All Episodes

July 2, 2025 72 mins

Send us a text

Laura Sileo Pavat, Global Head of Brand Homes at Pernod Ricard, returns to Travel Trends to explore how spirit tourism is transforming cultural connections across the globe.

With over 35 brand homes spanning four continents, Pernod Ricard has reimagined these spaces as immersive destinations that tell authentic stories and forge lasting emotional bonds. From the award-winning Jameson Distillery in Dublin to the architecturally striking Rabbit Hole in Louisville's arts district, these experiences highlight a new way for travelers to engage with places and their narratives.

The discussion takes us to extraordinary locations like Scapa Distillery in Scotland's remote Orkney Islands, where a boat shelter-inspired building overlooks historic waters, and TX Whiskey Ranch in Fort Worth, which evolves from a working distillery by day to a vibrant community hub by night, hosting everything from live country music to yoga sessions. Laura reveals how these brand homes foster genuine connections with local communities through collaborations with regional artisans, musicians, and chefs—such as TX Whiskey’s bottle caps made from recycled cowboy boot leather or locally-crafted goods at Casa Altos in Mexico.

Perhaps most intriguing is how spirit tourism addresses overtourism by guiding travelers to lesser-known destinations while driving economic growth for local communities.

Whether you're a travel advisor seeking distinctive client experiences, a destination marketer focused on sustainable tourism, or a curious traveler craving meaningful connections, this conversation offers a fresh perspective on how spirit tourism is reshaping the travel industry.

👉 Listen to Crafted Journeys: Exploring Culture Through Spirits Tourism Now

🔥 Season 5 Title Sponsors: TravelAI, Stay22, Propellic, Flight Centre, Collette, Flywire, Traveltek and Protect Group

The #1 B2B Travel Podcast Globally. Over 100 Episodes. Listeners in 125 countries. New Episodes Every Weds. Season 5 In Progress.

https://www.traveltrendspodcast.com/

Mark as Played
Transcript

Episode Transcript

Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Part of our duty, I think, in the industry, and part
of my mission, will be to focuson how we let people know
around the world that the spirittourism exists, that the spirit
places, the home of the spirits, are not only the places to
learn or taste.
They are the places where youconnect with culture, history

(00:25):
and you understand better thedestination you're visiting.

Speaker 1 (00:29):
Hello everyone and welcome back to Travel Trends.
This is your host, danChristian, and, as everyone
knows, we're in season five andwe're now getting towards the
end of the season.
This is our last deep dive ofseason five focused on
in-destination experiences.
Our first episode last weekfeatured Christian Latchell from
BRC Imagination Arts, and I'mstill struck by Zach Fanas, our

(00:51):
producer's comment that I justcan't believe a job like this
exists in the world, and I knowhe loved that episode, and it
was wonderful to see so muchpositive feedback over the past
week from many of our listenersas well.
And it really ties togetherwith the overall theme because
Pernod Ricard kindly agreed tosponsor this series and, as you
would have heard, is that LauraCilio-Pavat, who's gonna be

(01:12):
featured on today's episode, wasactually in season three of
Travel Trends and it was one ofour most popular episodes.
Her and I have become greatfriends over the years.
She's such an inspiringcolleague.
She speaks multiple languages.
She over the years.
She's such an inspiringcolleague.
She speaks multiple languages.
She has such an impressiveportfolio of brand homes that
she works with.
It's really a fascinating story, so I definitely encourage all
of our listeners to go back andlisten to the episode with Laura

(01:36):
from season three, but pleasecontinue on listening to this
episode first and you can goback and check that out
afterwards.
We're also next week going tohave the legendary bestselling
author, joe Pine from theExperience Economy joining us,
as well as Jake Halpert, who isthe co-founder of the
Transformational Travel Council.
So this is a really specialthree-part series and already we

(01:59):
have agreed to bring thisseries back in season six.
We are going to have Ignacio,one of the co-founders of Fever,
join us, as well as Vince, oneof the co-founders of Meow Wolf.
Think Omega Mart in Las Vegasis probably one of their most
well-known attractions and, asyou'll hear from next week's
conversation, we're going tohave Joe Pine and Jake Halpert

(02:19):
back to join us as well.
We'll be right back.
Did you know that over 20% ofpeople who purchase a ticket
will upgrade to a refundableoption when given the choice?
By offering Refund Protect, youmake it easy for your customers
to protect their ticketpurchase against emergency
circumstances like illness,injury, accidents and more.

(02:40):
Whether you're an airline,hotel group, tour operator,
ticketing platform, ota ortransport solution, when you
partner with Protect Group, yourcustomers get peace of mind and
you generate extra revenue Witha Trustpilot score of 4.8 stars
and over 31,000 reviews.
They treat your customers astheir own, earning the highest
customer ratings in the industry.

(03:00):
To find out more, check outProtect Group at protectgroup
that's protectgroup.
In today's fast-paced travelindustry, businesses face
constant challenges keeping upwith new technologies, meeting
ever-evolving customerexpectations and promoting
products effectively.
The real struggle Managing itall in-house.
That's where Travel Tech stepsin to transform your business.

(03:24):
With over 25 years ofexperience, travel Tech is,
thank you, time to focus on whatmatters most your customers.
Plus Travel Tech is the go-toname in cruise technology, with

(03:46):
cutting-edge solutions for touroperators as well.
Plus Travel Tech has justlaunched Tech Talk, a new
podcast for travel professionalsby travel professionals.
Explore the stories behind thebiggest innovations in travel.
Visit TravelTechcom slashTravel Trends or tune in to Tech
Talk on Spotify and Apple.
That's TravelTechcom slashTravel Trends and Tech Talk on

(04:10):
Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
And now back to the show.
Now, today's conversation withLaura is what's really set the
stage for us having a deep diveinto in-destination experiences
as part of season five.
But it all started with seasonthree and, speaking to Laura and
having gotten to know her sowell over the last couple of
years, I wanted to bring herback as part of this series,

(04:34):
because the brand collection atPernod Ricard is really quite
fascinating and actually morecomplex to understand and to be
able to market and manage.
And so when you look at thecollection of properties that
they have globally that operatethese brand home experiences
there's more than 35 in fourcontinents and they include such

(04:54):
iconic destinations like theJameson distillery in Dublin and
obviously all of our listenersheard about that from Christian
Latchell last week since he hadsuch an important role in
designing that experience, whichhas been award-winning, and I
know a lot of our guests haveexperienced that and a lot of
people who traveled to Irelandon tours have been to the
Jameson distillery.

(05:15):
But that really is only thebeginning.
They have Monkey 47 in Germany,beefeater Gin in London, rabbit
Hole in Kentucky, glenlivet inScotland, as well as the Scapa
Distillery in the Orkney Islands, which looks absolutely
extraordinary.
I can't wait to visit one day.
I know my mom is keen to gotogether and so hopefully we
will make that happen next year,but I also encourage you to

(05:38):
have a look at the Havana Clubin Cuba.
There's also the Casa Altos inMexico, maison Momme in the
Champagne region of France.
You can also find Pernod Ricardbrand homes in Napa Valley.
They operate Mum Napa inCalifornia.
They have locations in Japan,china, south Africa and even

(05:58):
Niagara-on-the-Lake, just downthe street from me here in
Ontario, canada, and I reallywanted to bring Laura back for
this conversation, and you'llsee why today.
She's just an extraordinaryleader in the travel and
hospitality space.
She really has a global visionand a clear strategy for the
Pernod Ricard brand homes andyou'll hear that in today's
conversation.
So, on that note, let's welcomeLaura back to Travel Trends.

(06:21):
Laura, it's fantastic to haveyou back with us.
Thanks so much for sponsoringthe series and thanks so much
for joining us on this specialIn Destination series.

Speaker 2 (06:30):
Thank you, dan, to invite me and take part of this
another great conversation thisyear.

