3 examples of luxury tourism podcasts

Podcasts have already made their mark in the fields of entrepreneurship, education and even museums. And since the end of the pandemic, many sectors have evolved... One of them is the luxury tourism sector, which has turned to podcasts as a means of reaching its audience, telling its story and enhancing its customer experience. Marriott International? Four Seasons? AccorHotels? Who has already launched a podcast? And what's so special about this one?

‍That's what we're looking to find out in this article, which will give you ideas for your luxury tourism podcasts.

The brand podcast and the luxury sector

Today, virtually all the major luxury brands offer podcast collections, including :

• "Dior Talks and Dior Stories,
• "Confidences particulières" from LVMH,
• "3.55" the CHANEL podcast,
• "Gucci" with English pop legend Elton John,
• "Inspire" by Cartier.
• "Harrods' True Tales of Luxury podcast" from luxury brand Harrods,
• "The Barneys Podcast" from luxury brand Barneys,
• "Gucci Podcast" from luxury brand Gucci.
• "The origins of a legend" by Ferrari
• "The Aston Martin Heritage Podcast from Aston Martin
• "Ghost Stories from Rolls Royce
• "The Art of Silence" Audi's podcast series.
• "The Luxury Item" podcast from McLaren Automotive
• The Lexus "Go and See" podcast.
• "Let's Talk Mercedes" by Mercedes Benz
• "Jaguar Enthusiasts' Club
• "Hypnopolis, BMW's science fiction podcast
• "Future Dimensions - the podcast by Mercedes-Benz
• "My car: the right energy" by Jaguar Land Rover

Even better, some French luxury brands like Dior, Hublot, ... are already in season 2 and 3 of their brand podcast. But what about luxury tourism brands?

Examples of luxury travel podcasts

Marriott International: pioneer of the luxury travel podcast

A pioneer of the luxury travel podcast, Marriott International has never hidden its love of the podcast. Indeed, with its first podcast published in 2017, well before the pandemic, Marriot and its editorial director Robin Bennefield were already stressing the importance of audio content for the future. This has led them to have today a series of different podcasts including above all:

• About the Journey, 2020, presented by travel journalist Oneika Raymond.
• Travel by design, presented by award-winning journalist Peter Greenberg.

Some of which, like About the Journey, launched in December 2020, regularly reach Apple Podcast's top 50 in the travel category. A second season is also planned, and Marriott hopes eventually to build a whole network of podcasts. The goal was to "speak to new audiences, and the podcast space represents that (...) a younger audience, it represents a more diverse audience" said Bennefield.Marriott Bonvoy Traveler promoted its show in :

• A newsletter with 12 million members,
• iHeartMedia,
• Spotify,
• "Indie podcasters", to find new audiences.

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Luxury brand - Marriott International

Podcast - About the Journey

Description - An example of a branded podcast that links the Marriott Bonvoy Traveler with the theme of travel. Brought to you by travel journalist Oneika Raymond, this podcast aims to inspire its listeners.

The Four Seasons Hotels and Resort "Take the leap" podcast

The result of a study carried out by the hotel group into travelers' motivations and habits. The "Take the leap" podcast aims to offer audio content that responds to a finding made by this study: 95% of those surveyed believe that going on vacation offers them the opportunity to leave their comfort zone...

Available on :

• Spotify,
• Apple Podcast,
• Four Seasons YouTube channel.

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The first season of this podcast takes listeners on a tour of :

• 3 influencers, like writer Jessica Nabongo, the first black woman to visit every country in the world.
• 3 presenters like Alicia Miller Corbett - editor of Four Seasons owned media magazine
• 3 different Four Seasons destinations like Florence

Given the scale of this podcast, we can well imagine that the brand doesn't intend to stop there, and that other seasons or even other Four Seasons brand podcasts will soon see the light of day.

Luxury brand - Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts

Podcast - Take the leap

Description - An example of a branded podcast that links the Four Seasons to the idea of getting out of one's comfort zone through travel. Each episode features a different world, guests and hosts.

The AccorHotels "local voices global stories" podcast

Produced in English, " Local Voices, Global Stories " is a podcast that highlights the initiatives taken on a daily basis to improve the quality of life in the communities where Accor is located. Over 7 episodes, the Accor Hotels group gives the floor to "Accor Talents", in other words Accor's talents around the world. Each episode lasts 20 minutes and is published every two weeks. It highlights the initiatives taken by Group teams in local and international communities, offering a new vision of hospitality.

Each episode takes place in a different location:

• The second episode in Los Angeles,
• A third in the Maldives,
• The fourth in Dubai,
• A fifth in Australia.

Luxury brand - AccorHotels

Podcast - Local voices, Global stories

Description - An example of a branded podcast that links AccorHotels to its impact on local populations. Each episode features a unique experience, in a unique location around the globe and with unique guests.

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Luxury brand - InterContinental

Podcast - InterContinental Stories

Description - This podcast aims to educate and entertain its audience. The podcast talks about Intercontinent's presence in different regions, its involvement in different cultures. The idea is to show Intercontinental as a leader in creating travel experiences.

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Luxury brand - Hilton

Podcast - The Hilton Effect

Description - Powered by saxophonist YoLanda Brown, the Hilton Effect podcast is an example of a luxury brand podcast. We meet 10 employees (from the executive vice-president, to the concierge, to the chef), in different parts of the world, and their passion for hospitality.

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Luxury brand - Wynn Resorts

Podcast - Official Wynn Resorts Podcasts

Description - A promotional podcast that takes you on a tour of both Wynn Resorts Las Vegas. The podcast offers a chance to meet the people behind the hotel experiences.

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Luxury brand - The Ritz-Carlton

Podcast - SANGU STORIES

Description - A brand podcast designed to share the brand's values. In particular, its work to minimize its ecological impact through interviews.

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Luxury brand - Cambria Hotels

Podcast - Travel inspired with cambria hotels

Description - A podcast that promotes the Cambria experience through interviews with the creators of food, wine and the atmosphere of certain hotels. The second season offers an immersion in the American destinations where the chain is located.

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Luxury brand - Mandarin Oriental's

Podcast - The Legend of the Icons

Description - An example of a branded podcast! Each episode features a new presenter, none other than a well-known writer, who tells a short story (40 min max) about his or her experience in one of the world's hotels.

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Luxury brand - Universal parks and resorts

Podcast - Discover Universal

Description - A podcast to promote Universal Studio Park and Universal Orlando Resort with the help of special guests.

- Expert advice,

- Recommendations,

- Exclusive information,

- Behind-The Scenes

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Luxury brand - Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority podcast

Podcast - The Beach Is Just the Beginning

Description -A podcast designed to promote the destination. Show that this destination has more than just beautiful beaches. Already +10 episodes published.

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Avner UZAN