Richard Taylor and Ann-Catherine Jones discuss the ever-evolving Australian travel industry with a diverse range of guests.
Angus “Gus” Pitkethley of Rosewood Hong Kong joins us for this episode — and fair warning: if you weren’t already thinking about a trip to Hong Kong, you will be after this one. Rosewood Hong Kong has just been named the No. 1 Hotel in the World (a coincidence after featuring this year on Offloaded Podcast? We think not!) , and Gus takes us behind the scenes of what it really takes to reach — and stay at — the top. From its “vertical estate” approach to design and art-led storytelling, to the way Rosewood blends luxury, culture, and a deep sense of place, this is a masterclass in how to build a flagship hotel that resets the bar globally. But this episode isn’t just about the hotel.Gus also gives us his own story, from Double Bay to London to New York, and the insider track on expat life in Hong Kong — what makes the city tick, why it’s firmly back on the world stage, and how it continues to evolve as one of the most electric, layered, and globally connected destinations on the planet. Think street food to sky bars, harbour views to hidden beaches - Hong Kong still knows how to impress even the most well-travelled guest. ______ This episode is brought to you by Rosewood Hong Kong. We hope you enjoy it — and if you’d like to support us, you can sign up for our newsletter at www.offloaded.com.au where you’ll receive insider details, first notification on new episodes, occasional competitions, and much more. You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook. Oh, and if you haven’t already — subscribe to the podcast on your preferred platform.Links mentioned in this episode:Angus Pitkethley on LinkedIn: Rosewood Hong Kong:
11/2/25 • 69:55
Malik Fernando of Resplendent Ceylon is our guest for this episode. And a word of warning before we continue...you're going to want to visit Sri Lanka after this one. This short video will paint the picture of what's discussed in this episode. Malik's father, Merrill J. Fernando, founded Dilmah Tea in the 1980s after realizing the need for a Sri Lankan-owned brand that celebrated single-origin Ceylon tea. Starting in Australia with Kamahl singing the jingles, Dilmah became a household name and one of the first tea brands packed at source rather than overseas. Building on that legacy, Malik launched Resplendent Ceylon, Sri Lanka’s first Relais & Châteaux hotel collection. What began as renovated plantation bungalows evolved into five award-winning boutique properties spanning tea country, beaches, and wildlife reserves.Each property is built around Malik’s philosophy of “luxury with purpose” — combining five-star hospitality with meaningful community impact.___________This episode is brought to you buy Rosewood Hotels and Interline Travel. We hope you enjoy, and if you'd like to support us you can sign up for our newsletter at www.offloaded.com.au where you'll receive insider details, first notification on new episodes, occasional competitions and much more.You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook. We'd like that.Oh, and if you haven't already, subscribe to the podcast on any podcast platform!
10/4/25 • 75:24
Nicole O’Sullivan is redefining how travel professionals sell. With over two decades in the industry that includes six years in the US, she has a sharp eye for what works and what doesn't.Nicole's unique offering to the industry begins with 'mystery calling', during which she assesses how wholesalers, tour operators and agents are communicating with agents, clients and each other. Could we all improve? You bet we can. In this terrific chat that’s brilliant for - well, everyone - Richard and AC ask Nicole about what led her to start this unique business. It all begins with letter listening, she says, which aligns with our thoughts because we're always after a better quality of listener. You can connect with Nicole via her website at Bird's Eye View Consulting, and via her LinkedIn profile_____This episode is brought to you buy Rosewood Hotels and Interline Travel. We hope you enjoy, and if you'd like to support us you can sign up for our newsletter at www.offloaded.com.au where you'll receive insider details, first notification on new episodes, occasional competitions and much more.You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook. We'd like that.Oh, and if you haven't already, subscribe to the podcast on any podcast platform!
9/22/25 • 76:01
Club Med's Michelle Davies has a new and quite lengthy title of General Manager - Pacific & New Emerging ESAP Markets. Hired in June 2020 as Marketing Manager, Michelle later took on the General Manager role with a mission to lead Club Med's Australian office out of the pandemic and into the unchartered territory of a new industry landscape.This episode is a story of navigating new challenges and getting the very best from a dynamic team, whose collective efforts led to the brand picking up Most Popular Accommodation Group/Chain at the 2024 NTIA awards. As AC says during the episode: " I always love to hear stories of women in leadership because we've got so many fabulous women in the industry who lift up and inspire each other, and I'm hoping that this podcast will do that for a few of our listeners."In other news, AC offloads on hotel commisions, and a listener finds themselves even more On Notice than they were before. You can connect with Michelle via her LinkedIn profile. __This episode is brought to you buy Rosewood Hotels and Interline Travel. We hope you enjoy, and if you'd like to support us you can sign up for our newsletter at www.offloaded.com.au where you'll receive insider details, first notification on new episodes, occasional competitions and much more.You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook. We'd like that.Oh, and if you haven't already, subscribe to the podcast on any podcast platform!