Speaker 1 (06:36):
Fantastic and one of the things I've certainly
enjoyed about having the TravelTrends podcast is being able to
keep in touch with amazingcolleagues like yourself.
We had the privilege to worktogether and many people heard
that on our first discussion andI have the greatest respect for
you as an executive and aleader in this industry and I
really appreciate you've becomea big fan of the show and Pernod

(06:56):
Ricard has kindly sponsoredthis End Destination series and
I really wanted to have you aspart of this conversation
because we certainly have a veryhigh caliber group of guests
and you are certainly one ofthem and deserve to be a part of
it, because there's an amazingstory to our first podcast
together and don't know yourbackground.
Tell everyone a little bitabout your role and about Pernod

(07:29):
Ricard.

Speaker 2 (07:31):
Yes, thank you, and I'm very pleased to be part of
this series because actuallywhat you just mentioned about
brand norms is a middle betweena marketing term and a very
recent terminology that wecreated in the business of
hospitality industry and travelbusiness.
So myself I have a quitedisruptive background because I

(07:54):
was a professor at universitybefore reaching Pernod Car 25
years ago, so quite an old lovestory with this business and
with this industry and actuallyI had the chance in the last 25
years to see how it was evolving, this interest for the
in-destination experiences whichis, from the group point of

(08:15):
view, seen as a branded business, so a brand experience.

(08:40):
So I think I was in the rightplace and in the right moment in
the last years to see this.
Today I'm leading these 14credible locations for the group
Pernod Ricard, who is thesecond biggest, the co-leader
group in the alcohol, wine andspirit distribution.
So I'm very happy and veryproud to have been actors, to

(09:00):
have seen this transformation.

Speaker 1 (09:02):
For sure, and I think many of our listeners would
have already heard ChristianLatchell, who clearly has worked
closely with you, brc.
They actually have created anumber of the brand homes in
partnership with Pernod Ricard,and we talked specifically about
Jameson in Dublin, which manyof our listeners might have
experienced as well.
So the thing that amazes mewith Pernod Ricard is that,
having had a chance to get toknow you so well and collaborate

(09:25):
with the organization, I'mstill constantly amazed how few
people, especially in NorthAmerica, are familiar with
Pernod Ricard.
It's the second largest spiritscompany globally.
Yes, and I was actually.
I was just in Windsor, ontario,just across the border from
Detroit, and we drove past theHiram Walker distillery and it
highlighted it is a PernodRicard company and I said to my

(09:45):
wife I wonder how many peopleactually know that connection
and understand Pernod Ricard,because actually, laura, one
other thing I have to share wedid this Columbia Spotlight
episode and I discovered thisextraordinary new banana-infused
rum La Hecarea, I believe it iscalled in Columbia and I asked
the lady can I get this back athome?
Because I just had done thetasting?

(10:06):
And she's like I'm not surethat you can and I looked at the
bottle and I said it's broughtto you by Pernod Ricard.
I was like oh, this isfantastic.
I know I can get it.

Speaker 2 (10:29):
So tell everyone a little bit more.
But just about the history of Pcar is an incredible history
because it's more or less hasgot the same age than me,
because the group was created in75 by the fusion of two big
groups and perno and produceralcohol producer, spirit
producer, perno and ricarexactly so 50 years ago.
And then step by step, we'reacquiring other brands.
So that's why the name of thegroup itself and pernaud ricard

(10:54):
in general is not a brand initself, because we are a summary
and an incredible portfolio ofspirits around the world
covering many, many categories.
So step by step in the last 50years, personal car acquired
whiskeys and scotch whiskey,irish whiskeys and bourbon and
jeans and tequilas and a lot ofother category drinks and so at

(11:18):
the time they were buying those,those spirits.
Sometimes homes of thosespirits were existing and
sometimes Bernard Carr decidedto create them and sometimes, as
in the case you mentioned, wework with BRC agency on Ball
Street in Dublin, for example,for Jameson.
Sometimes we decided to giveanother life, to give another

(11:41):
expression to those homes of thebrands that we owned or Pernod
Ricard owned or bought.
So there was a story ofcreation, evolution, development
and transformation.

Speaker 1 (11:54):
It's fascinating, and I think that's where one of the
things that we haven't talkedabout that I'm actually keen to
know just when you mentionedabout there were some brand
homes in existence and then somethat you created.
Just when you mentioned aboutthere were some brand homes in
existence and then some that youcreated, given this is such an
important focus for PernodRicard going forward, as we look
at in-destination experiences,and it totally makes sense to me
that the brands themselves aresacrosanct, so Pernod Ricard is

(12:15):
secondary to the brand being inthe marketplace and people
knowing Jameson being a greatexample, because that is so
well-known, especially in NorthAmerica.
But when I think about thisjourney that you started on,
where did it actually begin?
Which were some of the brandhomes that existed or which were
the distilleries that hadplaces you could visit, maybe

(12:36):
kind of mention one or two ofthose, and then which were one
of the new creations?

Speaker 2 (12:46):
creations, yeah.
So for example, historically inour portfolio of brand homes or
fortisites we have, some ofthem were quite centuries ago,
were created as distilleries.
If I mentioned, for example,Stratisla distillery for
Shivertree Gilds in the NorthernScotland, so the oldest
actually Highlands distillerythat the group owns and existing

(13:06):
in Northern Scotland and it wastransformed in the 60s actually
in a visitor center, it has,for example, the Moom Visitor
Center for Champagne.
So those are existing for thelast 50 years.
So all the historicaldistilleries or quite old
visitor centers we said, orrecently maybe, for example, the
example of Rabbit Hole inBourbon, kentucky, so in

(13:31):
Louisville that brand was bornand it was created the home of
that brand in 2019, integratedin the Kentucky Barber Trade.

Speaker 1 (13:39):
That's really interesting and I think one of
the things I also wanted to callout to our listeners is just
your background, and when we hadour discussion we called it the
Champagne Chronicles, becauseof course, you are based in the
Champagne region in France.
You live outside of Paris andobviously commute in, but your
husband.
I got a wonderful opportunityto have lunch with Laura and her
husband and her two adorablekids.
They were in Toronto and we hadlunch last summer and it was

(14:00):
really nice to get that timetogether.
But one of the things thatreally stood out to me is that
your husband works in thevineyard and actually grows the
grapes and like so your entirefamily is so connected From the
grape to the glass.
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (14:14):
We are from the grape to the glass, to the travel to
see the glass and the production.
So it's very key and important.
That's why, actually, even ifPernod Ricard's main office is
in Paris, of course, at theheart of all the business and
all the France where we are, weare part of representing France

(14:36):
as well as a brand company.
But I decided to still live inthe region and nearby the field
where things are happening forwineries and distilleries, but
as well for the tourism around,so we can better understand when
we really live in places wherethis is an action.

Speaker 1 (14:54):
Yeah, I just want to fast forward to one of the other
interesting developments thatwill give a lot of context to
our listeners about the type ofexperiences that you've been
focused on creating.
I received an email from Uberbecause I'm a heavy user of Uber
for all of my travels and ithighlighted the champagne

(15:15):
experience during the SummerOlympics in Paris last year and
I sent it to Laura because I waslike, oh my God, this is
fantastic, there's a shuttleservice to take you to champagne
.
And Laura was like, yeah, I'mbehind that.
I actually worked on creatingthat.

Speaker 2 (15:29):
It wasn't by accident .

Speaker 1 (15:32):
So tell us how that came to be, because that's a
great example of where you know,connecting to modern day
travelers.
That was such a peak event inFrance last year and people were
traveling to Paris and then notnecessarily aware that they can
do a side trip and be able togo and experience Champagne and
experience one of the brandhomes.
So tell us a little bit aboutthat initiative, because I think
that helps really bring it tolife.

Speaker 2 (15:54):
Yes, that initiative was very good because it
demonstrates how the Champagnearea as well is transforming its
way to welcome travelers.
So we were contacted by uber.
For their part called uberbubbles.
So they they do someinitiatives which are short term
, not that necessary experiencethat you can find forever.

