Did you know that more than 10 million people in the UK listen to a podcast every week? Podcasts are a growing storytelling medium that have a huge potential for destinations, travel companies and brands looking to attract visitors with evergreen content.
Well-produced and engaging podcasts allow a destination, travel company or brand to share their unique story. Podcasts also allow them to feature the voices of locals alongside captivating soundscapes, recorded on location – a great way to take listeners on an audio journey and immerse them in the sounds of a place.
Find out more about why your destination, travel company or brand needs to get podcasting, with our experienced panel. You can also join the session before this one at 12.45pm-1.45pm, Introduction to podcasting, in which Portia Jones, host of the Travel Goals Podcast, discusses the practicalities of starting a podcast from audience and topic to equipment and recording software. This earlier session is aimed at both individuals and brands/destinations/companies and you can buy a ticket here.
There’ll be a Q&A at the end of both. You can also email BGTW Events Director Meera Dattani [email protected] if you want to send questions in advance or suggest points to raise in the main discussion.
The panel
Jon Holmes – travel journalist, broadcaster, podcaster, and MD of unusual production company
Jon is an award-winning travel writer, broadcaster and podcaster. Among other things, he runs an indie production company called unusual which makes podcasts for the BBC, Audible, commercial radio and private clients. His travel podcasts have won awards (Gorilla Trekking in Rwanda and BBC’s The Skewer) and a five-part series recorded on Saint Lucia (with Antonia Windsor) covered many aspects of the island, such as culture, adventure, food and drink, wellness and wildlife.
Twitter: @jonholmes1
Instagram: @jonholmes1
Sample podcast episodes:
Jon and Antonia take on the world – Saint Lucia
Between the ears: Noise – Radio 3
Slow Radio Comedy – Radio 4
Portia Jones – journalist, podcaster and host of the Travel Goals Podcast
A freelance travel journalist and podcaster specialising in adventure travel, destination guides and audio guides, Portia writes for a range of media outlets including LoveExploring, Bradt and Rough Guides, and is a frequent contributor to regional and national radio stations. She is also head of podcasting at audio production company South Girl Production Music with Luke Jones, which specialises in on-location recording and creating bespoke destination podcasts.
Twitter: @pip_says and @travelgoalspod
Instagram: @pipsays and @travelgoalspodcast
Sample podcast episodes:
Why you must visit the charming black-and-white villages of Herefordshire, England
Travel disasters, off-beat adventures and why travel insurance is essential
The Cambrian Mountains podcast
Aaron Millar – travel journalist and host of Armchair Explorer podcast
Aaron Millar is an award-winning travel writer, broadcaster and presenter who writes for The Times, National Geographic Traveller and others. His podcast Armchair Explorer was nominated for a 2022 Webby and won BGTW Travel Broadcaster of the Year 2021. His podcast production company, Armchair Productions, launched in January 2022, creates audio content for travel magazines and websites, including Wanderlust, Family Traveller, Tennessee, Oregon, Rocky Mountain National Park and others.
Twitter: @aaronmwriter
Instagram: @armchairexplorerpodcast
Facebook: @armchairexplorerpodcast
Sample podcast episodes:
Armchair Explorer (studio documentaries)
Exploring Estes Park, Colorado (on-location documentary)
Wanderlust magazine: Off the page (enhanced interview)
Family Traveller (magazine format podcast)
Susan Schwartz – podcaster, blogger and host of Lush Life Podcast
Award-winning podcaster and blogger, Susan L. Schwartz writes the drinks blog, A Lush Life Manual and, to accompany it, she hosts Lush Life Podcast, in which she interviews people in the drinks industry. She was awarded TravMedia 2019 Sit-Up Award for Rising Star of the Year and was a Finalist for Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Award 2019 (Top Ten), Traverse Creator Awards 2019; Saveur Magazine Blog Awards 2018 Best Drinks Blog; BGTW Travel Broadcaster of the Year and the Travel Blog Post of the Year 2020.
Twitter: @alushlifemanual
Instagram: @alushlifemanual
Sample podcast episodes:
How to drink like a cocktail lover
How to read ‘Shaken: Drinking with James Bond and Ian Fleming’
How to drink like Romans in the City of London with Francis Drew, Museum of London
Moderator
Antonia Windsor – journalist, presenter and podcaster
Writer and presenter Antonia Windsor presents travel videos for the Telegraph and Times Travel, and has created podcasts for tourist boards such as St Lucia with podcaster/broadcaster Jon Holmes with Jon and Antonia Take on the World. Other work includes making branded content podcasts for the Guardian since 2007, presenting a Channel 4 chat show, and being a travel pundit for Radio 4’s You and Yours. A travel writer for 20 years, her work has appeared in all major publications including the FT, Guardian and Observer, Times Travel, Telegraph, National Geographic Traveller and Conde Nast Traveller. Antonia also won Freelance Writer of the Year at the 2022 TravMedia awards.
Twitter: @UKTravelWriter
Instagram: @uktravelwriter
Sample podcast episodes:
Jon and Antonia take on the world
Saint Lucia – Adrenaline and adventure
Saint Lucia – Wildlife and nature
More info
The event is free to all BGTW members. See the members’ newsletter, Facebook group or contact the Guild secretariat to sign up.
Non-members are welcome to attend for £6 (including booking fee and recording). We welcome questions in advance so we can ensure the session covers everything you want to know. You can also use the Q&A option during the event, and the Chat box will be open.
Can’t make it on the day? If you register for the session, you’ll receive a recording/link to the event within a week, as will all attendees.
What’s the ‘additional donation‘ for? Any donations help the Guild do a number of things: provide content like this free of charge for those who can’t afford a ticket; help keep costs down at just £6 a ticket; help us put on future events for members and non-members.
How do I join a BGTW Talks Travel talk/discussion?
- Sign up using the dropdown menu at the top of this page and buy your ticket.
- You’ll then receive a Zoom registration link. You need to complete this in order to be sent a Zoom link to join on the day. We advise you register as soon as you buy your ticket to avoid missing the event, or the start of the event. (You can sign up and download Zoom here).
- At the time of the webinar, click on the Zoom link in the email and you’ll be taken to the Zoom website. You can also join via Zoom’s desktop or mobile app.
- Once the panel is ready to begin, you’ll be admitted to the room. You’ll be able to see and hear the panellists and moderator, type messages in the Zoom chat, and send questions in the Q&A box. You won’t be visible or audible to other participants, but your name will show if you join in the chat.
Any questions? Let us know and we’ll do our best to help. We hope to see you there!
