View From Afar

Live From IPW: John Urdi on Why Huntington Beach Is Having a Moment

How does Surf City USA reintroduce itself to the world — and convert day-trippers into destination visitors — with the World Cup and LA Olympics on the horizon? John Urdi, the new president and CEO of Visit Huntington Beach [https://www.surfcityusa.com/], has a plan: privatize the funding, expand international reach, and tell a bigger story about the 10 miles of coastline behind the headlines. In this IPW 2026 [https://www.ipw.com/] episode, recorded live from the conference floor in Fort Lauderdale, Urdi sits down with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran — who grew up in Huntington Beach — to talk about his move from Mammoth Lakes to the coast, the Live Between Waves campaign, and how a destination that's drawn polarizing national attention is leading with what's there. Episode highlights * The Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID) funding model to Huntington Beach — and what that unlocks for international market expansion * The conversion challenge: only 25 percent of Huntington Beach's traffic is overnight, and how Urdi plans to grow destination visitation through airline partnerships and a conference sales team already up from 56,000 to 87,000 room nights * How Live Between Waves repositions Surf City USA beyond surfing — surf culture, the 10-mile boardwalk, après-surf, and four beachfront hotels you can't get next door in Newport or Laguna * Urdi's "plant more flowers" philosophy for navigating polarizing national headlines, and how community events like A Great Day in the Stoke [https://agreatdayinthestoke.com/] — the largest gathering of Black surfers — tell a different story about who Huntington Beach welcomes * How Huntington Beach plans to capture traffic from the 2026 World Cup and 2028 LA Olympics by being "your open beach" — and Urdi's deep collaboration with Visit Anaheim, Palm Springs, and L.A. Tourism Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar 00:01:30 From Mammoth to the Beach 00:03:00 Building the Hotel Funding Model 00:05:30 Planting Flowers, Not Weeds 00:09:00 Live Between Waves 00:11:30 What's Next on the Waterfront 00:16:00 The World Cup and LA28 Opportunity Resources * Visit Surf City USA [https://www.surfcityusa.com/] * Find Visit Huntington Beach on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/surfcityusa/] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/SurfCityUSA/] * Explore Afar's California travel guide [https://www.afar.com/travel-guides/united-states/california/guide] ✨ Joy & Connection: Urdi walks to work and says hello to everyone he passes on the 15-minute route. It's a small thing, but it's the kind of thing that runs against the headlines — and it's part of what made A Great Day in the Stoke, the largest gathering of Black surfers, feel right at home on Huntington Beach's sand. 🏗️ What's New: Champagne's Kitchen [https://www.champagneskitchenoc.com/] just opened on Main Street, a new restaurant called Huntington's is being built out on the pier, and two major hotel developments are in the works — Magnolia Coast to the south and a 350-room property near Bolsa Chica that would retire the closest-to-shore offshore oil rig. Episode Navigation Previous Episode: Lauren Bennett McGinty, Executive Director of Explore Minnesota [https://play.megaphone.fm/ejyurb-ttp-mgbop9uxcoa] Up Next: Kara Franker, CEO of Visit Florida Keys & Key West Stay Connected * Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. * Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/afarmedia/] and ⁠TikTok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@afarmedia] for behind-the-scenes IPW content. * ⁠Sign up⁠ [https://email.afar.com/join/3n4/signup] for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. * Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. * Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ [https://play.megaphone.fm/me6jf0-9sh2v7--lt5zhyw] and ⁠Unpacked⁠ [https://play.megaphone.fm/xywwd0dms3wa6r1plit3dg]. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ [advertising@airwavemedia.com] if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Live From IPW: Lauren Bennett McGinty on Why Minnesota's Tourism Strategy Starts With "Neighborism"