(16:17):
There are more iconicexperiences that you can live
during a certain amount ofperiod.
And so there was a proposal tocome every day from Paris, so
that car, a particular brand car, was picking up people with a
private driver in a hotel inParis and bringing to

(16:37):
Paris-Jouet Célie Belle Epoqueto understand, and Moum as well.
So at Moum and Paris-Jouet wehave both visits of the
facilities, so wineries andcellars and all the historical
parts, but as well we haverestaurants.
So in Maison Belle Epoque inEpernay, we can have a
gastronomic experience.
Just to underline that thosebrands travel brands are asking

(17:01):
much more, as Uber did, andasking and trying to fix and
collaborate and createpartnerships as well with local
actors of the destinations, aswe are.
So putting together theirservice, but enhanced by the
experience the people could liveon site we created for a couple
of months.
Actually, at the beginning wasjust month, but it was totally

(17:24):
sold out.

Speaker 1 (17:31):
And so we wanted to extend for a little bit more,
even after the Olympics.
Interesting, no, and obviouslyit worked out so well.
And this is just one of severalexamples that I wanted to
discuss on our conversationtoday, because I find some of
the brand activations with theremote locations really
fascinating.
And then how you actuallymarket them and bring people to
these brand homes, because Itotally get that there are

(17:52):
consumers that love the productitself and they're very keen to
go visit the brand home.
Or they may be visiting thedestination and discover, oh, I
didn't realize that it's inIreland or it's in Scotland, and
they get excited to go andvisit.
And clearly one of the thingsthat stood out to me just as a
marketer oh, I didn't realizethat it's in Ireland or it's in
Scotland, and they get excitedto go and visit.
And clearly one of the thingsthat stood out to me just as a
marketer, laura, is that and youknow this is that building

(18:16):
long-term loyal customers andgiving them an incentive to be
able to experience thedestination obviously creates a
lasting memory and really anambassador for life in many ways
.
Someone who's now been to abrand home has had the
experience and can then sharethat with friends and colleagues
, and that is, I know, thetagline or the brand motto I
should say around Pernod Ricardis conviviality, which doesn't
translate very well to Englishbut is much more like the spirit

(18:38):
of welcoming and that sensewhen you have a cheers with a
group of friends and that youknow that special moment that
conviviality signifies and noother great English word does.
But so I get that aspect aboutit for sure and I think that's a
compelling reason on its own.
But I think there's alsosomething really fascinating

(18:59):
that's been happening here if wetake a step back and look
broader at the industry, andit's one of the things that I
was keen to ask Rod Cuthbertabout, the founder of Viator,
who will be after this series.
And one of the things that Iasked Rod about when he created
Viator was the timing.
It was in the 90s, and what hewas saying to me was that it was
exactly at the point where thezeitgeist of the traveler, his

(19:22):
words, were shifting towardsexperiences over things and we
had moved past this Wall Streetmentality of he who dies with
the most toys wins and thatpeople were starting to kind of
reevaluate their priorities andrealize that life is really
about living and havingexperiences, and so there was
this shift in people's attitudeto doing local activities and

(19:44):
clearly we've seen that explodein the last 25 years.
So there's been a big shift overthat time with how people
travel.
So tell us I guess definitelymy question to you there, laura,
is that, given this kind ofmajor shift towards people
looking to have more unique,memorable local experiences, how
did you decide to approach thatoverall, as a team and as a

(20:05):
business?
So did you see this opportunitycoming and realize, wait a
second, we need to find a way todo something different and
special here.
How did it all come about,given that big shift?
And, yeah, what were some ofthe reasons for going into this
space?

Speaker 2 (20:18):
Yes, I would just like to make a path behind.
And you were saying thetransformation.
So transformation was reallyimportant in the business
because 25 years ago, actually,few distilleries in the world
and few wineries were open tothe public for tours.
Mainly, the model of that timewas dealing with big tour

(20:41):
operators and travel agenciestraditional travel agencies to
be included in packages.
So we often received at thattime big buses with 50 people
inside.
They had a counted time tospend in that winery or
distillery, to get off the bus,visit and taste and then pass

(21:02):
through the shop and back in thebus and back to the other
experience.
It was just a summary of stepswithout any judgment, because
for this, because that was theway then, as you said, with
vetor, there was a big shift.
So instead of be passive onthat shift, I think myself and
other actors in the in theindustry, with the teams we set

(21:24):
At that time I was leadingMartel Moumen, perrier-jouet, so
the Cognac and Champagne brandhomes for Pernod Ricard, and
some of my colleagues wereleading the Ireland one and the
Scottish ones and otherdestinations.
So we settled together and wesaid we need to shift as well as
quick as possible, and this wasaround 2015, 2014,.

(21:47):
So 10 years ago.
Definitely the big shift thenwas done 10 years ago, where the
major refurbishment of visitorcenters was starting and we were
leading the way.
On that moment, wall Street youmentioned at that time was
totally renovated.
Doesn't mean that Wall StreetJameson in Dublin didn't exist
before.
It existed, was very successful.

(22:09):
The model with the restaurantswe had, with the visitor center
we had, was working.
It wasn't bad, but definitely,to listen to the expectation of
the travelers, we needed toadapt and we shifted very
quickly.
So, from 2015, 16, 17 on tilltoday, every single year, a

(22:30):
group like Pernod Ricard isinvesting in renovating or
creating experiences.
2021, we opened in MarseilleMaison Yellow for the Ricard
brand and which is not only forthe Ricard brand, because it's a
bar, it's a restaurant, it's amuseum, it's an experience, it's
a concept store where you cando workshops, activities,

(22:50):
pastissologie around the pastisand the same a cocktail class is
today.
Create your own cocktail,create your own blend In Martel,
for example, in Cognac, we canblend your own Cognac.
You can have very, very widevarieties of experiences, going

(23:11):
to very group ones or veryaccessible to very high end, and
so we said at that time as wellto very high end.
And so we said at that time aswell, why do we need to do only
in big cities or in establishedtouristic paths?
So in Scotland, for example, wehad the traditional Aberlour,
the Glenlivet, which wasrecently renovated.

(23:31):
But as well we had Stratila.
We mentioned very old, but atthe end we said there is in
Scapa in Orkney.
Orkney is an island.
Is it really north?
It's one of the northest brandhomes existing.
Don't we offer as well a localexperience?
So our experience there ismaximum sitting, 16 people for

(24:06):
example.
So not big crowded visitorattraction, but we reshape.
So we not only shift but wereshape as well places to answer
the traveler's needs.

Speaker 1 (24:17):
Yeah, it's fascinating.
Glenn Livet is a great example,because my uncle he absolutely
loves Glenn Livid and when hewas traveling to Scotland
recently he didn't realize thatyou could tour the distillery
and I'd sent him the informationand he was delighted.
And this is where I feel likein travel and tourism, there are
certain times when the starsjust align and you just realize
that wait a second, I didn'tknow this existed and I actually
love this idea, and this iswhat I find really intriguing

(24:41):
about Pernod Ricard and theBrand Homes and what you've
worked to introduce, and I justwant to share this with all of
our listeners for a moment too.
You can obviously go to PernodRicard's website and check out
the Brand Homes, but one of themI just want to call out is
Glenlivet, and just listen tothis description for a moment.

(25:02):
The Glenlivet Distillery sits ina wild and remote Glen.
Its history, laced with dramaand intrigue, which is captured
in every bottle of whiskey.
It is the perfect location todiscover the full story of the
whiskey and the irrepressiblespirit of the Glenlivet, and
when you look at that picture,you just want to be transported
there.
And this is a place that wasknown for producing these
products.
It is special for someone thatis an avid connoisseur to be

(25:22):
able to have the opportunity tovisit.
But I also find it also reallyinteresting that, even if you're
not a whiskey lover which isnot my preferred drink but I
actually found that I will dowhiskey tasting and thoroughly
enjoy it.
But I wouldn't otherwise drinkwhiskey, but I like the whole
experience of being able to goand visit a distillery and go
with friends and be able to havethat experience.

