You Came to the Right Place, by TravelPulse Canada

In the latest episode of You Came To The Right Place, hosts Natasha Lair and Jen Mallia sit down with Donna Looby, Regional Sales Manager at Brendan Vacations, to discuss the trends shaping travel to the Celtic Isles and the opportunities advisors shouldn't overlook. You'll learn: • Why bookings for 2027 are already gaining momentum• How small group travel is attracting experienced travellers and solo adventurers• The growing appeal of ancestry and heritage travel among Canadians• Why multi-generational families are choosing Ireland and Scotland• The client segments advisors should be targeting right now• What top-selling advisors are doing differently to grow their business Looby also shares insights from her own experience growing up in Ireland, explains why these destinations continue to resonate with Canadian travellers, and discusses the tools, training, and support available to advisors through Brendan Vacations. Plus, hear details about Brendan Vacations' current booking incentives and an upcoming Ireland FAM designed specifically for travel advisors. Episode 7 of You Came to the Right Place is now available on all major podcast platforms. Sláinte! ABOUT THE HOSTS Between them, Natasha Lair and Jen Mallia bring more than four decades of media and travel editorial experience to the mic. Ontario-based Natasha, Managing Editor of TravelPulse Canada, is warm, funny, and deeply curious, known for finding the human angle and cutting through industry spin with factual, unbiased reporting. Edmonton-based Jen, Senior Editor and travel media expert, pairs two decades of travel editorial experience with charm, quick wit, and sharp industry insight. From Central Canada to the West, they’ve got their ears to the ground, delivering real talk, smart analysis, and just enough sarcasm to keep it interesting. ABOUT THE SHOW You Came to the Right Place is a Canadian travel industry podcast from TravelPulse Canada. Expect smart conversation, insider context, and the kind of straight talk that doesn’t always make it into a press release. Each episode blends candid conversations between two editors, interviews with industry leaders, advisors, destination execs, and the people behind the stories we publish. If you work in travel, you came to the right place.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode 5 of You Came to the Right Place, co-hosts Natasha Lair and Jen Mallia go behind the scenes of the 2026 TravelPulse Canada Readers’ Choice Awards. Recorded just days after the event at the Four Seasons Hotel Toronto, the episode offers a candid recap of the highs, hilarity and heartfelt moments that made this year’s awards unforgettable. The conversation covers everything from the explosive reactions inside the ballroom and the rise of ultra-competitive categories to music, fashion, and the meaning of the Readers’ Choice Awards to the industry. “One of the biggest moments every year at the awards is the Canadian Travel Hall of Fame,” Lair says. “They were so honoured and appreciative, which felt really good.” ABOUT THE HOSTS Between them, Natasha Lair and Jen Mallia bring more than four decades of media and travel editorial experience to the mic. Ontario-based Natasha, Managing Editor of TravelPulse Canada, is warm, funny and deeply curious, known for finding the human angle and cutting through industry spin with factual, unbiased reporting. Edmonton-based Jen, Senior Editor and travel media expert, pairs two decades of travel editorial experience with charm, quick wit and sharp industry insight. From Central Canada to the West, they’ve got their ears to the ground, delivering real talk, smart analysis and just enough sarcasm to keep it interesting. ABOUT THE SHOW You Came to the Right Place is a Canadian travel industry podcast from TravelPulse Canada. Expect smart conversation, insider context, and the kind of straight talk that doesn’t always make it into a press release. Each episode blends candid conversations between two editors, interviews with industry leaders, advisors, destination execs, and the people behind the stories we publish. If you work in travel, you came to the right place.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Episode Three of You Came to the Right Place, hosts Natasha and Jen sit down with Johanna “Joey” Silver, a travel consultant with Expedia Cruises in St. Albert, Alberta. With more than eight years in the industry, Joey shares how she found her niche in curated, experience-driven travel, and why those “from-scratch” itineraries are where she thrives. She talks about the growing demand for immersive travel, the rise of set-jetting (yes, Game of Thrones and Lord of the Rings fans, this one’s for you), and how advisors can turn one-time bookings into long-term relationships built on trust. From client anxiety around global travel to shifting booking behaviours, Joey offers insight on navigating uncertainty and why transparency and realistic expectations matter more than ever. Plus, in this episode’s Pulse Check, Joey weighs in on underrated trends, red-eye flights, and why “Eye of the Tiger” might just be the unofficial anthem of Canadian travel. ABOUT THE HOSTS Between them, Natasha Lair and Jen Mallia bring more than four decades of media and travel editorial experience to the mic. Ontario-based Natasha, Managing Editor of TravelPulse Canada, is warm, funny and deeply curious, known for finding the human angle and cutting through industry spin with factual, unbiased reporting. Edmonton-based Jen, Senior Editor and travel media expert, pairs two decades of travel editorial experience with charm, quick wit and sharp industry insight. From Central Canada to the West, they’ve got their ears to the ground, delivering real talk, smart analysis and just enough sarcasm to keep it interesting. ABOUT THE SHOW You Came to the Right Place is a Canadian travel industry podcast from TravelPulse Canada. Expect smart conversation, insider context, and the kind of straight talk that doesn’t always make it into a press release.Each episode blends candid conversations between two editors, interviews with industry leaders, advisors, destination execs, and the people behind the stories we publish. If you work in travel, you came to the right place.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the debut episode of You Came to the Right Place: TravelPulse Canada’s Podcast, hosts Natasha Lair and Jen Mallia sit down with Alberta-based Go Travel advisor Patrice Beasley to discuss what Canadians are booking right now. Beasley says she’s seeing more women taking big bucket-list trips, from Bali to Africa. “Single ladies are just being bold and taking those big trips,” she says. The conversation also explores softening demand for U.S. travel, growing interest in Canadian destinations like the Maritimes and Vancouver Island, and a shift toward experiential travel. Plus, the hosts share a few laughs about multi-gen trips, dream destinations and travel trends. This episode is sponsored by AmaWaterways. ABOUT THE HOSTS Between them, Natasha Lair-McKenty and Jen Mallia bring more than four decades of media and travel editorial experience to the mic. Ontario-based Natasha, Managing Editor of TravelPulse Canada, is warm, funny and deeply curious, known for finding the human angle and cutting through industry spin with factual, unbiased reporting. Edmonton-based Jen, Senior Editor and travel media expert, pairs two decades of travel editorial experience with charm, quick wit and sharp industry insight. From Central Canada to the West, they’ve got their ears to the ground, delivering real talk, smart analysis and just enough sarcasm to keep it interesting. ABOUT THE SHOW You Came to the Right Place is a Canadian travel industry podcast from TravelPulse Canada. Expect smart conversation, insider context, and the kind of straight talk that doesn’t always make it into a press release. Each episode blends candid conversations between two editors, interviews with industry leaders, advisors, destination execs, and the people behind the stories we publish. If you work in travel, you came to the right place.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.