Reflecting on an Incredible Year: Celebrating Milestones and Adventures on the UK Travel Planning Podcast 2024

What an incredible year it has been for the UK Travel Planning Podcast! With over 200,000 downloads this year and listeners across 177 countries, we are celebrating a global community that shares a passion for exploring the wonders of the UK. Join me, Tracy Collins, as we reminisce about our journey through 2024, highlighting unforgettable experiences and milestones.

From our memorable 100th episode to heartfelt encounters with listeners like Susan, Wren, Milo, and Melissa, this episode is a tribute to the connections that make our travel adventures so special. Our travels have taken us from the stunning landscapes of Wales to the bustling streets of London, and in this episode, we're diving into the stories that shaped our year.

Reflecting on the 51 episodes released this year, I'm thrilled to share some exciting updates about our sister podcast, the Global Travel Planning Podcast, celebrating its first anniversary.

Get ready for a roundup of our top episodes, personal highlights, and a sneak peek at what's in store for 2025. Whether it's discovering the historic castles of Scotland or unearthing hidden gems in Northern Ireland, our journey is far from over.

Thank you for being part of this incredible community, and here’s to many more adventures and connections in the year ahead!

📝  Show Notes - Episode  130

🎧 Listen to next

• Episode #100 - Celebrating our 100th episode
• Episode #119 - Exploring the UK in 17 days
• Episode #86 - London like a local with Discover Real London Black Cab Tours

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:00

Welcome to episode 130 of the UK Travel Plan podcast. As 2024 comes to a close, we're celebrating an incredible year with a look back at the highlights, milestones and unforgettable moments that made it so special, From reaching over 200,000 downloads to celebrating our 100th episode and meeting some amazing podcast listeners. This episode is a celebration of everything we've achieved together, Plus, we'll share what's coming up in 2025. So stay tuned for an inspiring roundup of the year.

Speaker 2: 0:31

Welcome to the UK Travel Planning Podcast. Your host is the founder of the UK Travel Planning website, Tracey Collins. In this podcast, Tracey shares destination guides, travel tips and itinerary ideas, as well as interviews with a variety of guests who share their knowledge and experience of UK travel to help you plan your perfect UK vacation. Join us as we explore the UK from cosmopolitan cities to quaint villages, from historic castles to beautiful islands, and from the picturesque countryside to seaside towns.

Speaker 1: 1:11

Hi everybody, what an incredible year it's been for the UK Travel Planning Podcast. From some wonderful meetings, both planned and unplanned, with some of you, our listeners, to reaching major milestones. 2024 has been truly special. Today we are celebrating by sharing our highlights of the year by the numbers and with some unforgettable stories. Thank you for being a part of this journey with us. In this episode, we'll reflect on what we've achieved together, from our most downloaded episodes to personal highlights and some big milestones. Plus, I'll share a bit about Doug and my travels this year, including our incredible UK adventures and our time exploring further afield. And exciting news. We're also celebrating the first anniversary of our other podcast, the Global Travel Planner Podcast, where we share tips and inspiration for your travels to destinations across the globe. So if you haven't already, I encourage you to give it a listen. So let's dive into our 2024 roundup in numbers. So, as I mentioned, we are thrilled to announce that the podcast has been downloaded over 200,000 times this year. This is a huge milestone and we couldn't have done it without each and every one of you tuning in. This remarkable number reflects how our community has grown and we are so grateful for your support. Our listeners span the globe, tuning in from 177 states and countries. It's amazing to see how our love for UK travel connects people worldwide, from the UK and the USA to Australia, canada, even as far as Japan and Argentina. Thank you for making this a truly global community.

Speaker 1: 2:50

This year, we released 51 episodes covering everything from detailed trip reports to expert interviews and insider tips. I only took one week off for the holiday season, and a standout moment for me this year was our 100th episode. It was a major milestone, considering lots of podcasts don't get past seven episodes. To actually reach 100 was something I really had to sit down and go. Wow, I can't believe this. We had podcast listeners from around the world come onto that episode and share their favorite episodes, and it was just amazing to hear voices and stories and it just was so, was so, so special.

Speaker 1: 3:26

So one of the absolute highlights of this year has been meeting some of you in person, and I had the joy of meeting podcast listeners susan, ren and milo in london recently. Hello and we explored the national gallery together. Spending time together and hearing about your travel experience was truly heartwarming and it just was such a lovely, lovely afternoon. So thank you so much. I also had a fantastic time with Melissa during her solo visit to London, exploring the city together and sharing travel stories made for unforgettable memories, and I know we're going to be friends forever. You can hear more from Melissa in episode 127.