(25:44):
So I will still choose to go.
So there's many differentreasons or motivations, I should
say, for travelers to be ableto have these experiences.
But one of the things, laura,that stood out to me, the way
you've approached this, which Ialso found, I guess, much more
sustainable, even though, to usethat word, there's much more of
a focus on the local community,and that is something and you
were alluding to that in some ofthe ways you were describing

(26:06):
how these experiences cometogether, because it's not
purely about getting a ticketsale Like the tickets to the
Glenlivet are like 30 pounds toa hundred pounds, like it's it's
quite reasonable, but when youactually.
But it's not just about sellinga ticket and getting someone
through the door, it's aboutcreating an experience in the
destination that also createslocal opportunities.
So tell us a little bit aboutthat, because I feel like that

(26:27):
is very, very real, very sincere.
When you look at the brandhomes and even the fact that you
travel around to all thesebrand homes and people obviously
love you and adore you andobviously you have an incredible
role to be able to travel tothese places because they're
extraordinary.
But yeah, tell us a little bitabout how you really connect
with the local community that'svery important because you were
talking about conviviality.

Speaker 2 (26:47):
If I want to be really honest with you, this
term is just a term.
In the brand homes you arereally in the authentic place.
I always say these are theplace of the truth and the truth
is that when travelers arecoming into those places, if

(27:08):
you're not authentic, you're notlinked to your local roots, you
cannot describe how will be thefuture of that brand, of the
destination.
So both are very important.
Authenticity and convivialityare going together.
When you open the door of oneof our brand homes, I think we
are much more than business.
We are emotion factories.

(27:28):
If there's no emotion, there'sno souvenir, there's no memory
and if there's no memory, you'renever taught to anybody.
To go there and suggest oh myGod, I was in Northern Scotland,
I was, oh my god, I was innorthern scotland, I was in
kentucky, I was in china and Idiscovered the very first
brandon created for the chuanmalt distillery.
So we create those memories,but to be so authentic and so

(27:52):
true is not possible if you dowithout locals, so if you do
just in your own, you know,crystal ball and for your own
brand.
So that's why I said yes, thebrands are now playing with the
tourism boom they're using, butin spirits we start many, many

(28:12):
years ago to tell our story, totell us truth, and our story is
linked to the roots, is linkedto the locals.
For example, very easy, when weopen a restaurant, we have some
of our brand names, like Monkey47, the gene in Black Forest.
In that case, that Monkey 47gastronomic experience or any

(28:33):
other activity that we proposein our program are in
partnership with local actors,are in partnership with local
actors.
All the Monkey 47 ingredientsare sourced, but also for the
gastronomic experience, 47kilometers around the distillery
.
Or, for example, in Casalcos inMexico, in Jalisco, we just sell
items in the shop which aremade by local artisans and we do

(28:57):
collaborations with localartists, for example, even for
some of our labeling, for someof our items or merchandise and
limited editions.
In TX whiskey, for example, thecaps of our bottle for the
whiskey are realized with therecycled boots of cowboy boots,
leather.
That's cool and there is acollection, and so people are

(29:20):
coming back to the brand home tocollect those bottles, to
collect those caps.
So it's um, it's a question ofvaluing what you have in your
story, because if you are thecustodian of the past of a site
and you want to be the actor ofwhere the future begins, the
place where the future begins,the place where the future
begins.
You need to be truly, trulyconnected in astronomy, in art,

(29:43):
in savoir-faire, in craft, allthe connections we have and keep
us very authentic and so betterconnecting with the people who
come to our door, if not them.

Speaker 1 (29:54):
You can see perfectly on internet and the images and
videos without moving yourselffrom your home to our home yeah,
and I think that's where, whenyou look at some of the
destinations scapa flow being agreat example, the scapa
distillery that you have on avery remote uh island in
scotland, which has a verysignificance for then you world
war ii aficionados theycertainly know that it was a a

(30:16):
crucial naval base, uh for theuh, the, the British Navy, and
this is one of those truly offthe beaten path destinations and
I would say it's a hidden gemwhich a lot of travelers are
looking for and they're readingtheir Lonely Planet guidebook or
they're doing research on thedestination and they discover we
need to go to the OrkneyIslands and they're like, oh,
there's Scapa Flow and oh,there's this distillery on this

(30:37):
incredibly remote place.

Speaker 2 (30:40):
So that's where it creates opportunity for tourism
yes, and we're very luckybecause actually our Scapa Nus
so till two years ago and 2023.
So when we created, actuallyour visitor center of that
distillery was just a very, verytiny closed tasting room room
in the same entrance area,because it's very, very tiny,

(31:03):
but at the end we areoverlooking the sea and we are
overlooking in front of us theScapa Flow.
So we said what's a betterplace in the world to sit and
taste and understand thisparticular whiskey made in this
island?
So we asked to a Scottisharchitect called Mark Fresen to

(31:24):
do something to create abuilding, because we wanted a
building.
So he created this Noose isactually the technical term we
give to the traditional boatshelter that they have in the
scavenging and so he represented, he realized actually the
building architecturally like anoose, and around us, in front

(31:45):
of us, there is the history ofthat battle.
Of that, you know, there is thepast.
As I said before, we are thecustodians of the past, but at
the same time, you leave a verystrong emotion being in that
building, built with thematerial of the island, with the
architecture of the island, sowith Orkney.
So that's a perfect example andhow we are reboosting that

(32:06):
destination.

Speaker 1 (32:08):
Well, my mom and I are planning a trip to Scotland.
My mom's English.
I was born in England, as maybesome of our listeners know, but
she's desperate to get back toScotland for a visit.
So we've been planning a tripand that's on our list.
For sure We'll be right back.
Are you looking for ways to growyour travel business through

(32:29):
paid media and optimized SEO?
Then you have to check out ourfriends at Propelliccom.
They are the leading digitalagency for growth in travel and
tourism.
Propellic offers bold digitalmarketing strategies to ensure
your travel company's success.
They have a remarkablemethodology that has actually
been implemented by TravelAIcom,and they are a leading SEO
agency globally and offer arange of resources a podcast of

(32:51):
their own, a blog on theirwebsite, propeliccom.
That's P-R-O-P-E-L-L-I-Ccom.
And don't forget to mentionTravel Trends for your free
marketing audit.
Attention, travelers and traveladvisors, are you looking to
elevate your travel experiencebeyond the ordinary?
Then you have to say hello toour good friends at Collette,

(33:11):
where guided travel gets apremium upgrade.
For over 100 years, collettehas been crafting expertly
guided tours that go beyond thestereotypes, with over 170 tours
across all seven continents.
Collette offers somethingcrafting expertly guided tours
that go beyond the stereotypes.
With over 170 tours across allseven continents, collette
offers something for every typeof traveler, from culturally
immersive small group journeysto single city stays and even
river cruises.
And with their industry-leadingtravel protection plan, you can

(33:33):
cancel for any reason up to 24hours before departure.
Plus, when you book air withColette, they even offer a
private chauffeur service to andfrom the airport.
Discover why travelers loveColette and why guided travel is
thriving.
Join the evolution of traveltoday at gocolettecom.
Your next adventure awaits.

