In this episode of Field Notes, host Eric Hultgren sits down with Emily Clay from Advance Travel & Tourism to explore the world of eco tourism. With a deep background in sustainability, Emily shares insights into how destinations can identify and amplify their eco-forward efforts in ways that are both authentic and effective.

The conversation covers:

• What initially drew Emily to the topic of eco tourism

• How travel marketers can recognize and support sustainable tourism practices in their regions

• The importance of transparency and reporting when promoting eco-focused initiatives

• The evolving landscape of eco tourism and what it means for the next decade

• Common pitfalls marketers can avoid when crafting sustainability messages

• Her top recommendation for a book or documentary to learn more about conservation

Whether you're already immersed in sustainability or exploring how it intersects with travel marketing, this episode provides valuable takeaways to help shape your strategy and storytelling.

Follow Field Notes for more conversations that help travel marketers navigate changing consumer values, emerging trends, and actionable strategies.

In this episode, Eric Hultgren is joined by Bart Thau, Vice President of Marketing at Advance Travel and Tourism, for a thought-provoking conversation about the evolving role of AI in digital marketing and what it means for those working in the travel space. They explore a couple of recent headlines out of Google’s AI division and unpack what marketers should pay attention to (and what they shouldn’t overreact to).

From the acceleration of AI compared to Moore’s Law to how large language models are reshaping the customer journey, the duo covers a lot of ground. Eric also shares how he’s using tools like ChatGPT in unconventional ways to improve storytelling—a key skill for any marketer today. The conversation even touches on the surprising return of analog formats like vinyl, film cameras, and Polaroids, and what that could signal about consumer behavior. Whether you’re an AI skeptic, an early adopter, or just trying to keep up, this episode offers a practical perspective and a few good laughs along the way

Links:

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-claims-ai-overviews-monetize-at-same-rate-as-traditional-search/547838/

https://www.searchenginejournal.com/is-seo-still-relevant-in-the-ai-era-new-research-says-yes/547929/.

In this episode of the Field Notes podcast, host Eric Hultgren sits down with Creative Director Lesley Delchamps to explore how digital marketing is evolving in the age of AI. The conversation focuses on the shifting roles of: SEO (Search Engine Optimization) the traditional strategy to rank on search engines, AEO (Answer Engine Optimization), tailoring content for direct answers in AI tools, GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) preparing content to be pulled into AI-generated responses, like those from ChatGPT. The two dive into ChatGPT Shopping, a new feature that offers personalized product recommendations directly within AI conversations, bypassing Google entirely. For travel marketers, this signals a major change: AI is becoming the starting point for consumer discovery. Lesley and Eric unpack what that means for destination marketing teams and how to stay ahead. The takeaway? Marketers must embrace all three strategies—SEO, AEO, and GEO—to ensure their content is discoverable, AI-friendly, and positioned to influence travel decisions in this new era of search.