8/3/25 • 75:57
David "Dave-o" Kolner, Virtuoso's Executive Vice President, joins Offloaded to offer what AC describes as a health check for the luxury travel industry. "I want to be so much more than just the data guy", says Dave-o. And he is. He most certainly is. In this episode you'll learn about the trends that Virtuoso are currently seeing through the unparalleled sales data that the global luxury behemoth has unique access to. Richard and AC uncover why cool destinations are hot, why cancelling bookings on short term political dramas is a bad idea, how four in five travel advisors see AI as an opportunity rather than a threat that will replace them, and so much more that includes Saudi Arabia, adventure cruising, Lorazepam, 'set-jetting', thoughts on Gen X's limited time in the sun and why you'd be a fool to ignore cashed-up 80 year-old-plus females. It's another brilliant interview that we know you'll enjoy. Following Dave-o, AC offloads on surveys and a 'listener' joins our rogues gallery of people 'On Notice', with no obvious route to ever have that status removed. In each episode we like to share highbrow recommendations for our listeners, and this time AC recommends the 'Pet Painter' AI app that, according to their website, 'turns pics of your pet into art'. ___This episode is brought to you buy Rosewood Hotels and Interline Travel. We hope you enjoy, and if you'd like to support us you can sign up for our newsletter at www.offloaded.com.au where you'll receive insider details, first notification on new episodes, occasional competitions and much more.You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook. We'd like that.Oh, and if you haven't already, subscribe to the podcast on any podcast platform!
7/12/25 • 75:54
As the child of a father who was a founder of the US Tour Operators Association, it would come as no surprise for Matthew Upchurch to enter the travel industry and become one of it's iconic leaders. The founder of Virtuoso in the 1980's, as CEO Matthew has overseen the company become the leading global network of agencies specialising in luxury and experiential travel. Today Virtuoso comprises of more than 20,000 advisors across 58 countries who between them transact in the region of $54 billion AUD. Among his many accolades, Matthew was named to the American Society of Travel Agents Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Cruise Lines International Association Hall of Fame in 2010. But aside from all that, perhaps his most meaningful contribution to our industry is that there has been no greater champion of the travel advisor. In this episode we talk to Matthew about his backstory, along with Virtuoso's growth and how it operates in Australia. We discover the leading profession who are making the switch to become advisors, the increasing prioritisation of expenditure on experiences by travellers, and why the human interaction of a travel advisor can never be replaced by advances in technology.And a lot more, including some elite-level Offloading. However we have run out of space and what's left goes to Matthew's Book Club. He mentions the following books for you to consider:Will Guidara: Unreasonable Hospitality - The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They ExpectSimon Sinek: Start With Why. - Learn how great leaders and organizations inspire action and create a lasting impactProf. Scott Galloway: No Mercy, No Malice - (podcast)___This episode is brought to you buy Rosewood Hotels and Interline Travel. We hope you enjoy, and if you'd like to support us you can sign up for our newsletter at www.offloaded.com.au where you'll receive insider details, first notification on new episodes, occasional competitions and much more.You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook. We'd like that.Oh, and if you haven't already, subscribe to the podcast on any podcast platform!
6/21/25 • 69:30
80.5 That's the number of years experience of selling cruises on today's episode, as we invited the icons that are Robyn Sinfield and Megan Caterall into The Room Residence in Sydney, which is a brand new space recently opened by Room Res that Co-Founders James Mooring and Nic Bryant were on hand to explain the space to us. With an eye towards helping both new and existing travel advisors sell cruise more effectively, it was the perhaps the words of Robyn that captured the interview - "it's the ships of life - the partnerships, the friendships and the relationships". This episode is essential listening for anyone hoping to learn a thing or two from two of the most celebrated travel sellers in Australia. You can view photos of The Room Residence and the the interview with Robyn and Megan, here. ___We hope you enjoy, and if you'd like to support us you can sign up for our newsletter at www.offloaded.com.au where you'll receive insider details, first notification on new episodes, occasional competitions and much more.You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook. We'd like that. Oh, and if you haven't already, subscribe to the podcast on any podcast platform!
3/31/25 • 72:11
Melanie Whyte is a single parent with two special needs children who also happens to be one of Australia's most successful and highly decorated home-based travel advisors. In this episode Mel joins Richard and AC to share her story of how helping with the travel arrangements for parents adopting children overseas and those of 'neurospicy' families (her words) became the bedrock of her fledgling business. "It's not that hard", she says. We say that if you keep a list of people you admire in this industry, you'll need to dust that off and add another line to it. We hope you enjoy, and if you'd like to support us you can sign up for our newsletter at www.offloaded.com.au where you'll receive insider details, first notification on new episodes, occasional competitions and much more. You can also follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook. Oh, and if you haven't already, subscribe to the podcast on any podcast platform!
3/16/25 • 59:47
Its 2025, and Richard and AC are back with a special episode to get you through those long Summer days.AC was asked to host a highly esteemed and very international discussion panel at the recent Goldman Travel Group Conference, and we have exclusive access to the audio right here for you! Following the panel, AC and Richard about the proliferation of travel industry events. All 5,627 of them. The panel features:- François Delahaye, COO of Dorchester Collection and GM of Plaza Athenee in Paris- Lisa Pile, Vice President Sales & General Manager, Asia Pacific of Regent Seven Seas Cruises- Kate Atkinson, Vice President, Global Sales ASPAC of Hyatt Hotels and Resorts- Caroline Goux, Senior Vice President Sales for Peninsula Hotels, based in Hong KongThe quartet shared their insights into the new luxury traveller and guest, how agents are the cornerstone of their business, the social impact of travel and what they are excited about for their brands in the future. We're grateful to Anthony Goldman for supplying the audio. We hope you enjoy, and if you'd like to support us you can sign up for our newsletter at www.offloaded.com.au where you'll receive first notification on new episodes and more.Oh, and if you haven't already, subscribe to the podcast on any podcast platform!