(33:54):
That's gocolettecom.
Our longtime listeners will bevery familiar with travelaicom,
one of our sponsors from thevery beginning.
They've sponsored the last twoseasons and also our AI Summit.
You might actually rememberthey were recently featured in
Season 4,.
The two co-founders, johnLiotier and Chris Jensen, live
from Focusrite, where theyshared how their innovative use

(34:16):
of AI is reshaping the travelindustry.
If you missed it, we highlyrecommend going back to hear
their inspiring story ofbuilding one of the fastest
growing, profitable AI companiesin travel.
Entirely bootstrapped Travel AIis revolutionizing the industry
by blending AI poweredefficiency with personalized,
human centered travelexperiences, from micro

(34:37):
segmentation to tailored travelsolutions.
Their mission is to enhanceevery traveler's journey while
setting the pace for travel'sfuture.
Here's how you can join theexciting mission.
If you or someone you know intech or AI is looking for a new
career that combines innovationand impact, then head to
TravelAIcom or follow them onLinkedIn to explore more

(34:57):
opportunities.
They are growing fast.
Thanks again for your continuedsupport.
And now back to the show.
Let's bring it back to NorthAmerica for a moment, where,
obviously, I'm based.
You are in Paris, as ourlisteners heard, and Pernod
Ricard is so much more of aknown brand in the European
market, given the history ofPernod and Ricard and even when

(35:19):
I was in France you can see allof the advertising for Ricard
the pastis I had my very firstRicard drink in Paris with
Alexander Ricard, who is the CEOof Pernod Ricard, which was an
extraordinary experience for meto cheers him and to think his
grandfather created this drinkand, ultimately, this global
empire that he now runs.
So that was really cool.
And when I've been to Francesince, I've seen people playing

(35:42):
Patonk and drinking Ricard andit's been incredible that you
have really modernized thatexperience for a younger
generation and so, but this iswhere you've got such great
brand recognition in Europe.
And then, when I think about theUS, there's still so much
opportunity to raise awarenessfor Pernod Ricard and even the
brands that you own, and when Ithink about the US, there's
still so much opportunity toraise awareness for Pernod
Ricard and even the brands thatyou own.

(36:02):
So the place I really want totalk about is the Bourbon Trail,
and this has been top of mind,for as we've been dealing with
these global tariffs, all of asudden this comes into focus
because wait a second, don't puttariffs on our bourbon, and so
it highlights just how big anindustry it is and how important

(36:23):
an industry is, and that hasn'thappened.
So I know people love theBourbon Trail, but tell us a
little bit about what theBourbon Trail is and some of the
distilleries that you havethere.

Speaker 2 (36:32):
Yeah, and that's very interesting because this is
exactly from Scapa.
We were talking about thecustodians of the past, but
talking about Bourbon Trail, wecan talk about where the future
begins Because, actually, thanksto the collaboration of many,
many distilleries of differentgroups, who put the strength
together in 1999, actually sevendistilleries created this

(36:57):
Bourbon Trail.
Distilleries created thisbourbon trail and say, okay,
what if people are coming tokentucky and discover really
that this bourbon, this product,which is really linked to this
terroir and it's so important?
So there were just seven at thebeginning and step by step
today, do you know, dan, howmany distilleries are part of
the kentucky bourbon trade?

Speaker 1 (37:17):
I do not know.
I haven't done this yet.
So no, tell me 60.
I'll be guessing 60.
Wow.

Speaker 2 (37:22):
Zero, so there are 60 .
And for us we're very proud tobe part of it with Rabbit Hole.
So Rabbit Hole entered in theKentucky Bourbon Trail in 1999
because it's a quite recentbrand and a recent brand name
but actually became very, verysoon heralded as the new
architectural icon of theKentucky Barbon Trail, because

(37:44):
it's separate.
In Louisville you have thetrail Louisville, but in
different counties of Kentucky.
But I'm talking aboutLouisville because it's where we
are.
So we have a traditional roadwhere main distilleries are, and
Rabbit Hole is actually in NewLoo, in the district, the design
district, and so we wanted tocreate, and we brought to the

(38:08):
Kentucky Barbell Trail as well,something very modern, very new.
There is a bar with a rooftopsurrounding with an incredible
view on all reveals.
So actually is how that exampleis how the collective strength
can develop a destination.
So I said 60 distilleries, butif you think that today more

(38:29):
than 2.7 million visitors aregoing to Kentucky to experience
the Kentucky Barrel Road Trail,it's incredible because actually
and I could mention as wellsame numbers, similar numbers to
scotland so many, many yearsago people were going to these
destinations for any othercultural event, for discovery or

(38:51):
traditional tourism.
Today, the spirit tourism,which is a new term that I want
to spread around the world moreand more, because wine tourism
is very well established, butfew people are really
understanding and knowing verywell what is spirit tourism.
And spirit tourism is leadingthis nation, as in Kentucky.
We did it very well with thecollective effort and collective

(39:14):
collaboration.

Speaker 1 (39:16):
Well, it's interesting you mention that,
because there's certainly been abig trend towards cocktails and
cocktail bars and having thespecific spirits that suit that
drink best.
And just on a related note, Iwas out we were having gin and
tonics and the waiter hadsuggested Monkey 47, which I
hadn't had before, and then Idiscovered of course that's
actually part of Panova Cardsbrands and he was highlighting

(39:38):
the botanicals and the fragranceand it was just interesting to
hear someone promoting Monkey 47and this gin, for exactly the
reason you described is thatthis is what would lead someone
to then wanting to find out moreabout Monkey 47 and then just
determining oh, there's a placeyou can actually go and visit.
But as it relates to theBourbon Trail, I want to stay on

(40:00):
that topic because I'm verykeen to go there at some point.
I didn't know those.
The numbers are staggering.
You mentioned like 3 millionvisitors, I think.
When I looked at the stats forAmericans traveling to Ireland
or Scotland, it was more like500,000, 700,000.
So when you think about thedomestic opportunity, it's
significant, and one of thethings that we're certainly
seeing right now as an is thatmany Americans are looking to

(40:22):
national parks, and so I thinkthis is why I wanted to keep on

(40:47):
the Bourbon Trail, because Ihaven't been and many of our
listeners may be intrigued,especially this year, to go and
check out the Bourbon Trail anddo a road trip.
So I can't believe there's 60.
I was going to maybe guess 10or 12.
So clearly I was going to beway off.
But when we think about theexperience of going to the
Bourbon Trail, a place likeRabbit Hole, how do you fit in
with that whole?

(41:08):
How do you market thatdestination as people are
considering taking the BourbonTrail?
Are people just stumbling uponRabbit Hole?
How do you make sure thatAmericans know that?

Speaker 2 (41:19):
actually, if you're going to do the Bourbon of
Kentucky Derby, which is anannual rendezvous with lots of

(41:47):
people Americans coming toKentucky for that event.
And in this case we partnered,for example, and we're present,
so we promote and we basicallythen what is important is how
Rabbit Hole is different,because it's not just a question
of advertising, so how the teamof Eric and Annie, all the

(42:09):
people working in the RabbitHole, believe in the creation of
those experiences and createsomething differentiating
themselves from the otherdistilleries.
So if you create thatdifference immediately, you can
attract because you know, asyears ago, if you look at the
past, in the past year, thefirst distillery or created the
experience bottle your own or,you know, you create your blend

(42:32):
was making the difference attime and so people were choosing
to go there for that reason.
In our cases, for example, wewere focusing in the last year
in much more impressive tastingsand particular tastings and
pairing food.
So experiences inside the brandin this sense and as well the
fact of lots of artisticcollaboration and design

(42:54):
collaboration that we have withthe brand, are definitely
attracting cultural lovers.
As you said quite at thebeginning of our episode, it's
not only about bourbon lovers,also how we attract other
audiences to bourbon, thatdestination, and then the heart
is beating and they becomerabbit hole lovers well, one of

(43:15):
the things as I was preparingfor our conversation, laura, I
was actually looking at thebourbon trail specifically, and
it the kentucky derby wasrecently on and we're talking
about louisville, kentucky.

Speaker 1 (43:24):
There was this neighborhood that it was
referred to as, uh, new lou, andit's it's new louisville, which
this is like.
I also find this allfascinating too, because I you
know, when you think aboutcertain US destinations, they
have a French heritage and aFrench connection, and so
Louisville, obviously King Louis, and so it's there's, there's
so much, I guess, when I startedpeeling it back and thinking

(43:46):
about this really cool, modern,artsy area within Louisville,
kentucky, if this is where thisis why we all need to travel
more and learn our history andexperience new destinations,
because you see how connected weare and but yeah, so that
certainly stood out to me as areason to actually go was

(44:09):
actually the neighborhood it'slocated in and the fact you get
to have all these otherexperiences.

