Destination On The Left

Destination On The Left is a travel and tourism industry podcast hosted by Travel Alliance Partnership. Each episode explores successful collaborations, creative marketing ideas and best practices for both consumer and travel trade marketing programs. Interviews are a mix of Destination Marketers, Industry Leaders, Consultants and businesses in the industry.

Destination On The Left is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 0 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts Destination On The Left, a business show with 0 episodes published.

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  Episode #490

  490. Creating Stronger Workplace Relationships Through the Ally Mindset, with Morag Barrett

  Aug 19, 202639 min

  On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Morag Barrett, leadership expert, executive coach, keynote speaker, and author of You, Me, We: Why We All Need a Friend at Work and How to Show Up as One. Morag shares why meaningful workplace relationships are no longer a "nice to have" but a critical leadership skill in today's rapidly changing world. We explore how leaders can strengthen human connection, build trust, and create workplaces where people feel supported, challenged, and empowered to do their best work. From navigating uncertainty to embracing vulnerability and accountability, Morag offers practical strategies that apply not only to leadership but to every relationship we build throughout our lives. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why the human side of leadership often determines long-term organizational success How uncertainty, rapid change, and remote work have reshaped workplace relationships What it means to adopt an ally mindset and why everyone needs a friend at work How the five Ally Mindset practices strengthen trust, collaboration, and accountability Why meaningful conversations begin by checking in on people before focusing on the work How leaders can create environments where candor, healthy debate, and new ideas flourish Practical ways to strengthen relationships through small, intentional actions every day Why Human Connection Matters More Than Ever Throughout her career, Morag Barrett has observed that successful organizations aren't defined solely by strategy, systems, or technology. Instead, their greatest advantage comes from how people relate to one another. While technical expertise remains essential, lasting success depends on trust, communication, and the quality of workplace relationships. As organizations continue navigating constant change, hybrid work, artificial intelligence, and ongoing uncertainty, many employees are feeling increasingly disconnected. Morag explains that while conversations around leadership and emotional intelligence have grown, the challenge remains helping leaders invest the time required to strengthen relationships. Rather than treating connection as a soft skill, she encourages leaders to recognize it as a business imperative that directly influences engagement, collaboration, and performance. Becoming an Ally at Work Morag shares the inspiration behind her book, You, Me, We , which reframes Gallup's familiar question, "Do I have a best friend at work?" into a more powerful leadership challenge: "Am I a friend at work?" This shift encourages individuals to focus less on what they receive from others and more on how they intentionally support those around them. The conversation explores the five practices of the Ally Mindset: abundance and generosity, connection and compassion, courage and vulnerability, candor and debate, and action and accountability. Together, these practices create a framework for building healthier relationships, encouraging honest conversations, and fostering workplaces where people feel seen, valued, and supported. Rather than relying on grand gestures, Morag demonstrates how consistent everyday behaviors create lasting trust across teams and organizations. Small Actions That Create Lasting Impact One of the most practical takeaways from this conversation is Morag's reminder that meaningful relationships are built through small, intentional moments. Whether asking a teammate, "What's your number today?" to better understand how they're showing up, expressing appreciation to someone who has positively influenced your career, or simply making time to truly listen, these simple actions create powerful ripple effects. Morag also challenges leaders to reflect on how they are remembered by those they work alongside. The question isn't simply whether you have supportive colleagues, but whether others would eagerly choose to work with you again. By focusing on intentional connection, personal accountability, and genuine care for others, leaders can strengthen their teams while creating cultures where both people and organizations thrive. Resources: Website: SkyeTeam.com Ally Mindset Self-Assessment: SkyeTeam.cloud/youmewe LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/moragbarrett/