1/8/25 • 54:22
In this episode we present part two of a live session from ATIA's 'Beyond Borders' summit held at the ICC in Sydney.This session covers the second part of the discussion around ATIA's 'A30' announcements, where ATIA CEO Dean Long speaks to several more of the association's directors. This time he's joined by David Hosking, Peter Muller, Rohan Moss, Katrina Barry and David Smith.The session is introduced by Roslyn Ranse, Founder of Travel Agent Achievers and who has a podcast of the very same name. The group discussed why they choose to particpate on the board, and detailed how some of the future-focused announcement will affect their particular segments of the industry. In particular there's some fascinating stuff about business insurance, and how mergers and acquisitions are affected by regulation. Audience questions followed. We hope you enjoy, and if you'd like to support us you can sign up for our newsletter at www.offloaded.com.au where you'll receive first notification on new episodes and more.Oh, and if you haven't already, subscribe to the podcast on any podcast platform!
12/1/24 • 38:57
In this special episode we present a live session from ATIA's 'Beyond Borders' summit held at the ICC in Sydney.In the first release from Beyond Borders (BB), this session covers the first hour of and specifically the key areas of focus that will lead the industry towards 2030.The project is called A30, and you'll hear from ATIA CEO Dean Long, Chair Christian Hunter, Vice Chairs Skroo Turner and Danielle Russom, and Director Brett Mitchell.The group outlined future-focused announcements around industry protection, business compliance with 'modern slavery' regulations, attracting young people into our industry, and why the ATAS brand has been renamed to become 'ATIA Accredited' for the benefit of both the industry and consumers. Following the annoucements, they sat down for a discussion on these subjects and took questions from the audience.This is the first of several sessions you'll hear on Offloaded.But while it's a different kind of episode, our regular features remain. Towards the end of the episode, Richard puts webinar queen Charlie Trevena 'On Notice', and AC offloads about overtourism.We hope you enjoy, and if you'd like to support us you can sign up for our newsletter at www.offloaded.com.au where you'll receive first notification on new episodes and more.Oh, and subscribe to the podcast on any podcast platform!_____Offloaded Season 3 is supported by Interline Travel. For more information, visit www.interlinetravel.com.au
11/4/24 • 85:27
Offloaded is back for Season Three!To kick things off, Richard and AC are joined by possibly the most senior industry leader to appear on Offloaded thus far in the shape of James Kavanagh, Flight Centre Travel Group’s Global CEO of Leisure. We begin by covering leadership, change and the importance of having mentors and good people around you, before moving onto two of FCTG’s longer-term strategies of growth into luxury travel and forming new partnership options for independent agents to ensure a healthy travel sector. “We work in a wonderful industry and I think there's so much potential for what's to come,” he says. Hot on JK’s heels comes a chat with NCL’s Damien Borg and Angela Middleton, who speak of empowering agents via co-branding, a rapid growth in NCL’s group programme and increased options for travellers in Europe who are increasingly cruising as part of a wider holiday. JK also has some book club recommendations, which we are linking here. They are: Legacy, by James Kerr and The Leadership Pipeline, by Ram Charan. We expect all listeners to have read these in time for the next episode of Offloaded. ____Offloaded Season 3 is supported by Interline Travel. For more information, visit www.interlinetravel.com.au
10/19/24 • 63:45
The final episode of Series 2 broke the mould before we change things up again for Series 3 that's coming in September. Erina Pindar, COO and Managing Partner of SmartFlyer, became our first international guest, our first live in-person podcast held at a luxury hotel, and the first guest who hijacked our Offloaded section with an Offload of her very own. Erina joined SmartFlyer when there were just 6 travel advisors connected to the brand. Celebrating it's 10th anniversay in 2025, the numbers are currently at 250 across the US and Europe with another 35 here in Australia. We asked how Erina glues an international network together and what Australian advisors can learn from their international counterparts. She also spoke about 'recommendation culture' and the tightrope a modern advisor has to dance between recommending everything on social media versus holding some of that back to avoid contributing to overtourism and the possible saturation of those cute, secret little finds that give advisors their value in the first place. If that topic isn't fascincating enough Erina also talked about the increasing trend of putting clients on a retainer, an entirely new concept to at least one of our hosts. _____The winner of the Numinous Moments competition that includes 3 Nights in the Maldives at JOALI BEING for two people with half-board and return seaplane transfers was announced during this episode as Sarah Webster of Wayfinder Travel, with this entry! Our enormous congrats to Sarah as we put claims in to be her plus-one. Pick me! Pick me! We must also make honourable mentions of three terrific runner-up entries from Deanne Scanlan with this one, Peta Godfrey with this one and another from Emily Sonley who entered with an email that we read out during the episode. Charlie Trevena's new and exciting Travel Agent Takeaways podcast was mentioned, and is an instant contender for the second-best podcast in our industry. You can find that here, and there's links to subscribe on your favourite podcast platform on that page. ______A heartfelt thanks to our series sponsor Numinous Luxury Travel Representation for their support and encouragement, without which this series would never have happened. More info on Numinous is available at https://www.numinousltr.com/And we've been exceptionally proud to partner with the iconic Hong Kong Tourism Board to raise awareness of the magic of Hong Kong during the series that has included hidden treasures that you'll never have heard about. Their website is here: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/anz/index.htmlFinally our sincere thanks to all the guests who've appeared in Series 2, the organisations who've appeared as Sales Calls, our stand-in hosts Nicola Strudwick and Sonia Jones, our marketing team of Lisa Maroun and Anya Vokhmyakova, our editor Chris Finesa......and most of all to you, our listeners xxYou're all on a retainer for Series 3.____Social DetailsFollow Erina Pindar, Managing Partner and COO at SmartFlyer, here on LinkedIn and here on Instagram. The Insta is pretty cool - just saying.