How do you tell your state's tourism story when the national headlines aren't telling it for you? Lauren Bennett McGinty, executive director of Explore Minnesota [https://www.exploreminnesota.com/], has spent the past year doing exactly that: leaning into authenticity, neighborliness, and the everyday people who make Minnesota, Minnesota. In this IPW 2026 [https://www.ipw.com/] episode, recorded live from the conference floor in Fort Lauderdale, Bennett McGinty sits down with Afar editorial director Billie Cohen to talk about leading a state tourism agency through a year of federal enforcement activity, tensions with Canada, and the Boundary Waters mining ruling. She walks through the Come Visit Your Neighbors campaign — Explore Minnesota's "love letter" to the state — how it came together in a matter of weeks, and why grounding tourism marketing in real people and real stories has become her playbook for navigating crisis. Episode highlights * Why Bennett McGinty calls Come Visit Your Neighbors a "love letter to Minnesota" — and how it came together as a rapid-response bridge campaign * How the Star of the North campaign laid the authenticity groundwork that made the neighbors pivot possible * The numbers behind the campaign: 900,000 people reached, nearly 30,000 clicks, and a 9.5 percent engagement rate in just two weeks * Why Explore Minnesota markets relocation alongside tourism — and how the halo effect helped flip the state's net migration positive for the first time in six years * How the team responded to Google Gemini cutting click-through rates by 40 percent, and what they're learning about AI as a moving target Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome to View From Afar 00:01:50 The Tough Year Behind the Headlines 00:05:30 Defining Neighborism 00:07:30 A Love Letter to Minnesota 00:11:30 Why People Are Moving There 00:14:40 Small Towns, Big Nutcrackers 00:17:20 Lessons for Other Destinations Resources * Visit Explore Minnesota [https://www.exploreminnesota.com/] * Find Explore Minnesota on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/exploreminnesota/] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/exploreminnesota/] * Explore Afar's Minnesota travel guide [https://www.afar.com/travel-guides/united-states/minnesota/guide] ✨ Joy & Connection: Bennett McGinty's pitch for joyful Minnesota travel runs from the giant trolls in Detroit Lakes to a 20-foot nutcracker being built in Luverne (yes, it will actually crack nuts), plus small-town charm, big-city amenities, and a state full of James Beard winners now that Michelin is heading to the Great Lakes. 🌍 Welcoming the World: At a moment when international travelers are looking for safety, nature, and genuine experience, Bennett McGinty says Minnesota's authenticity-first approach is doing the work. 🤝 Neighborism: Adam Serwer coined "neighborism" in The Atlantic [https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/01/the-neighbors-defending-minnesota-from-ice/685769/]to describe what Minnesotans were doing for each other during a difficult winter. Bennett McGinty's team built a campaign around it — featuring Chef Yia Vang, Olympian Jessie Diggins, and former Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak — to remind travelers that "Minnesota nice" isn't passive, it's vehement. They'll push you out of the snowbank even if they think it's ridiculous how you got into it. Episode Navigation Previous Episode: Domenic Bravo, Director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism [https://play.megaphone.fm/vsm4ilz_scql1_w_yojv0g] Up Next: John Urdi, President and CEO of Visit Huntington Beach Stay Connected * Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. * Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/afarmedia/] and ⁠TikTok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@afarmedia] for behind-the-scenes IPW content. * ⁠Sign up⁠ [https://email.afar.com/join/3n4/signup] for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. * Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. * Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ [https://link.chtbl.com/A9SHd-EL] and ⁠Unpacked⁠ [https://link.chtbl.com/_vM-Ms1-]. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ [advertising@airwavemedia.com] if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Live From IPW: Wyoming's Domenic Bravo on Building a Destination Beyond Its Icons