Speaker 1: 4:00

We also bumped into the lovely Emily and Ryan on a tram in Edinburgh in September. Now Emily recognised Doug's legs before anything else, which was so funny. It was just so special and it highlights how connected we are all through this podcast. It was just fantastic. I'll never forget him kind of looking up and Emily saying Doug Tracy across the tram. It was just amazing and it was so lovely to meet you guys. So Doug and I have also this year spent several months exploring the UK, which has been really incredible. Earlier in the year we spent 10 days in Wales and in September we completed an unforgettable round trip from London travelling through Wales, northern Ireland and Scotland and then back down to London on the Caledonian Sleeper. That was a truly marvellous and wonderful experience. And in October I spent a week in Jersey on the Channel Islands, soaking up its unique charm and history and visiting Jersey Zoo, which had been on my bucket list since I was about nine years of age At the time this podcast goes live on the 31st of December, doug and I are based in Edinburgh for six weeks, including for Hogmanay, which is another bucket list experience we're so excited about.

Speaker 1: 5:15

We've also enjoyed plenty of time in London itself, continuing to discover new things about this incredible city. We've added lots of new content to our London Travel Planning website and to our map, so do pop over to LondonTravelPlanningcom as well if you're planning a trip to London, because we have lots of amazing content on there to help you plan that trip. Now, we have featured quite a number of trip reports this year where listeners shared their own UK travel experiences, so a huge thank you to Melissa, kathy, ashley, heather, krista, Hannah, amanda, victoria, leanne, lauren, mandy, alison, vernetta, deb, kate and Tanya for taking part. You've provided invaluable insights and inspiration for fellow travellers. These episodes have become some of our most popular, showcasing real stories and practical tips that only first-hand experience can offer.

Speaker 1: 6:13

We hosted many amazing guests this year, including blue badge guides, travel experts and local insiders, who shared their wealth of knowledge. Memorable interviews included our deep dive into Portsmouth with Pauline and Kevin, our chats with Charlie Bennett of Take Walks and Devour Tours. Exploring the hidden gems of Devon with Alex Graham introducing the wonderful Lisa Benjamin of Go Cotswolds Tours, who joined me for a number of episodes and will be back in 2025, chats with Oz Harris of Taylor Tours, chris Horsey of the English Boss, john Hadwin of Boutique Tours of Wales. Discovering County Durham with Michelle Gorman and Anna Unger. Exploring Edinburgh's Greyfriars Kirkyard with Charlotte Gollage and learning about the knowledge and exploring London in an iconic black cab with Ollie of Discover Real London. We learnt essential tips for driving in the UK with John Cortese of Trippiamo and the best photography spots in London from Domi of Scale and Studio. And last but by no means least, I also introduced the wonderful Riz of XFA Cars to so many.

Speaker 1: 7:21

Over the space of this year, our Facebook group has grown to over 23,000 members, which is it's become a really vibrant space where you can share tips, ask questions and support each other's travel plans. It's been wonderful to see your trip photos, hear about your adventures and watch the community thrive. So if you're yet to join, please pop over and say hello. We now have three groups one focused on UK travel planning, one on London travel planning and a UK train travel tips run by Doug. Wow, so that takes a bit of time, so I have to also say a huge thank you to our moderators, who help us run the Facebook group, so we could not do it without you. We've also loved connecting with so many of you who've booked, myself and Doug, for itinerary consults.

Speaker 1: 8:02

It's been a true pleasure helping listeners from all over the world New Zealand, australia, across the US, from California, texas, new York, florida and everywhere in between answering your questions, building amazing itineraries and fine-tuning your plans. It's such a joy to be part of your travel journeys. Consultants are now open for January 2025, so pop over and book a slot if you'd like to chat with us about your UK travel plans. We can't wait to meet you. We just love doing consults. So, as you look forward to 2025, we're excited to bring you even more in-depth guides, trip reports and expert interviews. We'll be exploring new destinations within the UK, uncovering hidden gems and sharing more practical tips to help you plan your perfect UK adventure in 2025.

Speaker 1: 8:47

Don't also forget our Global Travel Planner podcast is celebrating its first anniversary, so if you're dreaming of destinations beyond the UK, be sure to check it out for tips and inspiration to help plan your trips across the globe. So, reflecting on this past year has filled me with immense gratitude. Meeting some of you in person, sharing in your travel stories and celebrating our 100th episode together has been absolute highlights for me. Your support and enthusiasm inspired us to keep bringing you the best content possible. So if you've enjoyed the podcast, please consider leaving a review. It really helps others discover the show and grow our amazing community. Let's hit 500,000 downloads next year.

Speaker 1: 9:27

Don't forget to subscribe so you don't miss any of our exciting episodes coming in 2025. And, of course, join us on social media on Instagram, youtube and our Facebook groups for even more travel inspiration and connections. Links to the episodes I've mentioned, plus to our Facebook groups, can be found in the show notes for this episode at ukktravelplanningcom. Forward slash, episode 130. So here's to another year of adventures, discoveries and connections, and wishing you all happy and safe travels in 2025 and, as always, happy UK travel planning. Thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of the UK Travel Planning Podcast. As always, show notes can be found at uktravelplanningcom. If you've enjoyed the show, why not leave us feedback via text or a review on your favourite podcast app? We love to hear from you and you never know. You may receive a shout out in a future episode. But as always, that just leaves me to say until next week, happy UK travel planning.