7/13/24 • 52:32
Andrew Young is the General Manager Sales for TTC Tour Brands Oceania, and the only person we know that performs a demanding industry role while living and helping out as the only son on a working farm.That topic is worthy of a podcast all by itself, but the reason for asking Andy to join us on this occasion was to talk about travel industry sales. We were also joined by Karen Macmillan, Director Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific for Hong Kong Tourism Board.A sales 'nerd', as he puts it himself, Andy tells us how 'consultative selling' has taken over as the method to educate agents to promote and explain diverse touring options to their clientele. A changed industry landscape of less agents and advisors in visible locations around Australia presents a challenge for their suppliers, who must promote to consumers and also educate agents on the potential demand in their local area. It's a fascinating discussion and we welcome your feedback on the points raised. Also, for the first and possibly only time, we take an industry person OFF notice. ______ Our series sponsor is Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. More info is available at https://www.numinousltr.com/And we're proud to partner with Hong Kong Tourism Board to raise awareness of the magic of Hong Kong. Their website is here: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/anz/index.html____NUMINOUS MOMENTS PRIZE DETAILS We want to know what your NUMINOUS MOMENTS are, and by doing so you’ll go into the draw to win an amazing prize courtesy of Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. Listen to our special Bonus Episode to discover what a Numinous Moment is. Final entry date is 30th June 2024, and visit https://www.travelcommunityhub.com/latest/numinous/ for terms, conditions and instructions. ____________________Offloaded is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comContact us via offloaded@travelcommunityhub.com, or via LinkedIn below.LinkedIn Details:Andy Young, GM Sales TTC Tour Brand - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-young-09b9a735/Karen MacMillan - Director Australia, New Zealand & South Pacific for Hong Kong Tourism Board- https://www.linkedin.com/in/karen-macmillan-96711918/Richard Taylor - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchAC Jones - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/...and Chris Finesa, Editor and Producer - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-finesa-490637300/Bye!
6/27/24 • 87:42
"Get the country open". These were the suggestions from the Fijiian Prime Minister, Attorney General and Chair of Tourism Fiji to Brent Hill , the new CEO who had taken up the role at a time when the island was closed for visitation. AC and Richard quizzed Brent about this interesting life and career choice, before moving on to discussing Fiji's unique charms, character and challenges that make it a favourite for Australian travellers. ___________Our series sponsor is Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. More info is available at https://www.numinousltr.com/And we're proud to partner with Hong Kong Tourism Board to raise awareness of the magic of Hong Kong. Their website is here: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/anz/index.html____NUMINOUS MOMENTS PRIZE DETAILS We want to know what your NUMINOUS MOMENTS are, and by doing so you’ll go into the draw to win an amazing prize courtesy of Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. Listen to our special Bonus Episode to discover what a Numinous Moment is. Final entry date is 30th June 2024, and visit https://www.travelcommunityhub.com/latest/numinous/ for terms, conditions and instructions. ____________________Offloaded is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comContact us via offloaded@travelcommunityhub.com, or via LinkedIn below.LinkedIn Details:Brent Hill - CEO, Tourism Fiji - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenthillfiji/Richard Taylor - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchAC Jones - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/Sonia Jones - https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniajonestravel/...and Chris Finesa, Editor and Producer, is your goto guy for audio projects. He's recommended 1000x over - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-finesa-490637300/
6/12/24 • 56:59
A packed episode that includes AC howling at the moon. Parris Fotias, Regional Sales Director APAC for Dorchester Collection was our guest for this episode, interviewed by AC and stand-in presenter Sonia Jones. Our interviewers were very excited to get a hotelier onto the podcast in Richard’s absence, and immediately set about discussing some of the reasons why advisor relationships with properties can make so much difference for their travellers, both in planning the perfect itinerary and also tailoring the experience to the unique wants and needs of a guest. They also covered eschewing loyalty and preferred partner programs, new properties on the horizon, anthropologists and the 'wealth curves' of travellers that see them steadily gravitate towards luxury brands. Managing Director of Albatross Tours Shelley Poten joined us for this week's Sales Call to school us on a unique, 2023 NTIA-award-winning brand that caters uniquely to Aussie and Kiwi travellers. AC and Richard also Offloaded about people putting too many pictures of their trips on Facebook, a theory based largely on pure envy. ___________ Our series sponsor is Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. More info is available at https://www.numinousltr.com/ And we're proud to partner with Hong Kong Tourism Board to raise awareness of the magic of Hong Kong. Their website is here: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/anz/index.html ____NUMINOUS MOMENTS PRIZE DETAILS We want to know what your NUMINOUS MOMENTS are, and by doing so you’ll go into the draw to win an amazing prize courtesy of Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. Listen to our special Bonus Episode to discover what a Numinous Moment is. Final entry date is 30th June 2024, and visit https://www.travelcommunityhub.com/latest/numinous/ for terms, conditions and instructions. ____________________Offloaded is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.com Contact us via offloaded@travelcommunityhub.com, or via LinkedIn below. LinkedIn Details: Parris Fotias, Regional Sales Director APAC for Dorchester Collection:: https://www.linkedin.com/in/parrisfotias/ Parris’s book is called Adventures Through COVID, The Art of Subconscious Travel in a Transcendental State, and is available here: https://www.amazon.com.au/Adventures-Through-COVID-Subconscious-Transcendental/dp/1922629561Shelley Poten, Managing Director of Albatross Tours: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleypoten/For more on Albatross Tours, visit: https://www.albatrosstours.com.au/Richard Taylor - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchAC Jones - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/ Sonia Jones - https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniajonestravel/...and Chris Finesa, Editor and Producer, is your goto guy for audio projects. He's recommended 1000x over - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-finesa-490637300/
