Episode 148 - Season 2 Replay: Nikki Padilla Rivera, Global Guide Alliance
In this Season 2 Replay Episode, we revisit Christine’s interview with the incredible Nikki Padilla Rivera of The Global Guide Alliance.
Travel guides create the context for travel.
In this special replay episode, we revisit one of Season 2: Voice of Women’s most popular episodes!
Christine hosts a soulful conversation with Nikki Padilla Rivera, Co-Founder of The Global Guide Alliance, which empowers and advocates for tour guides around the world by creating a space for guides to connect, and to raise the standard of the tour guide profession in the travel industry.
After a career of guiding of her own in NYC, Nikki created and ran the Guide Program for Intrepid’s Urban Adventures, creating a community amongst 1500+ guides in 160+ cities around the world. She believes that travel should benefit a local place and that guides are in the perfect position to educate travelers on how to protect and appreciate their destinations.
Nikki skillfully bridges the communication gap between tour operators and their teams to result in consistently branded high-quality experiences that generate word-of-mouth-marketing.
What IS a travel guide?
Christine and Nikki share that becoming an effective tour guide is a much deeper, more involved process than the media often depicts. Guides are an essential piece of any travel experience as they work to shape and direct conversations in destinations and communities.
When we expand our expectations of what’s possible for guides, guides themselves have the opportunity to step into their power: Storytelling, cultural connection, advocacy, and so much more are available.
Tour guides and directing, Nikki explains, also requires a tremendous amount of patience and communication skills.
Who decides the truth of a destination?
Christine and Nikki both share that when you remove the inherent polarizing undertones that can permeate some more challenging areas by sharing history, stories, and personal connections, there is so much more possible for travelers to learn. Nikki shares the example of guiding in New York City; she finds most of the guides who are not a part of the community of Little Italy or Chinatown rely on stories they have heard, rather than doing additional research to find out more details and stories of current people in these communities. She offers that guides should read first-source information to become more ethical, collaborative, and respectful in their guiding.
Nikki’s heart mission is to empower guides to share their perspective of a destination. She also advocates for guiding teams with many different perspectives; for example, a mix of ex-pats and folks who grew up in communities brings a different understanding to visitors, simply because of their own difference in experiences. She shares one example of ordering a coffee in Italy (where you have to pay first!). An ex-pat might know this is something to share with a traveler.
Issues of politics, gender, storytelling, and more are all topics that guides can integrate into their tours, Nikki shares. Of one tour she experienced led by an all-female guide staff: “Being able to tell their own stories added such a different layer - for their male colleagues as well. Now, they had permission to talk about a whole set of different things.”
“These are the experiences where people are going home and their lives have been changed. That’s where the power comes in. When you can achieve that, you can literally change people’s perception of the world. What other job does that?”
Soul of Travel Episode 148 At a Glance
In this conversation, Christine and Nikki discuss:
How travel guides continue to be left out of the conversation of moving the travel industry forward
How guides are the perfect people to educate travelers on connecting with and caring for destinations and communities
Travel guides taking ownership of the travel experience
Bringing the female perspective into guides and travel leadership
Join Christine now for this soulful conversation with Nikki Padilla Rivera.
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Related UN Sustainable Development Goals
Sustainable Development Goal #5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
Sustainable Development Goal #6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
Sustainable Development Goal #9: Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation.
Sustainable Development Goal #10: Reduce inequality within and among countries.
Sustainable Development Goal #12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
Resources & Links Mentioned in the Episode
Check out the Global Guide Alliance and TripKinetics!
Visit Atlas Obscura to find trips designed by experienced travelers, including Nikki.
Connect with Nikki on Instagram, LinkedIn, and visit The Global Guide Alliance on Instagram.
Listen to Christine’s Season 2 interview with Rosette Dekool & Hannah Bamwerinde of Adventures With Locals on the Soul of Travel Podcast.
About the Soul Of Travel Podcast
Soul of Travel honors the passion and dedication of people making a positive impact in the tourism industry. In each episode, you’ll hear the stories of women who are industry professionals, seasoned travelers, and community leaders. Our expert guests represent social impact organizations, adventure-based community organizations, travel photography and videography, and entrepreneurs who know that travel is an opportunity for personal awareness and a vehicle for global change.
Join us to become a more educated and intentional traveler as you learn about new destinations, sustainable and regenerative travel, and community-based tourism. Industry professionals and those curious about a career in travel will also find value and purpose in our conversations.
We are thought leaders, action-takers, and heart-centered change-makers who inspire and create community. Join host Christine Winebrenner Irick for these soulful conversations with our global community of travelers exploring the heart, the mind, and the globe.
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Credits. Christine Winebrenner Irick (Host, creator, editor). Nikki Padilla Rivera (Guest). Original music by Clark Adams. Editing, production, and content writing by Carly Oduardo.
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WE WON A BESSIE AWARD! The Bessie Awards recognize the achievements of women and gender-diverse people making an impact in the travel industry. To view the complete list of 2022’s winners, visit bessieawards.org.
Soul of Travel Episode 148 Transcript
Women’s travel, transformational travel, sustainable travel, women leaders in travel, social entrepreneurship
You can find me on Facebook at Lotus Sojourns on Facebook, or join the Lotus Sojourns Collective, our FB community, or follow me on Instagram either @lotussojourns or @souloftravelpodcast. Stay up to date by joining the Lotus Sojourns mailing list. I look forward to getting to know you and hopefully hearing your story.