How does a state defined by wide-open spaces and authentic Western culture welcome the world, without losing what makes it Wyoming? Domenic Bravo [https://www.domenicbravo.com/], executive director of the Wyoming Office of Tourism [https://travelwyoming.com/], has a clear answer: open the front door wider, but invite people to explore the whole house. In this IPW 2026 [https://www.ipw.com/] episode, recorded live from the conference floor in Fort Lauderdale, Bravo sits down with Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran less than a year into his new role. They talk about dispersing visitors beyond Yellowstone and Grand Teton, why Wyoming's rural communities hold the same magic as its icons, and how the state is leaning into authenticity, Indigenous-led storytelling, and a new "Mavericks Wanted" campaign at a moment when travelers are craving connection and a reset more than ever. Episode highlights * Why Wyoming is treating Yellowstone as the "front door" — and how the state is moving travelers deeper into rural communities * How a visitor-management tool in development could nudge travelers toward less-crowded entries and nearby towns in real time * What's driving Wyoming's strong Q1 and summer bookings, even as Canadian visitation has dropped * How the Wyoming Office of Tourism is partnering with the Wind River Reservation [https://www.windriverreservation.com]to let Indigenous communities tell their own stories * Why winter and shoulder seasons may be the state's most underrated travel windows Chapters 00:00:00 Welcome From the Floor of IPW 00:01:30 Beyond Yellowstone's Front Door 00:06:30 Devils Tower, Dark Skies, and Surprises 00:08:00 The Wind River Story 00:14:00 A Road Trip for the Bay Area Family 00:17:30 Real Dude Ranches and Pitchfork Fondue 00:20:30 What's Coming, From Sheridan to Snow Resources * Visit Travel Wyoming [https://travelwyoming.com/] * Find the Wyoming Office of Tourism on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/visitwyoming/] and Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/visitwyoming/] * Explore Afar's Wyoming travel guide [https://www.afar.com/travel-guides/united-states/wyoming/guide] ✨ Joy & Connection: Bravo describes Wyoming as a place that "regenerates your soul" — pulling off a scenic byway, getting out of the car, feeling small under a big sky, and coming away more connected to family and place. 🌍 Welcoming the World: International visitors make up 5-15 percent of Wyoming's traffic depending on the season. Canada has been the biggest drop, but new direct flights from New York and Newark now let travelers go from a Manhattan bagel to Wyoming stars in a single day. 🇺🇸 America 250: Wyoming was the 42nd state, but it shaped the country in outsized ways — home to the first national park, the first national monument (Devils Tower, marking its 120th anniversary), the first national forest, and 50 years ahead of the U.S. on women's suffrage as the Equality State. All three major immigrant trails run through it. Episode Navigation * Up Next: Lauren Bennett McGinty, Executive Director of Explore Minnesota Stay Connected * Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all our IPW 2026 episodes this week. * Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/afarmedia/] and ⁠TikTok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@afarmedia] for behind-the-scenes IPW content. * ⁠Sign up⁠ [https://email.afar.com/join/3n4/signup] for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. * Rate and review the show to help other travel professionals discover these insights. * Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ [https://play.megaphone.fm/me6jf0-9sh2v7--lt5zhyw] and ⁠Unpacked⁠ [https://play.megaphone.fm/xywwd0dms3wa6r1plit3dg]. This IPW 2026 special series was recorded live. View From Afar is a production of Afar Media and a part of Airwave Media's podcast network (email ⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠ [advertising@airwavemedia.com] if you would like to advertise on our podcast). The podcast is produced by Aislyn Greene and Nikki Galteland, with assistance from Michelle Baran and Billie Cohen. Music composition from Epidemic Sound. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Setting the Stage for IPW: Geoff Freeman on the State of U.S. Travel in 2026

What does the U.S. travel industry look like just weeks before IPW [https://www.ipw.com/] lands in Fort Lauderdale for the first time? In this episode of View From Afar, deputy editor Michelle Baran sits down with Geoff Freeman, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association [https://www.ustravel.org/], to set the stage for Afar's Live From IPW series. Picking up where their conversation left off at last year's conference [https://play.megaphone.fm/brpkplr4r9wgvtex5nybgq] in Chicago, Geoff and Michelle talk about the forces shaping inbound and domestic travel in 2026 and what U.S. Travel is doing to support the industry, even as competition for the global traveler has never been fiercer. The two discuss the lingering damage from the record-breaking 75-day government shutdown, the perception gap distorting how the world sees the U.S., and the diplomatic work required to win Canadian visitors back. Geoff also previews what's new at IPW this year, why a visa "fast pass" piloted for the World Cup could become a model for major events well beyond it, and why travel remains the ultimate form of diplomacy. If you're heading to Fort Lauderdale—or following the conference from afar—this is the intel-packed primer to listen to first. On this episode you'll learn * Why the U.S. was the only country in the world to see international visitation decline last year—and where the recovery starts * What's changing at IPW 2026, from new buyer briefings to the end of the cavernous conference lunch * How the FIFA Pass could reshape U.S. competitiveness for events like CES, the Olympics, and beyond * What it will actually take to bring Canadian travelers back * Why Geoff is optimistic about the future of travel—and the opportunity to use travel as a cultural bridge Chapters 00:00:00 Resilience and the Inbound Decline 00:06:00 Aviation as a Political Hostage 00:11:00 The Perception Gap 00:14:00 Winning Canadians Back 00:19:00 What's New at IPW 2026 00:28:00 Travel as Diplomacy Resources * Listen to last year's conversation with Geoff Freeman [https://play.megaphone.fm/brpkplr4r9wgvtex5nybgq], recorded live at IPW Chicago * Read Geoff's Afar op-ed, Welcoming Travelers When America Feels Challenged [https://www.afar.com/magazine/op-ed-welcoming-travelers-when-america-feels-challenged] * Explore Afar's World Cup guide [https://www.afar.com/magazine/tickets-games-and-travel-a-2026-fifa-world-cup-guide] * Learn more about the U.S. Travel Association [https://www.ustravel.org/] and IPW [https://www.ipw.com/] * Catch the Live From IPW episodes starting May 20, featuring executives representing destinations from Seattle to Puerto Rico Stay Connected * Subscribe to View From Afar to catch all 14 IPW episodes next week * Follow @AfarMedia on ⁠Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/afarmedia/?hl=en] and ⁠TikTok⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@afarmedia?lang=en] for behind-the-scenes IPW content. * ⁠Sign up⁠ [https://email.afar.com/join/3n4/signup] for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. * Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Travel Tales⁠ [https://link.chtbl.com/A9SHd-EL], where we share first-person narratives of trips that have changed us, and ⁠⁠⁠Unpacked⁠⁠⁠ [https://link.chtbl.com/_vM-Ms1-], which unpacks a tricky topic in travel each week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