5/26/24 • 72:07
Part TWO! Listen to part one first!Michael Gazal and Tania Myles of TravelManagers Australia return for Part Two of a 2024 travel industry take on the famous book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' by Stephen R. Covey. Working daily with a network of 450+ travel advisors (or in their terminology Personal Travel Managers), Michael and Tania are brilliantly positioned to talk about the common qualities they're seeing in advisors that are successfully navigating the current landscape.But what does 'successful' or 'effective' even mean when people are now working in such different ways and often with wildly different life and business goals?Answering these questions and more was a conversation that was too interesting to consense into one episode, and so this is part two :)We also Offloaded about people that more than one business card into prize draws. Are you one of them? Finally during the introduction we referred to Anthony Goldman's discussion with Gaya Avery at KarryOn called the 'Beyond the Chandeliers and Caviar: the redefinition of luxury travel'. The link to read that for yourself is here. ___________Our series sponsor is Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. More info is available at https://www.numinousltr.com/And we're proud to partner with Hong Kong Tourism Board to raise awareness of the magic of Hong Kong. Their website is here: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/anz/index.html____NUMINOUS MOMENTS PRIZE DETAILS We want to know what your NUMINOUS MOMENTS are, and by doing so you’ll go into the draw to win an amazing prize courtesy of Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. Tune into Series 2 Episode 3 (Nicola Veltman) to find out what a numinous moment is, or hold out for our special short episode coming on the 13th March that contains only that section. Final entry date is 30th June 2024, and visit https://www.travelcommunityhub.com/latest/numinous/ for terms, conditions and instructions. ____________________Offloaded is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comContact us via offloaded@travelcommunityhub.com, or via LinkedIn below.LinkedIn Details:Michael Gazal, TravelManagers Australia's Executive GM: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gazal-9ab1071b/Tania Myles, TravelManagers Australia's Marketing Manager: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taniamyles/AC Jones - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/Sonia Jones - https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniajonestravel/Richard Taylor - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchand Chris Finesa, Editor and Producer, is highly recommended for your audio projects - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-finesa-490637300/
5/11/24 • 49:33
Michael Gazal and Tania Myles of TravelManagers Australia were our guests this week to discuss a 2024 travel industry take on the famous book 'The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People' by Stephen R. Covey. Working daily with a network of 450+ travel advisors (or in their terminology Personal Travel Managers), Michael and Tania are brilliantly positioned to talk about the common qualities they're seeing in advisors that are successfully navigating the current landscape. But what does 'successful' or 'effective' even mean when people are now working in such different ways and often with wildly different life and business goals? Answering these questions and more was a conversation that was too interesting to consense into one episode, and so this is part one. It's opened by Ann-Catherine Jones and special celebrity host Sonia Jones, who stepped in for Richard to record the intro. We couldn't afford her service fees for the entire episode. AC also spoke to Via Travel's Stuart Wesierski for this episode's Sales Call to learn more about the tour operator that provides unique, hand-crafted, small group experiences in Australia. She can't talk to you right now as she's currently booking one. ___________Our series sponsor is Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. More info is available at https://www.numinousltr.com/And we're proud to partner with Hong Kong Tourism Board to raise awareness of the magic of Hong Kong. Their website is here: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/anz/index.html____NUMINOUS MOMENTS PRIZE DETAILS We want to know what your NUMINOUS MOMENTS are, and by doing so you’ll go into the draw to win an amazing prize courtesy of Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. Tune into Series 2 Episode 3 (Nicola Veltman) to find out what a numinous moment is, or hold out for our special short episode coming on the 13th March that contains only that section. Final entry date is 30th June 2024, and visit https://www.travelcommunityhub.com/latest/numinous/ for terms, conditions and instructions. ____________________Offloaded is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comContact us via offloaded@travelcommunityhub.com, or via LinkedIn below.LinkedIn Details:Michael Gazal, TravelManagers Australia's Executive GM: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-gazal-9ab1071b/Tania Myles, TravelManagers Australia's Marketing Manager: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taniamyles/ Stuart Wesierski, Via Travel's Founder and MD: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stuart-wesierski-48b60625/AC Jones - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/Sonia Jones - https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniajonestravel/Richard Taylor - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tch and Chris Finesa, Editor and Producer, is highly recommended for your audio projects - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-finesa-490637300/
4/27/24 • 71:01