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  Episode #489

  489. Building Collaboration Across Borders and Waterways, with Sally Berry

  Aug 12, 202642 min

  On this episode of Destination on the Left, I talk with Sally Berry, Tourism Director for Great Lakes USA and Cruise the Great Lakes. Sally shares how an unexpected career path led her into tourism and eventually to one of the industry's most collaborative regional organizations. We discuss the power of partnerships, the rapid growth of Great Lakes cruising, and why thinking beyond traditional destination boundaries creates stronger visitor experiences and more resilient communities. Sally also offers practical insights into building meaningful collaborations that benefit destinations, visitors, and the tourism industry as a whole. What You Will Learn in This Episode: How Sally's unconventional career journey shaped her collaborative leadership style Why regional partnerships create greater value for international visitors and industry stakeholders How Cruise the Great Lakes is helping destinations prepare for continued cruise tourism growth What memorable destination welcomes look like, and why they leave a lasting impression on visitors Why successful collaborations depend on a diversity of perspectives and shared goals How creative partnerships across states, provinces, and organizations lead to stronger tourism products What opportunities Sally sees ahead for the Great Lakes region through sustainability, stewardship, and collaboration Collaboration Is the Competitive Advantage Throughout our conversation, Sally makes a compelling case that collaboration isn't simply a nice idea—it's one of tourism's greatest competitive advantages. Leading initiatives that span eight states and two Canadian provinces requires balancing different priorities while helping partners recognize the value of working toward common goals. Rather than expecting every destination to participate in every initiative, Sally focuses on matching opportunities with the destinations best positioned to benefit, creating stronger outcomes for both individual communities and the region as a whole. She also shares how collaboration flourishes when organizations embrace different perspectives. Strong partnerships need enthusiastic champions, thoughtful protectors, and even healthy skeptics who ask the difficult questions. Those varied viewpoints ultimately strengthen projects, deepen trust, and create initiatives that are more successful over the long term. Turning First Impressions Into Lasting Connections As Great Lakes cruising continues its impressive growth, Sally shares how destinations are embracing the opportunity to create unforgettable welcomes for visitors arriving by ship. Communities are greeting passengers with local musicians, historical interpreters, regional cuisine, and experiences that immediately reflect the character of the destination. These authentic touches create meaningful first impressions while giving visitors a genuine sense of place. Beyond the excitement of arrival day, Sally explores the broader impact cruise tourism has on local economies. Many passengers spend additional time in port cities before or after their voyages, and countless visitors discover communities they later return to explore in greater depth. For many Great Lakes destinations, cruise tourism is becoming an important gateway for introducing travelers to places they may never have considered visiting before. Investing in Relationships That Strengthen the Industry One theme consistently surfaces throughout Sally's career: tourism is built on relationships. From mentors who helped her navigate unfamiliar areas of the industry to the connections she now creates through webinars, trade events, and industry education, she believes sharing knowledge strengthens the entire tourism ecosystem. Helping new professionals build confidence today creates stronger collaborators for tomorrow. Looking ahead, Sally is optimistic about the future of the Great Lakes region. As travelers seek authentic experiences beyond traditional gateway destinations, the region offers abundant natural beauty, vibrant communities, rich history, and distinctive cultural experiences. By continuing to invest in partnerships, sustainability, and destination stewardship, Great Lakes communities are positioning themselves for long-term success while demonstrating that the strongest destinations are the ones that work together. Resources: Website: greatlakesusa.org Website: cruisethegreatlakes.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sally-davis-berry/

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  Episode #488

  488. Community Conversation: Strengthening Tourism Through Advocacy

  Aug 5, 202656 min

  On this episode of Destination on the Left, I host a special Community Conversation featuring Patrick Kaler, President & CEO of Visit Buffalo Niagara; Tony Snell-Rodriguez, Director of Community Engagement & Inclusion at Visit Milwaukee; Steven Coyle, Director of Government Relations for Transportation Policy at the American Bus Association; and Hillarie Logan-Dechene, Deputy Director of The Wild Center. Together, they explore the many dimensions of advocacy in the tourism industry, from legislative engagement and community partnerships to storytelling, relationship building, and cross-sector collaboration. Their conversation demonstrates that effective advocacy isn't just about influencing policy—it's about creating trust, building authentic partnerships, and helping communities understand tourism's value as a driver of economic growth and quality of life. What You Will Learn in This Episode: Why advocacy extends far beyond government relations and begins with building authentic relationships How destination organizations, attractions, and industry associations are using collaboration to strengthen tourism's voice What role storytelling plays in helping elected officials, residents, and stakeholders understand tourism's economic impact How community engagement and resident sentiment are becoming key measures of destination success Why partnerships across sectors create stronger advocacy efforts and more resilient communities How research, data, and personal stories work together to influence decision-makers What practical steps tourism professionals can take to become stronger advocates within their own communities Advocacy Begins with Relationships Throughout the conversation, one message rises above the rest: successful advocacy starts long before asking for support. Whether working with elected officials, community organizations, business leaders, or residents, each panelist emphasizes that trust is built through consistent relationships, active listening, and genuine collaboration. Rather than approaching advocacy as a series of requests, the panel explores how tourism organizations can position themselves as community partners. By understanding shared priorities and working toward mutual goals, destinations are able to demonstrate that tourism benefits far more than visitors—it strengthens local economies, supports small businesses, creates jobs, and enhances quality of life for residents. Using Stories and Data to Demonstrate Tourism's Value While economic impact numbers remain an essential advocacy tool, the panel discusses why statistics alone are rarely enough. Effective advocacy combines measurable data with compelling human stories that help decision-makers understand tourism's real-world impact. The guests share examples of how visitor spending supports local businesses, creates employment opportunities, reduces the tax burden for residents, and generates long-term community investment. They also explore how personalized examples—from small business testimonials to resident feedback—can transform large economic figures into meaningful stories that resonate with legislators, community leaders, and stakeholders alike. Building Stronger Destinations Through Cross-Sector Collaboration One of the strongest themes throughout the discussion is the importance of looking beyond traditional tourism partnerships. The panel encourages organizations to collaborate with museums, transportation providers, nonprofits, healthcare institutions, educational organizations, chambers of commerce, neighborhood groups, and local businesses to build stronger advocacy networks. The guests share how these relationships not only strengthen individual organizations but also create more resilient destinations capable of addressing community priorities together. Whether developing new programs, supporting accessibility initiatives, attracting meetings and events, or advocating for infrastructure investments, they demonstrate that tourism is most successful when it is viewed as a shared community asset. By embracing collaboration over competition, destinations can amplify their impact, strengthen public trust, and ensure tourism continues to deliver lasting benefits for visitors and residents alike. Resources: Website: https://travelalliancepartnership.com/ Patrick Kaler Website: https://visitbuffalo.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrickkaler/ Tony Snell-Rodriguez Website: https://www.visitmilwaukee.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-snell-rodriguez/ Steven Coyle Website: https://www.buses.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steventcoyle/ Hillarie Logan-Dechene Website: https://www.wildcenter.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hillarie-logan-dechene-2bb8aa18/