Speaker 2 (44:14):
And gastronomy is very important as well.
I mean gastronomy that you canpair.
I mean it's not only about us.
There's also very importantthen that if we look at
ourselves only and say, okay,the experience maybe is lasting
one hour and a half, you cankeep the conversation and
connection with people a coupleof hours, so more you are
connected with the neighborhoodsand with the particularity of

(44:37):
your part of the city where youare, or the gastronomy
experience you can offer yourhotel experience.
I remember in louisville therewas an excellent hotel
experience with a all around therepeal day.
You know it was an importanttradition and and in the history
of the of the bourbon, which iscan be lived as well when you,

(44:58):
when you travel to leave it I'mnot saying more so you can
discover yourself when you'regoing, going there.

Speaker 1 (45:04):
The other one you mentioned too is TX in Texas.
So, like moving, you're stillstaying in the American South.
And TX whiskey, the buildingitself, the TX Whiskey, the
building itself, the TX WhiskeyRanch itself looks extraordinary
.
It's because it's obviously aranch and it's in Fort Worth,
texas, which I've been to before, and Fort Worth is a really

(45:25):
special part of Texas.
It's like it's it's like the,as far as it's the most Texas
Texas gets.
I mean, yes, there's Dallas andSan Antonio, but Fort Worth is
what you imagine when you thinkof Texas.
I guess is one way to put it.
And so tell us a little bitabout that, because now we're
moving from bourbon to whiskeyand obviously there's a
commonality between these two.
But the reason I'm asking aboutthat, laura, is because I'm

(45:45):
keen to know how important theUS market is, and you mentioned
something there a moment agoabout tying these experiences
together for spirits lovers andfor people who are interested in
that style of travel.
So tell us a little bit aboutTexas specifically and then how
you envision tying this togetherfor the American audience.

Speaker 2 (46:05):
Thank you for talking about Texas because for me, atx
Whiskey's branch is a greatexample of how we can go really
beyond the brand and we can goreally beyond the experience,
because we have a huge programin that ranch with not only
about tasting or about cocktailclasses.
So the TX Whiskey Ranch wascreated as well recently, but

(46:30):
the strength of that brand, forexample, is to be located not
far from Fort Worth and as wellfrom Dallas, because it's less
than one hour from Dallas.
Most of us have a programlinked to activities of Texas.
You said you felt like arrivingin Texas.
We have the cobalt leatherboots recycled on the cap, but

(46:51):
as well on Wednesday, forexample, afternoon we organize
the famous Wednesday at thebranch.
So what we do is we create anecosystem, we create
entertainment.
So a brand home is not only aplace where an international
visitor, traveler who took aplane or train, can get into for
two hours and then go back home, it's also for locals.

(47:15):
So every Wednesday afternoon inthat ranch we invite local
music band, country band, andthey are on our terrace and
people can sip a cocktail andcan eat some food and listen to
the music.
And so we not only givevisibility to those bands and so
to the other artists, but aswell, we create a repetitive

(47:37):
visit.
So we create a place whereactually, potentially in your
life, you have three places yourworkplace, your home and TX
Whiskey Ranch.
So on Wednesday afternoon youhave like a rendezvous.
On Saturday morning we do yogaclasses on the terrace of the
ranch, so we really have a very,very full program.

(47:57):
Cooking classes with barbecueclasses, because we also created
a barbecue rub with a with awhiskey ingredient and with the
tx whiskey ingredient inside.
So actually, what is importantfor me to highlight in the case
of the TX and many of our brandnames in America is that we're
not focusing only to attractingtravelers from far.

(48:19):
Today, people looking forexperiences are also the local
living, and I think pandemicgave us a big lesson on that
point.
So instead of spending money inowning a product, you want to
spend time, qualitative time,with people you love.
So maybe, as some of ourfriends have said in the past,

(48:40):
what if travel is not only whereyou go but what you love and
who you meet?
And this is the case of whathappened in our brand homes.

Speaker 1 (48:48):
Well, it's interesting Because of the brand
homes like.
I'm based in Toronto, as manyof our listeners know, which is
Ontario, canada, and it's ashort distance from Niagara
Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake,and that's our wine region.
You have Foreign Affair there,a winery, so it's a place where
we'll take family or whenthey're visiting, we'll go down
to Niagara-on-the-Lake and soyou can create a vacation to

(49:14):
your point about in your ownbackyard or that you don't
necessarily need to travel,however there is.
You know, you have propertiesin Mexico, and specifically
tequila, which is my preferredspirit of choice, so I
definitely have to get there atsome point.
But this is where, when you're,you know Americans traveling to
Mexico that actually it'salready in sync with their
travel plans, and then they canadd this into the consideration
for their trip or do theirresearch and figure out how they
build it into their trip.

(49:35):
I certainly love the idea, laura, of being able to visit
multiple places and be able tohave these experiences around
spirits and how they werecreated, and the Pastis and
Patonk is one great example ofjust.
It's much more of a culturalexperience and even when I was
in France, you can see theshirts and I think in each of

(49:57):
these destinations, creatingthese experiences, is exactly
what travelers are looking fortoday, and I know you guys are
continuing to expand globallyand I think you've got I think
you've just got back from Japan,I know you've got initiatives
as well in China.
What are some of the other bigdevelopments that are coming up
with?
Pernod Ricard some, thecreation of the single malt

(50:20):
distillery in China, in Sichuanregion which is a perfect

(50:40):
example of investing.

Speaker 2 (50:42):
For me, at least, was the first and only time,
probably in my life, where yousee the creation of a brand and,
at the same time, pernod RicardGroup decided to create the
home of the brand exactly in theformat, to welcome travelers
and whiskey lovers and toeducate as well, because we have
a mission as well and acommitment to educate to become

(51:05):
a good life taster and productand join responsibly our product
, our products.
So the Chuan in Aimé-Chan is agood example of the last
creation, opening late in theend of 2023, in December 2023.
So it's just one year, one yearold.
It's a very recent baby but atthe same time, not only recent

(51:28):
baby in terms of brand, but arecent baby in terms of brands.
But a reason, maybe in terms ofbehavior for travelers.
So in Europe or in America, weare very used to go and visit
distilleries or wineries, butthis sort of experience is less
common in China.
So we were practicallypioneering this type of
experience in the same place, atthe bottom of this Aimei

(51:50):
Mountain, at the bottom of thisEmei Mountain, which is bringing
tourists and travelers forother reasons, because there is
a spiritual retreat, tourismthere and water, spa and
wellness typical destination inEmei.
So we're bringing now anadditional new cultural

(52:10):
destination.
So we have an art exhibition,we have a distillery tour, craft
experiences to learn and beeducated around whiskey the
Chinese whiskey and as well, avery important restaurant.
We deal with a local partnerwith that restaurant.
So we really actually we shiftin historical destination and a

(52:32):
way to travel that Chinesetravelers have to another one,
and so that's the part ofpassion which is fascinating me
the most, because we createsomething, new habits and we
participate of the shift of theindustry as well.

Speaker 1 (52:49):
Yeah, well, that's where you know there's a huge
market in Asia and China andJapan.
I mean Japan is having as youknow, you've just been there I
mean it's having record tourismnumbers and Asia really is unto
itself for people who aretraveling around within that
region.
I think that's the one otherthing that many Western nations
don't fully appreciate is justhow much travel is happening

(53:10):
within Asia itself is just howmuch travel is happening within
Asia itself.
And when you go to Thailand andyou see all the Chinese
tourists that are there forChinese New Year and there's a
massive industry just within.
I mean, as Matthew Upchurchhighlighted to me, there's 100
million Chinese travelers thatstill haven't come back to the
global travel industrypost-pandemic and many of those
Chinese travelers are travelingdomestically or they're
traveling within the region.

