The student travel industry is ripe with opportunity.

Gaurav Namit believes there’s unlimited potential for this tourism market segment. As a board member of the Student and Youth Travel Association, and vice president of Four Winds Tour and Travel, he has seen many eras of student and youth travel. Gaurav joins this episode of the podcast to discuss why student travel is so important, what’s driving its impressive growth and how travel professionals can get involved.

Gaurav shares how student travel can be transformational in the lives of young people. He also gives his thoughts about student travel’s recession-proof growth potential and gives an inside look into the thought process student tour operators go through when selecting destinations. Plus, we have news about a micro-lending fund for tourism organizations; a Road Tip about making the most of boxed lunches on the road; and a Hot Minute about pros and cons of the traditional restaurant tour menu.

Gaurav offered a lot of perspective about the growing importance of student travel in the educational community and in society at large. Here’s what he said about why student travel is surging today:

“The industry has shifted a lot. Student travel 50 years ago was looked at as a massive luxury. But as it has become more affordable and travel has become more normalized, student travel has become critical.”

Plus, he had insightful thoughts on:

• 
  
• How student tours differ from adult tours
  
• Where today’s student groups are traveling
  
• How destinations can attract more student groups to town
  

Learn more about Four Winds Tour and Travel at fourwindstours.com.

Email Gaurav Namit at gaurav@fourwindstours.com.

Learn more about the Student and Youth Travel Association at syta.org.

Get free resources for upscale affinity group travel at Select Traveler.

1:28 — Travel News: Tourism Cares launches the Meaningful Travel Fund

2:35 — Road Tip: Eating boxed lunches on the road

8:35 — A free resource for upscale group travel planners

13:38 — How Gaurav’s family built a student travel business

18:19 — Why student travel so important — and becoming more so

21:58 — The growth prospects of the student travel industry

25:34 — How student trips differ from adult trips

29:24 — Where student groups are traveling in 2025

32:02 — How to become more attractive to student groups

35:22 — Why new tourism entrepreneurs are flocking to student travel

48:12 — Hot Minute: Is it time to rethink the tour dining menu?

See the full interview with Micky, including content not in the regular episode, on our YouTube channel.

Thanks to our sponsor Visit Atlantic City for making this episode possible. Learn more about group travel to Atlantic City at visitatlanticcity.com.

Gather and Go with Brian Jewell is a tourism industry podcast that helps group travel leaders plan, promote and lead better trips. There are also tips and insights for destination marketers and others who support the tourism trade. Each episode reaches thousands of professional tour operators, travel agents and the volunteer group leaders they serve. The audience also includes destination museum leaders, church travel leaders and other tourism enthusiasts around the world. Each show includes an interview with a smart travel pro or an insightful person from outside tourism who’s expertise can help make travel businesses better. You’ll also hear travel news, road tips and more. New episodes are released about twice monthly.

You can find Gather and Go wherever your listen to podcasts or subscribe by email.