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  Episode #487

  487. Building Culinary and Agritourism Through Collaboration: Conversations from the Taste of Place Summit

  Jul 29, 202635 min

  On this episode of Destination on the Left, we bring you Part 2 of our Roadshow series recorded live at the 2026 Taste of Place Summit in Edmonton, Alberta. Hosted by the Culinary Tourism Alliance in partnership with Explore Edmonton, the Summit brought together destination leaders, economic development professionals, and tourism organizations exploring how culinary tourism can strengthen local economies and create more distinctive destination identities. Through conversations with Ellen Walker-Matthews, Elaine Zedack, Eiblis Doherty, Ceri Chong, and Bryanna Kumpula-Yung, we explore how collaboration serves as the foundation for successful culinary tourism, connecting producers, businesses, communities, and visitors into experiences that are greater than the sum of their parts. In this episode, you'll hear from these extraordinary leaders: Ellen Walker-Matthews: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-walker-matthews-6951ab4/ Elaine Zedack: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-zedack/ Eiblis Doherty: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eiblis-doherty/ Ceri Chong : https://www.linkedin.com/in/cerij/ Bryanna Kumpula-Yung: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryannakumpula/ Collaboration Is the Foundation of Culinary Tourism One of the strongest themes throughout these conversations is that successful culinary tourism rarely happens in isolation. While exceptional farms, restaurants, and producers may draw visitors on their own, destinations create lasting impact when they intentionally connect those individual experiences into a cohesive visitor journey. Ellen Walker-Matthews shares how the Thompson Okanagan Tourism Association views culinary and agritourism as foundational to its destination strategy. Through readiness programs, partnerships between operators, and collaborative experience development, the region is helping visitors understand not only where food comes from, but also the relationships between farms, vineyards, Indigenous foodways, and the landscape itself. Across the episode, guests demonstrate how destination organizations can act as conveners, creating opportunities for businesses to work together in ways that benefit both visitors and local communities. Food Creates a Stronger Sense of Place Beyond great meals, culinary tourism serves as a powerful storytelling tool that helps destinations express their identity. Elaine Zedack explains how Pittsburgh uses food to celebrate its distinct neighborhoods, immigrant heritage, and blue-collar history while embracing the city's continued evolution. Local food experiences become a form of placemaking, allowing visitors to better understand the people and cultures that have shaped a destination over time. Ceri Chong shares a similar approach in Richmond, British Columbia, where the destination's culinary story is built around Asian dining, fresh seafood, and local agriculture. Through events, partnerships with fishers and restaurants, and immersive waterfront experiences, Tourism Richmond is creating opportunities for visitors to engage directly with the people and industries that define the community. These conversations reinforce that food is one of the most accessible ways to experience the character and heritage of a place. Creating the Conditions for Local Businesses to Thrive Several guests emphasize that one of the most valuable roles destination organizations can play is helping local businesses succeed together rather than independently. Eiblis Doherty describes her role as a facilitator, connecting operators, encouraging collaboration, and helping businesses develop visitor-ready experiences that might not happen without someone bringing the right people together. Bryanna Kumpula-Yung expands on this idea by sharing how Leduc County is investing in networking opportunities, food trails, business education, and a new local food hub that makes it easier for producers, restaurants, and consumers to connect. Rather than focusing solely on marketing, these initiatives strengthen the local ecosystem behind the visitor experience. Together, the guests demonstrate that sustainable culinary tourism depends on building relationships, removing barriers, and creating the infrastructure that allows communities, businesses, and destinations to grow together. Resources: Ellen Walker-Matthews Website: https://www.totabc.org/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellen-walker-matthews-6951ab4/ Elaine Zedack Website: https://www.visitpittsburgh.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elaine-zedack/ Eiblis Doherty Website: https://www.strathcona.ca/tourism/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eiblis-doherty/ Ceri Chong Website: https://www.visitrichmondbc.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cerij/ Bryanna Kumpula-Yung Website: https://www.leduccountybusiness.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryannakumpula/

