People are choosing experiences over things — but what happens when even experiences risk becoming commodities? In this episode of the Best Part of Travel podcast, Joe Pine, co-author of The Experience Economy and author of the forthcoming book on The Transformation Economy, joins hosts Janelle Visser and Stephen Joyce to talk about experience design, commoditization, and how tour and activity operators can design experiences that are not just memorable, but life changing.

Key topics include:

• The economic evolution from commodities to goods and services to experiences… to what’s next.

• How travel brands can encourage repeat business by offering experiences focused on personal transformation.

• Commoditization, differentiation and standing out in a “sea of same.”

• What it takes to design travel experiences that are not only memorable, but meaningful — and even transformational.

• The upcoming Arival 360 conference in Washington, D.C.

If you’re in the business of experiences, this conversation will challenge how you think about travel, guests, and the future of the industry.

👉 Resources & Links:

• Escaping the Tour Commoditization Trap: https://arival.travel/article/escaping-the-tour-commoditization-trap/

• The Experience Economy by Joe Pine and James Gilmour: https://www.amazon.ca/Experience-Economy-New-Preface-Authors/dp/1633697975/

• The Transformation Economy book by Joe Pine (forthcoming): https://www.amazon.ca/Transformation-Economy-Guiding-Customers-Aspirations/dp/B0DS4649VL

• Arival 360 | Washington DC and the Executive Summit: https://arival.travel/event/2025-washington-dc/ , https://arival.travel/event/2025-washington-dc-exec-summit/

The Best Part of Travel podcast is brought to you by Arival. Season Two is sponsored by Protect Group.

In this episode of the Best Part of Travel podcast, hosts Janelle Visser and Stephen Joyce discuss the current state of AI in the travel experiences sector (and their favourite androids). Joined by special guest Janette Roush, Chief AI Officer at Brand USA, they delve into the opportunities and applications of AI in travel, both practical and creative.

Key topics include:

• the impact of AI on website traffic and trip planning
• the use of AI tools for everything from operations to language translation to content creation (including "Yarn Janette"),
• the importance of AI in destination experiences marketing and discovery,
• women and men in AI and tech,
• the future of AI in travel experiences.

The episode also covers the upcoming AI Forum for Destination Experiences⁠ at Arival 360 | Washington, DC, aimed at helping travel professionals explore and share AI technology knowledge and experiences.

The Best Part of Travel podcast is brought to you by Arival. Season Two is sponsored by Protect Group.

In this episode of the Best Part of Travel podcast, hosted by Janelle Visser and Stephen Joyce, we discuss the evolution of online booking systems, or "restech platforms" in the tours, activities and attractions sector of travel, and listen in on a conversation between Andrea Carini, CEO of FareHarbor, the largest restech in the travel experiences space, and Arival CEO Douglas Quinby, which took place at the recent Arival 360 conference in Valencia, Spain.

Topics of discussion include:

• Booking system pricing models, from monthly recurring fees to transaction-based fees.

• The growth of the online travel agency (OTA) market and how this impacts the pricing models and viability of restech platforms, in particular FareHarbor.

• FareHarbor's recent addition of a 2% fee for API/OTA bookings.

• The potential applications of AI in current booking systems, and potential for developing future booking system technology using AI.

• The future of the booking tech and how restech providers and tour and activity operators are adapting to the evolving landscape.

Some resources that we mention:

• Arival Guide: How to Choose a Booking System
• Arival Guide to Booking System Pricing
• Peek "CoPilot" Connects Operators with AI Tools

The Best Part of Travel podcast is brought to you by Arival. Season Two is sponsored by Protect Group.