(53:31):
So that's what I find reallyfascinating about Pernod Ricard
as a truly global business, isthat you have to operate with so
many different cultural factorsand then also looking at
traveler trends, with wherepeople are traveling to, to try
and figure out well, is itAmericans that are going to
Ireland and Scotland, is itAmericans that might be going to

(53:51):
Japan?
And how you approach them.
We'll be right back.
Attention.
Travel operators, destinationmanagement companies and
accommodation providers.
Managing payments doesn't haveto be a source of stress.
Meet Flywire, the modernpayments platform built
specifically for the uniqueneeds of the travel industry.
With Flywire, you can collectpayments from travelers

(54:13):
worldwide with ease, enjoyfaster payouts in your preferred
currency, reduce payment feesand offer your guests flexible
localized payment optionsthey're familiar with.
Not only does Flywire simplifyyour operations, but it also
helps elevate your guestexperience and boost your bottom
line.
That means you can stopworrying about payments and
focus on what you do bestcreating unforgettable travel

(54:34):
experiences.
Discover how Flywire can helpyour business save time, save
money and deliver truly seamlesstransactions.
Visit flywirecom slashtraveltrends to learn more.
That's flywirecom slashtraveltrends.
Hey, travelers, are you lookingto book your next adventure?
Then you have to meet our goodfriends at Flight Center, the

(54:55):
travel-obsessed experts ready tomake your next dream trip a
reality.
For over 40 years they've beenopening up the world to
travelers from the UK, australia, new Zealand and now Flight
Center Canada is celebrating anincredible milestone 30 years of
helping Canadians explore theglobe.
From their first store inVancouver in 1995 to becoming

(55:15):
the official travel agencypartner of the Toronto Raptors
this year, they've been at theforefront of delivering travel
experiences At Flight Centre.
Travel is more than a passion.
It's their expertise.
From flights and accommodationsto cruises and tours, and even
business travel, they handle itall, whether it's crafting a
tailor-made trip or tacklinggroup bookings.
They've got you covered, pluswith exclusive perks like their

(55:38):
new bundle and save $500 on tourand cruise packages.
There's never been a bettertime to plan your getaway.
From the smallest getaways tothe biggest bucket list trips,
your travel goals are just acall or a click away.
Visit flightcenterca slashtraveltrends to explore the
latest deals, learn aboutemerging travel trends and start
planning your next trip.

(56:00):
Hey Travel Trends listeners,I've got a question for you how
much money is your websiteactually leaving on the table?
Right now?
One of our episode sponsorsStay22, has just dropped a new
tool that's kind of a no-brainerand it's called the Stay 22
Revenue Calculator.
It shows you in seconds howmuch you could be earning with
their AI-powered monetizationtech.

(56:21):
No extra ads, no clutter, justclean, additional revenue.
Publishers are already seeingup to 40% more RPM without
changing their setup.
So go check out stay22.com,slash travel trends and hit
revenue calculator.
That's stay22.com slash traveltrends and check out their
revenue calculator.

(56:42):
You might be leaving more onthe table than you think.
And now back to the show.
So I know you've got a talentedteam, laura, but one of the
things I wanted to ask you interms of your future plans and
you alluded to obviouslydeveloping more of a brand
strategy around spirits.

(57:04):
So obviously I know that'slikely going to be one of the
big drivers, so I'm keen to hearmore about that and also just
the role of brand partnerships,because on our Forbes travel
guide series and you know that Iwas there in Monaco at the
summit we just did this 10-partseries that many of our
listeners have been enjoying aswell, and one of the highlights
we talked about was a companycalled Bon Collab that they had
introduced this year andannounced, and Bon Collab is

(57:26):
essentially what enables luxurybrands to work with luxury
properties, and I know a lot ofour listeners would have
absolutely experienced this whenyou check into your luxury
hotel, that you will find LouisVuitton bags or certain things
for sale or integrated in theexperience, and so I feel like
there's got to be a lot ofopportunities for partnerships

(57:48):
with Pernod Ricard.
So I'm asking that questionbecause I'm sure people are
listening to this.
I'm keen to reach out to you orcollaborate with Pernod Ricard,
but tell us where you're headedwith the brand homes and then
tell us how you're working withdifferent partners.

Speaker 2 (58:00):
Yes, there are a couple of elements you just said
which are very interesting forme because, first, incredible
teams.
Without them, that connectionin the 20 different countries
where our brand owners are setwon't be possible, as you said.
Second, the travelers wereceive.
So we receive internationaltravelers, but as well we need

(58:22):
to face and respect and welcomealso our local and domestic.
So every time our teams areplanning new experiences or
expanding or creatingpartnerships, they both take in
account how we present andintroduce our destination, our
branding to the destinationthrough the experience, to

(58:45):
locals but as well to very wideexpect different expectations
from international football.
Third element it's also veryimportant for me is in the
expansion is what you mentionedabout the prestige and luxury.
So inside our family of BrandHome, we have a part of our duty

(59:06):
, I think, in the industry andpart of my mission will be to
focus on how we let people knowaround the world that the spirit
tourism exists.
Then the spirit places, thehome of the spirits, are not
only the places to learn ortaste.
They are the places where youconnect with culture, history

(59:27):
and you understand better thedestination you're visiting.
So that's an important missionand we can do it definitely
around the world because we havewhiskeys or gins which are in
the different continents,including a gin in South Africa,
you can imagine.
So we have gin in Tokyo, gin inSouth Africa, we have tequila.
We have whiskeys in America, inIreland, in Scotland.

(59:49):
So different approach aroundthe world.
But as well, there is anotherparameter, another expansion and
point of attention for me forthe future years.
It will be around prestige.
I have the chance to lead withmy teams a lot of places which
are historically very important.

(01:00:10):
I'm mentioning Maison BelleEpoque, the largest private
collection of art nouveau inEurope, or Chateau de Chanteloup
, created in 1858, so a very oldmansion in Cognac.
Or the Linn House, anhistorical castle that we have
in the northern Scotland.
So places like those, and eventhe chance that we have one of

(01:00:31):
our brand homes inside Tower ofLondon for the Royal Salute
brand.
So these places are particularplaces with a very, very rich
and they are charged of historyand so on these places we would
love to collaborate much morewith concierge, with very
high-end natural individuals,travel companies, and to make

(01:00:55):
discovering a gastronomicapproach, an historical approach
, a very deep experience.
We can also sleep under theircastle and rooms for
accommodation in these places.
So collaborating and partneringwith very high-end luxury
brands will be key for us.
But particularly we started aswell with some hotel groups for

(01:01:20):
the wider approach, likeMarriott Bonvoy, for example.
So we created for the Marriottguests in Marriott Bonvoy
experiences redeemable by points.
So we work in sort of beatswith them and it's successful
and it's around the world.
It's in Kyoto, it's in Dublin,in Cognac, in different

(01:01:41):
locations.
We partner with big partners atMarriott to expand and
collaborate and bring powerfuland insightful answers to the
new traveler's needs.

Speaker 1 (01:01:56):
Yeah, it's interesting that Marriott
example is a perfect one,because that's exactly like the
Bond, colab and Forbes TravelGuide and what they're seeing is
a major trend in terms ofretail experiences and
connecting luxury brands withluxury travelers, and I think
we're only at the beginning ofthat.
I stay at Westin Hotels fromtime to time and the Westin, the
Westin, heavily beds.
Every time I stay at a Westinhotel, all I want to do is order

(01:02:17):
their entire bed collection andbring that home with me to have
that same experience.
Westin's not a sponsor of thispodcast, but I do love staying
at Westin hotels for that reason.
But that just highlights havinga delightful guest experience
and I think that's what has beencentral to our conversation
today, because this is thein-destination experiences and

(01:02:38):
some of the conversations we'rehaving as part of this series
with you, with Christian, andthen, of course, with Joe Pine
and Jake from TransformationalTravel, who are also going to be
highlighting some of thesetraveler trends and shifting
behaviors.
I wanted to make sure we finishoff on that note too, laura,

(01:02:59):
because clearly you know you'relooking at the data.
You have a great understandingof who your customers are.
I know we can always have morevisibility, for sure, but you
certainly you know, sitting asthe head of this, you know a
great brand with great potentialfor growth, especially in the
tourism sector, and that's whatexcites me most about Pernod
Ricard's involvement in thisspace is that, you know, being a

(01:03:22):
spirits company, you have theopportunity to become a travel
company and to offer travelexperiences and to be able to
really grow that side of thebusiness.
So what I wanted to ask you whatare some of the trends that
you're paying attention to inconsumer behavior?
And I know we've touched on anumber of them here, but I was
just keen to know where you seethis industry headed, because

(01:03:43):
you mentioned some things that Ireally liked about the strong
emotional connection, and whenwe heard from Christian just
describing the experience ofgoing to Dublin and experiencing
the whiskey tasting there atJameson Again, for me not being
a whiskey lover, it sounded soamazing I'm like I have to
experience this so that clearlythere's something innate there

(01:04:04):
that is, a human desire to beable to travel, to be able to
have these experiences.
So what are some of the thingsyou're really focusing on as you
grow this brand and encouragemore people to visit these brand
homes?
Where are we headed, laura?

