Embracing plus-size travelers could be the key to unlocking big business.

That’s the message Jeff Jenkins has spent his life spreading. As creator of the popular blog Chubby Diaries and host of the NatGeo TV show “Never Say Never,” Jeff has created a formidable following of people who look to him for advice on traveling while large. He joins this episode of the podcast to discuss how travel companies are missing an opportunity to welcome plus-size travelers into their communities — and how they can fix that mistake.

Jeff shares his perspective on the billion-dollar potential of the untapped plus-size travel market. He also recommends simple ways travel organizations can make their trips more attractive to customers of any size. Plus, we have news about a famous brand entering the river cruise market; a Road Tip about picking the perfect travel water bottle; and a Hot Minute about the biggest way the U.S. government is failing travelers.

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Insights from Jeff Jenkins

Jeff had a lot of great insight about how the travel industry is failing to welcome — and capitalize on — diverse body shapes. Here’s what he suggested about the untapped potential in plus-size travel:

“42% of America is overweight or obese. We’re looking at 160 million people that you all aren’t catering to at all. I feel like that’s billions of dollars left on the table…. I did an independent study one time where I asked ‘If travel was more accessible to you, would you take more trips?’ 98% said yes.”

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

Learn more about Jeff Jenkins at his blog Chubby Diaries.

Watch Jeff’s show “Never Say Never” on Amazon.

Get Brian’s favorite travel water bottle here.

Apply to attend our OnSite FAM in Savannah here.

See all our FAMs and sign up for email notifications at grouptravelleader.com/fams.

Key Moments From This Episode

1:38 — Travel News: Celebrity is launching a river cruise brand

2:45 — Road Tip: The best water bottle for travel

10:31 — Join us for a FAM trip to Savannah

15:19 — Jeff Jenkins’ mind-blowing travel moment

17:56 — Cultural forces holding people back from travel

19:23 — How travel is catching on in the Black community

24:31 — Are plus-size travelers getting left behind?

27:17 — How big is the potential for plus-size travel?

28:50 — How to make travel more accessible for every body

31:59 — How to market to travelers of all sizes

51:00 — Hot Minute: The #1 way the government could help travelers

Watch the Full Interview

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

Thanks to our sponsor Collette for making this episode possible. Learn more about working with with Collette for your travel program at gocollette.com/groups.

About the Podcast

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.

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