With AC away, Richard was joined by Nicola Strudwick to interview Isabel Limn, Key Partnerships Manager for Intrepid. Issy (she insists you call her this because it’s ‘Issy to remember’ – her gag not ours) is the most recent arrival to the industry among Offloaded guests thus far, having begun her journey in 2016. This is an episode that’s a break from the norm, and one that aims to scratch the surface of the mindset of our forthcoming generations of employees, leaders and indeed travellers themselves. Taking on this challenge to explain an entire generation, Issy takes us through some of the important aspects that matter to her in an eloquent, thoughtful interview that we know you’ll love. _______Our series sponsor is Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. More info is available at https://www.numinousltr.com/And we're proud to partner with Hong Kong Tourism Board to raise awareness of the magic of Hong Kong. Their website is here: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/anz/index.html_______NUMINOUS MOMENTS PRIZE DETAILS We want to know what your NUMINOUS MOMENTS are, and by doing so you’ll go into the draw to win an amazing prize courtesy of Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. Tune into Series 2 Episode 3 (Nicola Veltman) to find out what a numinous moment is, or hold out for our special short episode coming on the 13th March that contains only that section. Final entry date is 30th June 2024, and visit https://www.travelcommunityhub.com/latest/numinous/ for terms, conditions and instructions. ____________________Offloaded is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comContact us via offloaded@travelcommunityhub.com, or via LinkedIn below.LinkedIn Details:This week’s guest Isabel Limn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/isabel-limn/Richard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchNicola's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicola-strudwick/ AC's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/
4/6/24 • 66:05
From Contiki tour guide to General Manager of the Luxury Travel Collection Member Portfolio, Nikki Glading has had quite the travel industry career. In a frank and introspective interview, Nikki talks about her leadership journey that has included healthy doses of vulnerability, honesty and self-awareness along the way. Now in what she calls her “dream job”, Nikki is perhaps uniquely qualified to bring high-performing luxury and boutique travel agencies into an ecosystem that focuses on their business needs. We also discuss why you shouldn't eat soup dumplings prior to an in-person interview, and how Nikki's devotion to customer service quite literally broke (Westfield Car Park) barriers. Here’s a link to explain the talk of pineapples, in case that's new for you. https://www.cruisehive.com/upside-down-pineapple-meaning/70087In our Sales Call segment, Tamara Kobiolke from our series sponsor Numinous Luxury Travel Representation joined us to discuss the growing portfolio of this thriving business that sprinkles fairy dust on the bookings of Australian travel advisors. _______Our series sponsor is Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. More info is available at https://www.numinousltr.com/And we're proud to partner with Hong Kong Tourism Board to raise awareness of the magic of Hong Kong. Their website is here: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/anz/index.htmlAnd here’s a link to Wong Tai Sin temple, which came up in conversation: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/anz/explore/neighbourhoods/wong-tai-sin.html NUMINOUS MOMENTS PRIZE DETAILS We want to know what your NUMINOUS MOMENTS are, and by doing so you’ll go into the draw to win an amazing prize courtesy of Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. Tune into Series 2 Episode 3 (Nicola Veltman) to find out what a numinous moment is, or hold out for our special short episode coming on the 13th March that contains only that section. Final entry date is 30th June 2024, and visit https://www.travelcommunityhub.com/latest/numinous/ for terms, conditions and instructions. ____________________Offloaded is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comContact us via offloaded@travelcommunityhub.com, or via LinkedIn below.LinkedIn Details:Richard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchAC's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/ This week’s guest Nikki Glading - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikki-glading/Tamara Kobioke of Numinous Travel Representation: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-kobiolke-0b21601a/
3/23/24 • 68:23
Quentin Long is known to millions for his TV and radio work, during which he discusses travel and the industry that powers it. In this interview Richard Taylor and Ann-Catherine Jones speak to Quentin about how he became such a powerful voice in explaining complex travel matters to the public, and how he himself keeps informed. The screens and microphones are but a small part of Quentin’s working life. His major focus is Australian Traveller Media which he co-founded after realising that no magazine was adequately covering travel opportunities closer to home. Amongst other things we talk about Quentin’s rules of taking famils, the rise of AI in publishing, how sustainability messages of the industry can permeate the public mind, why you need to visit Roebuck Bay, remembering people’s names and how AC became Quentin’s travel industry ‘Deep Throat’. Elsa McLean from Regent Seven Seas Cruises dropped by for this episode’s Sales Call, to whet the travel tastebuds with a fabulous update. For those of you wanting to learn more about Regent Seven Seas Cruises or take your knowledge of the brand to the next level, the newly enhanced RSSC University is for you. The specialized curriculum with three new graduate degree levels enhances your expertise in promoting and selling Regent Seven Seas Cruises® to your valued clients, rewarding you with 20 CLIA POINTS upon completion. Elevate your knowledge, earn more, and allow your clients to experience luxury like never before. Contact the team at Regent for more information. __________ Our series sponsor is Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. More info is available at https://www.numinousltr.com/ And we're proud to partner with Hong Kong Tourism Board to raise awareness of the magic of Hong Kong. Their website is here: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/anz/index.htmlHere’s a link to Wong Tai Sin temple, which came up in conversation: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/anz/explore/neighbourhoods/wong-tai-sin.html NUMINOUS MOMENTS PRIZE DETAILS We want to know what your NUMINOUS MOMENTS are, and by doing so you’ll go into the draw to win an amazing prize courtesy of Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. Tune into Series 2 Episode 3 (Nicola Veltman) to find out what a numinous moment is, or hold out for our special short episode coming on the 13th March that contains only that section. Final entry date is 30th June 2024, and visit https://www.travelcommunityhub.com/latest/numinous/ for terms, conditions and instructions. ____________________This is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.com Contact us via offloaded@travelcommunityhub.com, or via LinkedIn below. LinkedIn Details: Richard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tch AC's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/ This week’s guest Quentin Long- https://www.linkedin.com/in/quentin-long-2b168124/Regent Seven Seas Cruising’s Elsa McLean: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elsa-mclean-cruise/
