Team building should be simple, fun, and interactive, with a shareable hook like the hot dog sandwich debate, and alternative ingredients can be used if needed. 22:38 🍔 Niche food tours use SEO optimization, content creation, and media coverage to expand their reach and engage with passionate audiences. 26:58 🥪 A Man and his Sandwich promotes unique tourism experiences through storytelling, nostalgia, history, and purpose. 33:03 🚶♂️ Ben shares how identifying opportunities and capitalizing on luck led to success in the tour industry, while pursuing passions and avoiding burnout in the sandwich business. 37:46 👥 Learn to outsource effectively and build a team to work on your business, not in it, as demonstrated by Ben's experience running 45 online classes during the busiest week before Christmas 2020 and seeking assistance from other hosts for hosting and tours. 41:45 🥪 An open face sandwich is still a sandwich... or is it? https://amanandhissandwich.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-gollan/ Join Tourpreneur+ https://tourpreneur.com/plus/
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Travel Trade Events & Representation
02/09/2023
Travel Trade Events & Representation
Today we discuss travel trade representation with Mark Wright of The Adventure Connection. Mark is a 30 year plus veteran of the travel industry who now represents tour operators and destination management companies around the World. Representation is a little understand method in our community and it deserves more attention as a way to grow your tour operation. Join our free tour operator community of over 5.4k members: Join Tourpreneur+ for even more content: The Adventure Connection:
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Selecting the Right Event to Attend for Tour Operators
02/06/2023
Selecting the Right Event to Attend for Tour Operators
Mitch, Chris and Pete are joined by Douglas Quinby and Bruce Rosard of the amazing industry focused event, Arival to discuss how you should choose the event that will give you the best ROI. We discuss... Which event is right for you Doing your ground work before you attend Why Tour Operators should attend Arival Getting an ROI from events Join our free tour operator community of over 5.4k members: Join Tourpreneur+ for even more content: Attend Arival:
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Multi-day Tour Distribution & Trends with Travis Pittman
01/26/2023
Multi-day Tour Distribution & Trends with Travis Pittman
Chris & Pete are joined by Travis Pittman, the Co-founder & CEO of TourRadar to discuss the trends in multi-day tours as well as its future. We discuss... How TourRadar started Distribution through travel agents Sweet spot in length of multi-day tours How multi-day will be affected by AI Onboarding new operators restarting in some destinations Join our free tour operator community of over 5.4k members: Join Tourpreneur+ for even more content:
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How to Elevate Customer Service
01/24/2023
How to Elevate Customer Service
Renee Ventrice chats with Roberto D'Alessandro of Touring Italy on how he creates and delivers exceptional customer service. Join Tourpreneur+ for even more content: Join our free tour operator community of over 5.4k members:
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