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  Episode #486

  486. Food Tourism Begins with People: Conversations from the Taste of Place Summit

  Jul 22, 202630 min

  On this episode of Destination on the Left, we bring you the first of two Roadshow episodes recorded live at the 2026 Taste of Place Summit in Edmonton, Alberta. Hosted by the Culinary Tourism Alliance in partnership with Explore Edmonton, the Summit gathered culinary tourism and agritourism leaders, destination professionals, farmers, chefs, producers, and artisans from across Canada and beyond to explore how food connects visitors to people, culture, and place. Through conversations with Tam Anderson, Jenni Lessard, James Eddington, Carl-Éric Guertin, and Monica Frost, we uncover a common thread: the most memorable culinary tourism experiences begin with the people who grow, create, preserve, and share the stories behind the food. In this episode, you'll hear from these extraordinary leaders: Tam Anderson: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tam-andersen-b488544/ Jenni Lessard: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenni-lessard-54103a197/ James Eddington: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-eddington-9542a52/ Carl-Éric Guertin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-%C3%A9ric-guertin-4789849/ Monica Frost: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sociallymonica/ Authentic Experiences Begin with Human Connection Throughout these conversations, one message emerges again and again: culinary tourism is ultimately about people. Whether visitors are harvesting strawberries, joining a chef around a live fire, meeting an artisan in their workshop, or enjoying a long-table dinner on a farm, the experiences that leave lasting impressions are rooted in authentic human connection. Tam Anderson shares how simple moments, such as digging potatoes with children or tasting berries fresh from the field, reconnect families with the origins of their food and with each other. James Eddington echoes that philosophy through immersive farm experiences where guests don't simply enjoy a meal—they participate in discovering the ingredients, the landscape, and the people who make the experience possible. The Stories Behind the Ingredients Matter Several guests emphasize that food itself is only one part of the visitor experience. Jenni Lessard explains that every ingredient carries the story of the producer, and that chefs and tourism professionals serve as interpreters who help visitors understand where food comes from and why it matters. When those stories are shared, meals become expressions of place rather than simply something to eat. Carl-Éric Guertin extends this idea through the work of the Économusée Network Society, which helps artisans open their workshops to visitors. Whether meeting a blueberry jam maker, a smoked herring producer, or a craftsperson preserving generations of knowledge, visitors gain a greater appreciation for the heritage, expertise, and cultural traditions behind each product. These personal encounters transform local products into meaningful cultural experiences. Collaboration Creates Stronger Destinations Across every interview, partnerships emerge as the driving force behind successful culinary tourism. Farmers collaborate with chefs to showcase seasonal ingredients, breweries work alongside producers and destination organizations to create immersive travel itineraries, and regional networks bring together organizations that might otherwise work independently. Monica Frost shares how the BC Ale Trail continues to expand beyond breweries by connecting travelers with farmers, cideries, restaurants, and agritourism experiences that tell a more complete story about British Columbia's craft beverage industry. Similarly, guests throughout the episode describe how collaboration allows destinations to celebrate their unique landscapes, cultures, and food traditions while creating experiences that benefit both visitors and local communities. Together, these conversations remind us that a true taste of place cannot be manufactured. It grows from authentic relationships, local knowledge, shared stories, and the people whose passion and stewardship give every destination its distinctive flavor. Resources: Tam Anderson Website: https://albertafarmfresh.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tam-andersen-b488544/ Jenni Lessard Website: https://www.jennilessard.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenni-lessard-54103a197/ James Eddington Website: https://www.eddingtons.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-eddington-9542a52/ Carl-Éric Guertin Website: https://artisansaloeuvre.com/en/economusee-network-society/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-%C3%A9ric-guertin-4789849/ Monica Frost Website: https://bcaletrail.ca/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sociallymonica/

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