Becky is back from Thailand... just about. From acting as an unpaid tour guide for the entire family to surviving tropical storms, questionable boat trips and a mountain climb that sounded far more suspicious than it should have, there's plenty to catch up on.

Meanwhile, Jake is counting down to cliff camping and desperately trying to convince you to donate before he's hanging hundreds of feet in the air.

This week, they also debate whether mystery holidays should make a comeback, discuss the problem with online reviews, and share why sometimes the best holidays are the ones where someone else makes all the decisions.

• Jake prepares (or panics) for his upcoming cliff camping challenge

• Should mystery holidays and allocation on arrival make a comeback?

• Why online reviews can ruin a perfectly good holiday

• Becky's Thailand highlights, including boat trips, temples and family chaos

• The surprisingly brilliant ladyboy show that exceeded every expectation

• Night markets, tattoos and tropical storms

• Are some "eco-friendly" travel initiatives just greenwashing?

• A handy roundup of trade-only tour operators and suppliers for travel agents

📧 Got a funny travel story or industry tale? We'd love to hear it.

Email: talesofatravelagent@gmail.com

⭐ If you're enjoying the podcast, don't forget to follow, leave a review and share it with your fellow travel agents.

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This week on Tales of a Travel Agent...

This episode starts with a chat about finding your niche in travel, why not every enquiry needs to convert, and why playing the long game can pay off in a big way.

Then Becky shares the highs (and many lows) of organising her first ever multi-generational family holiday to Thailand... and why she won't be volunteering to do it again anytime soon!

In this episode:

• Why targeting a tiny niche can outperform mass marketing

• The reality of leading from the front in the travel industry

• Social media trolls, awkward comments and dealing with negativity

• Becky’s Thailand adventures, from ethical elephant encounters to terrifying giant pigs

• The best quad biking experience ever... and the family member who struggled the most

• Why local experiences made this trip unforgettable

Plus plenty of laughs, travel industry chat and the usual chaos along the way.

🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts, and don't forget to follow, rate and share Tales of a Travel Agent!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🌍 This week on Tales of a Travel Agent...

Disneyland Paris divides opinion as Jake prepares to take the kids for the first time, while Becky explains why she'd rather visit without children. The duo also tackle the thorny topic of overtourism, debate whether cruise ships are part of the problem, and discuss whether travel agents can really influence how people travel.

Plus, there's frustration over a travel incentive that mysteriously disappeared, a rant about the latest advertising regulations causing headaches for agents, and a lively discussion around fam trips, entitlement, and whether the industry needs a complete rethink.

And finally... Becky finds herself in a very awkward situation involving a hotel room, a bathroom door, and a complete lack of clothing.

✈️ In this episode:

• Disneyland Paris: magical experience or overrated queues?

• Overtourism, Airbnbs and cruise ship crowds

• The incentive that vanished after it was promised

• New advertising rules causing confusion across the industry

• Fam trips, reward trips and who really deserves a place

• The importance of actually experiencing a destination

• One very nearly public naked moment

🎧 Listen now and don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and send your travel stories to talesofatravelagent@gmail.com.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.