What makes a tour feel truly transformational? And how do you build an experience guests never stop talking about?

In this episode, Nikki sits down with Dan Oberlatz, founder of Alaska Alpine Adventures, to talk about building one of Alaska’s most respected wilderness adventure companies over the last 28 years.

Dan shares how Alaska Alpine grew from a single guest and a Backpacker Magazine ad into a thriving adventure travel business serving more than 400 guests a year. They dive into attracting the right traveler, creating experiences that genuinely change people’s lives, why expectation-setting matters so much in adventure travel, and how word of mouth, repeat guests, and emotional connection have fueled long-term growth.

You’ll also hear:
- Why “transformational travel” creates stronger referrals and loyalty
- How Alaska Alpine filters for the right-fit customer
- Lessons learned from working with OTAs vs direct bookings
- What makes email marketing still incredibly effective
- How storytelling and emotion drive bookings
- Why great experiences start long before the trip begins

This episode touches every stage of the Growth Engine — from Dreaming and Planning to Experiencing and Sharing — and is packed with insights for tour operators who want to build a business guests remember for the rest of their lives.

Learn more about Dan and Alaska Alpine Adventures: https://alaskaalpineadventures.com/author/dan-oberlatz

🚀 Take the Growth Engine Assessment to find out where you might need to improve:
https://www.resmarksystems.com/growth-engine-survey

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📈 Want Help Growing Your Tour Business?
Visit https://www.resmarkweb.com
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Call or text us directly: 385-449-4079
Email Nikki: nikki@resmarksystems.com

Chapters: 

00:00 Welcome to the show - Alaska Alpine Adventures
01:50 How Dan Fell in Love With Alaska
04:20 Starting an Alaska Tour Company With $5,000
05:57 Competition in Alaska Adventure Travel
07:16 What Creates a Transformational Guest Experience
09:40 Why a Better Booking System Increased Sales
10:18 Defining the Right Adventure Traveler
12:19 Why Alaska Alpine Had to Filter Out the Wrong Guests
15:58 How Transformational Travel Creates Word of Mouth
17:44 Why Guests Keep Coming Back to Alaska
21:13 Why OTAs Didn’t Work for Alaska Alpine Adventures
24:07 Email Marketing Strategies That Still Drive Bookings
33:00 Dan’s Advice for Tour Operators Starting Today