3/9/24 • 76:30
This week Richard and AC are joined by Nicola Veltman, CEO and Co-Founder of 1000 Mile Travel Group. Nicola’s thousand mile journey began with a single step, around her kitchen table with her partner Ben. Their vision was to create a global network of agents that had access to corporate tools and sales pipelines that allowed members to run their own race, working from anywhere and in control of their own business while being part of a vibrant, supportive and truly unique network. From that kitchen table in Melbourne we travel via the Mornington Peninsula and London to a ski lodge in the Rocky Mountains where we spoke to Nicola, who currently resides in nearby Denver. The 1000 Mile Group now has a global 750-strong network of agents and their helpers globally. We asked Nicola how she and Ben manage to retain their original vision of the network’s culture when things get bigger, and how they have has succeeded in a highly competitive US market. In an interview that traverses business and family, we learn about pitching to venture capitalists while managing three young children that have already experienced life in three countries. We hope you enjoy! NUMINOUS MOMENTS PRIZE DETAILSPssst! This is a secret for our listeners until it's promoted later. We want to know what your NUMINOUS MOMENTS are, and by doing so you’ll go into the draw to win an amazing prize courtesy of Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. Listen to this episode to find out what a numinous moment is!Final entry date 30th June 2024, and visit https://www.travelcommunityhub.com/latest/numinous/ for terms, conditions and instructions. ____________________This is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.com Our series sponsor is Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. More info is available at https://www.numinousltr.com/And we're proud to partner with Hong Kong Tourism Board to raise awareness of the magic of Hong Kong. Their website is here: https://www.discoverhongkong.com/anz/index.html Contact us via offloaded@travelcommunityhub.com, or via LinkedIn below. LinkedIn Details:Nicola's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaveltman/Richard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchAC's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/
2/24/24 • 62:14
In our first episode for 2024, Richard and AC meet man of many titles Anthony Goldman. He's the Joint Managing Director of the Goldman Travel Corporation by day, but is also a director of Link Travel Group and Chair of the Global Advisory Board for Virtuoso. He also serves on other advisory boards, ensuring there is never a dull moment. This episode is about family. The origins of the Goldman travel story pre-date World War 2, when grandfather Alfons began selling rail tickets in Vienna. But Anthony also talks about the wider travel industry family and the importance of relationships that are so critical to the ongoing success of any modern travel business. We talk about turning lawyers into travel advisors, the commoditisation of the word 'luxury' and the client who calls up Goldman Travel's office from Paris to find out what the weather will be that day, rather than open her hotel curtains. We're also joined by the delight that is Helen Eves, National Sales Manager Australia of Tauck, who dropped in for our Sales Call to explain why Tauck is kicking goals in Australia with their unique experiences on tours, river cruise and small-ship cruising that you just can't find anywhere else. The picture of Anthony in the Minnie Mouse ears that is discussed in the podcast is located here: https://latteluxurynews.com/2021/02/12/guest-column-anthony-goldman/__________This is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comOur series sponsor is Numinous Luxury Travel Representation. More info is available at https://www.numinousltr.com/Find out more about our Tauck via https://www.tauck.com.au, and contact Helen via: HEves@tauck.comLinkedIn Details:Anthony's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthonygoldman/Helen Eves, National Sales Manager Australia, Tauck - https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-eves-1156528/Richard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchAC's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/
2/10/24 • 74:12
Series 2 is here! In this first episode Richard Taylor and Ann-Catherine Jones were joined by Sonia Jones and Shelley Brice, in their first appearance since featuring in multiple episodes Richard's Travel Community Hub webinars back in 'those times'. Their advice during those webinars helped many hundreds of advisors and assorted travel people keep it together and plan for revival, so now feels like a good time to check in on how their own rebuilding processes have turned out. Sonia has opened a retail space, Shelley is more choosy about the business she takes on, and AC has gone full recluse to focus on being the best version of her advisor self.You'll also hear some interesting stories about exceptional customer service, such as Shelley's late night phone calls with a man dressed in nothing but a bathrobe. We hope you enjoy, and if that's the case please share with friends. This is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comSonia's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/soniajonestravel/Shelley's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelleybrice/Richard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchAC's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/
11/16/23 • 81:29
In the final episode of the first series Richard and AC were joined by Tamara Kobiolke, to discuss hotel representation and why everyone should have a 'hero in their back pocket.'TK illuminated us on how advisors can best utilise her and folks like her to 'sprinkle the fairydust' onto a booking to make magical things happen, and in turn ensure clients keep coming back. Her businessss is called Numinous Luxury Travel Representation (website), and is based in Melbourne. Aside from learning a thing or two about hotel representation we discussed violinists at candlelit tables, arriving on a helicopter to rescue a fam trip armed only with cashmere blankets and hot chocolate, and why we should trawl coffee shops for potential staff members. She also tells us why she wants us all to bother her with phone calls and emails. Our series sponsor is Viking, and this is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comTamara's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-kobiolke-0b21601a/Richard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchAC's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/Jerry Kobiolke on Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009423543360