Speaker 2 (01:04:17):
So for me, we need to stay focused.
We need to listen as I saidmany times during this episode
to the travelers and what theyreally need, and not to make
pleasure to ourselves, to thelot on all the trends and
everything.
So for me, first of all, if Ilook where my brand homes are,
where perner car homes aresettled, we definitely can

(01:04:41):
contribute to develop the tourdestinations, because today
there is a one term, which isthe over tourism.
All the traditionaldestinations see cities
collapsing under tourism.
So many of our places will playa key role with the experience.
We propose to develop the tourdestinations, which sometimes

(01:05:04):
are not known.
So create the awareness abouttheir existence and what you can
experience in there will bereally key.
Then as well, I think we aredefinitely in the trends of the
slow travel.
So, taking the time, when wewere talking about connection,
we were talking about emotions.
Definitely our places areplaces for longer stay.

(01:05:28):
So to incentive people to keepand stay longer in places and to
travel a little bit slower, butas well, maybe, why not?
I mean we were talking aboutlocals, about the workation.
So people are maybe moving forbusiness trips and they want to
stay.
They can stay longer if theyhave an offer in those cities

(01:05:49):
where they're moving forbusiness to stay and work there
and sell a bit longer, or maybestay one month.
We never know if they findattractive solutions.
So I think definitely to end onthis that the responsible
travel and the sustainablepractices that we are embodying
as well in our commitment on theresponsible hosting we

(01:06:12):
certified all our homes asresponsible hosts to educate
people.
So this sort of educationtravel slow and take the time,
connect with the locals, connectwith the people will be key in
the future of our traveldestination that we are
contributing to my teams.
They do all the best every daywith a lot of passion, which is

(01:06:35):
the main ingredient when youwork in experiential travel.
So the main ingredient is thepassion of every people you're
going to meet, who are sometimesvery international teams but
sometimes led by very local aswell.
It's a mix of the two that canshare their passion and share
their secrets and our brandsecrets with all the people who

(01:06:57):
are and to visit us in the nextyear.

Speaker 1 (01:06:59):
That's great, and one of the things that stood out
for me is that the opportunityfor travelers to have an escape
and this idea oftransformational travel, which I
find really compelling, becauseultimately, I think that's one
of the things that I've alwaysidentified that I love about
travel is being transported toanother world and a time and be
immersed and you are out of yourday-to-day reality and then

(01:07:20):
when you come back to your homeor to your work and you see the
world a little differently, that, for me, has always been one of
the real joys of travel and I'msure we share that, laura.
But this is where I'm very keento see how things continue to
evolve for Pernod Ricard,because I'm very convinced that

(01:07:40):
this style of travel, as peoplelook at like, say, google things
to do and are trying to figureout what they want to do in a
destination, that they should belooking at opportunities like
this, even if they're not in theconsideration set right now,
because of the overallexperience you could have by
virtue of the location and thehistory and the culture for
spirits or non-spirits lovers.

(01:08:02):
So yeah, I don't know, you'vegot a terrific team.
Obviously, I think the world ofyou, laura, and I'm sure the
audience can sense that from ourconversation today.
So I'm really excited to seewhere you're headed with this
branding, because I think thatthat is a massive opportunity
for Pernod Ricard.
So I'm keen to see how that allcomes together.
But I also want to make surethat all of our listeners,

(01:08:24):
especially since we are veryheavily B2B one of the things
that came up in one of theconversations with one of the
brand homes at one point wasjust how much business they get
from travel agents and how theyactually work with different
tour operators and build it intotheir tour.
So I would love to make sureall of our listeners know how
they can collaborate with you.
So, beyond just people thathave listened to this, they're

(01:08:46):
keen to travel to thesedestinations.
I think more people listeningto this are going to be that
much more likely to want topartner with you send their
travelers there.
So I'd love to finish on thatnote and tell people how they
can connect with you and learnmore about partnering with
Pernod Ricard.

Speaker 2 (01:09:02):
Please contact me.
We have plenty of solutions and, most of all, we personalize.
I mean the last word.
I would like to say to allthese partners that I know
they're listening.
What I would like to say to allthese partners that I know
they're listening as myself Ilisten with very interest to all
your podcast series, dan is donot hesitate, because we need to

(01:09:22):
innovate, we need tocollaborate together and the
personalization is really key.
So very often, what I do withthe partners is we never propose
to all of the partners packagesalready existing.
We co-create to ensure that thepersonalized experience that an
OTA or a travel partner iscreating is definitely adapted

(01:09:46):
to his audience and to thetarget he wants to reach.
So please feel free to reach.
So please feel free, dan, cangive my email to any of you who
want to collaborate with thePernod Ricard Homes to develop
destinations around the world inAmerica, europe and China and
Japan and South Africa.
We are in Mexico, we areeverywhere and we're very keen

(01:10:08):
to co-create every time andplease contact us.

Speaker 1 (01:10:12):
Perfect, and it's Laura Cilio Pavat at Pernod
Ricard.
But it's Laura Cilio-PavatP-A-V-A-T.
But you can look up Laura forsure on LinkedIn.
She's very active on LinkedInand I appreciate you extending
your email as well.
I'm very keen to find outeveryone that reaches out to you

(01:10:32):
to certainly to be able topartner with you.
So that's much appreciated,laura, and I'm certainly keen to
keep in touch with you.
I mean, obviously we're greatfriends, so we'll be in touch
anyway.
But I'm also a big champion ofPernod Ricard, having to know
you and the team so well, so I'mvery keen to continue to see
your success and look forward tofuture collaborations.

(01:10:53):
So thank you so much for makingthe time for this, thank you
for sponsoring this series, andI look forward to seeing you in
person again soon.

Speaker 2 (01:10:59):
Thank you very much, Dan, and my last question for
you is are you ready to comehome, Dan?

Speaker 1 (01:11:06):
I am so ready.

Speaker 2 (01:11:07):
I am so ready, you are more than welcome to visit
and to stay with us in all thehomes we have.
Thank you very much for givingus the opportunity to be part of
this series.

Speaker 1 (01:11:18):
Thanks so much for joining us on this episode two
of our deep dive into the worldof in-destination experiences.
I hope you enjoyed theconversation today with Laura
Cilio-Povat, the global head ofbrand homes for Pernod Ricard.
Next week, we are going to havethe bestselling author, joe
Pine, and the founder of theTransformational Travel Council,
jake Halpert, join us for aepisode on transformational

(01:11:41):
travel experiences, which isgoing to be the theme of Joe
Pine's next book coming out in afew months time and, as you've
heard, we are going to bringback this concept for season six
, which launches in September.
But before that, you can checkout all the highlights on our
YouTube, linkedin and Instagramchannels at Travel Trends
Podcast, and don't forget tosubscribe to our monthly

(01:12:04):
newsletter atTravelTrendsPodcastcom for the
updates on our latest travels,spotlight episodes and all of
our plans for season six and ourAI summit.
Thanks again for joining ustoday, thanks again to the
Panora car team for sponsoringthis series and I look forward
to you joining us next week.
Until then, safe travels.
Advertise With Us

Popular Podcasts

Stuff You Should Know
The Joe Rogan Experience

The Joe Rogan Experience

The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.

Dateline NBC

Dateline NBC

Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.

Music, radio and podcasts, all free. Listen online or download the iHeart App.

Connect

© 2025 iHeartMedia, Inc.