Katalina Mayorga is the powerhouse founder of El Camino Travel, a multi-day tour company reimagining the group trip experience for a new generation.
But she's also much more than a tour operator. To sell her trips she's leaned heavily into community, creating a membership that serves not only as a customer base, but a space for likeminded 'bold women' to share recommendations and advice. And to power this community, she's created a new tech platform that is re-imagining the travel booking flow in an age where we're all drowning in the mediocre recommendations of AI and endless clickbait blog posts.
In this episode, Tourpreneur's Mitch Bach talks to Katalina about:
- what it takes to design and market the group travel experience to millennials.
- what makes a great DMC relationship, from both perspectives.
- what social responsibility really means
- building a community-driven brand
- How to build a brand when you’re small
- the growing ‘nichification’ of travel
...and so much more.
For show notes and more info, visit tourpreneur.com. And be sure to join nearly 20,000 Tourpreneurs in our bustling Facebook group.
Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction to El Camino Travel
01:50 - Katalina's Journey to Founding El Camino
06:50 - Reinventing Group Travel Experiences
11:39 - Building Unique Travel Experiences
17:33 - Community Engagement and Co-Creation
23:54 - The Importance of DMC Relationships
32:12 - Defining Brand and Community in Travel
35:40 - Defining Your Customer Avatar
38:36 - Building a Strong Brand Identity
40:59 - The Role of the Founder in Brand Success
44:58 - Creating a Community Around Travel
50:18 - The Future of Travel and Community
57:43 - Navigating Conflict and Kindness in Travel
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