9/30/23 • 62:29
Richard and AC were joined by journalists Myles Stedman and Honida Beram to discuss the rightful place of influencers within the travel industry. Myles started all this off with an article entitled "Why The Travel Industry Should 'Cancel' Influencers", which led to Honida - aka Honey, of Cruising With Honey and an influencer in her own right - responding to it. And that has led to this podcast, where we wanted to get into this topic in greater detail. What transpired was a delightful conversation that we hope you'll enjoy. Myles' original article, "Why The Travel Industry Should 'Cancel' Influencers" is located here.Honey's reponse article, "Cancel Culture Has Reached New Heights", is here. Myles' follow-up piece on the subject, "What the Travel Industry REALLY Thinks About Influencers" is here. Myles is an Associate Editor at Travel Daily, also writing for other publications in the Business Publishing Group stable that includes travelBulletin, Cruise Weekly and the consumer-facing Travel & Cruise Weekly. Honida's blog, with a mere 375,000 subscribers, is Cruising With Honey, and within the industry she's perhaps best known for her Cruising With Honey Facebook page. She can also be found on Instagram and no doubt other platforms too, but we've run out of energy searching the links for you. Just Google it! Our series sponsor is Viking, and this is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comMyles' LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/myles-stedman-a056b1105/Honey's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/honida-beram-0976806b/Richard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchAC's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/
8/12/23 • 53:52
"If you don't do it, it just does not get done". Richard Taylor and Ann-Catherine Jones were joined by Nicola Strudwick for this episode that talks about the unique needs of regional travel agents and advisors. Nicola's job title is General Manager Sales at Travellers Choice, a national retail travel group whose independent member travel agencies are the only shareholders. They represent travel agents located throughout Australia's capital cities, metropolitan and regional areas, and it was the uniqueness of those regional agents that we wanted to delve further into. Nicola also talked of her extensive work she's done with tourism students, guiding them towards travel with an enthusiasm that we thing you'll be hard pressed to equal elsewhere. Along the way we heard stories about professional bed-testers and being helicoptered onto warships with briefcases full of cash. You can find out more about Travellers Choice here: https://www.travellerschoice.com.au/Our series sponsor is Viking, and this is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comNicola's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicola-strudwick/Richard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchAC's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/
7/9/23 • 48:59
Richard Taylor and Ann-Catherine Jones meet Travel Agent Achievers (TAA) founder Roslyn Ranse about elevating the profession of the travel advisor.As the first frontline travel advisor to come onto the show, we were interested in Ros’ take on the current state of play in the industry and the new dominant force that is the mobile travel advisor. Ros also tells about her motivation to start her learning and development platform Travel Agent Achievers and what support she can offer travel advisors to become more polished, more professional and more successful.She lets us in on the secret of how she juggles being a mum, running a million dollar travel business, hosting a podcast, mentoring other advisors and running the Travel Agent Achievers community.....and apparently it doesn’t take a time machine in the lounge room to be able to fit it all in!You can learn more about Travel Agent Achievers here : https://www.travelagentachievers.com/ Our series sponsor is Viking, and this is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comRos' LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/roslynranse/Richard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchAC's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/
6/11/23 • 56:00
Richard Taylor and Ann-Catherine Jones speak to CLIA's Head of International Training & Development , Peter Kollar. We wanted to get Pete's take on the cruise industry and his rather large influence on how cruise is positioned and sold to consumers. Whilst doing that we found out he is a former primary school teacher than ended up traversing the globe on cruise ships dressed in leotards. We also discussed the increasing diversity in cruise passengers, why much of the travel industry are introverts, and why you can't judge new clients by their handbags. More officially, Peter is a seasoned voice for the cruise segment, designing professional development programs on behalf of CLIA - the representing trade body of the cruise industry. He's had a career of more than 25+ years in the industry, from onboard roles of servicing guests and training crew through to his current role. Peter's list of achievements would take too long to type, so head to his LinkedIn profile (listed below) if you'd like more intormation. Our series sponsor is Viking, and this is a Travel Community Hub production. More info is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comPete's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-kollar-425b2954/Richard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchAC's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/
5/22/23 • 59:42
Richard Taylor and Ann-Catherine Jones are joined by travel industry doyenne Fiona Dalton for a discussion on, well, a great many things. Fiona is the General Manager Australia & New Zealand for Virtuoso Travel, the 'leading global network of travel agencies specializing in luxury and experiential travel', in their own words. For all our episodes, visit https://podcast.travelcommunityhub.com/Our series sponsor is Viking, who are wonderful people with a product you need to experience! https://www.vikingcruises.com.au/This is a Travel Community Hub production, and more info, including options to contact us and sign up for our newsletter, is available at www.travelcommunityhub.comFiona's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/fiona-dalton-7830356/Richard's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-taylor-tchAC's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ann-catherine-jones-158b3260/
4/27/23 • 53:24
