The Pre-Journey Journey

The Pre‑Journey Journey… with Emma Valahu

Most travel brands obsess over the moment someone books. But what about everything that happens before that moment — the research, the anticipation, the doubts, the excitement, the endless tabs open on a browser?

In this episode, Ged speaks with Emma Valahu, who specialises in what she calls the pre‑journey journey — the long, emotional decision‑making phase that determines whether a traveller ever chooses your experience, your destination, or your low‑season offer.

Emma helps experiential travel founders transform brochure‑style websites into systems that actually capture and nurture the right travellers over time. Together, they explore:

Why 99% of website visitors disappear — and how to stop it
Why “more traffic” is rarely the answer
How to turn passive browsers into engaged future guests
What a powerful educational email journey looks like
How destinations can influence low‑season demand months in advance
The biggest mistakes travel brands make on social media
Why LinkedIn is the most overlooked platform in travel marketing

If you care about responsible tourism, seasonality, or building deeper relationships with travellers who value culture and meaning, this episode will reshape how you think about digital strategy.

Emma will be giving a keynote at the Tourism Seasonality Summit on 17-18 May in Rimini.

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