A Hotelier Takes the Helm at Explora Journeys

How do you bring ultra‑luxury hospitality to the high seas? For Anna Nash, President of Explora Journeys [https://explorajourneys.com/us/en], it starts with reimagining ocean travel as a floating boutique hotel experience rooted in European elegance, emotional connection, and slow‑travel sensibilities. In this episode of View From Afar, Anna joins Afar deputy editor Michelle Baran to discuss how Explora Journeys is redefining cruising for a new generation of travelers — from sustainability innovations and destination stewardship to culinary excellence and family‑forward programming that avoids the typical mega‑ship clichés. In This Episode You’ll Learn * How Explora Journeys blends luxury hotel DNA with ocean travel to attract the “cruise‑averse” guest. * Why European ownership and MSC Group’s maritime heritage shape the brand’s culture, design, and global mix of guests. * How Explora approaches sustainability — from LNG‑powered ships to shore‑power readiness and MSC Foundation partnerships. * What smaller‑port itineraries, longer stays, and curated excursions mean for combating overtourism. * How the brand balances sophistication with thoughtful, screen‑free family programming. Key Moments * [06:12] Why Explora thinks of its ships as “floating boutique hotels.” * [12:40] How European elegance and a global guest mix shape the onboard experience. * [18:55] What LNG power and shore‑power capabilities mean for sustainability. * [25:10] How Explora designs itineraries to avoid crowds and support local economies. * [33:22] A monastery visit in Patmos that surprises even cruise skeptics. * [41:05] Why thoughtful kids’ programming doesn’t require waterslides. * [48:30] A preview of Explora III [https://explorajourneys.com/us/en/ships/explora-III], Asia itineraries, and the brand’s first World Journey [https://explorajourneys.com/us/en/collection-cruises/world-journey]. Resources * Explore Explora Journeys [https://explorajourneys.com/us/en] itineraries and ships * Learn more about the MSC Foundation [https://mscfoundation.org/] * Follow Anna Nash on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/annarnash] Stay Connected * Sign up⁠ [https://email.afar.com/join/3n4/signup] for our travel industry newsletter, Afar Advisor. * Sign up for our podcast newsletter, ⁠⁠Behind the Mic⁠⁠ [https://email.afar.com/join/3n4/signup], where we share upcoming news and behind-the-scenes details of each episode.  * Explore our other podcasts, ⁠Unpacked,⁠ [https://link.chtbl.com/_vM-Ms1-] where we dig into the trickiest topics in travel, and ⁠⁠Travel Tales⁠⁠ [http://afar.com/podcast], which celebrates first-person narratives about the way travel changes us. View From Afar is part of ⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠ [https://www.airwavemedia.com/]'s podcast network. Please contact ⁠⁠advertising@airwavemedia.com⁠⁠ if you would like to advertise on our podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]