What is experience-based travel?
Also known as experiential travel, this is a shift towards a more mindful travel experience. It’s about traveling more consciously, in a way that doesn’t have a negative impact on the communities you visit. It aims at being fully present and fully engaged. Interacting with locals and getting involved with or supporting local projects. This allows you to experience their country as they do and you can immerse yourself in the environment and culture for a richer, more genuine experience.
Why is it the latest travel trend?
Due to the Covid pandemic and resultant lockdowns, travelers have had to face many disappointments with respect to many of their 2020 travel plans.
Many countries still have strict quarantine restrictions in place. The fear of the unknown is present to date, because of which the travel industry is suffering from a lack of traveler confidence. To make the return to traveling like normal times smooth, hotels and operators are looking to give more personalized options to customers by understanding their concerns better.
It can be understood that people want to reduce prolonged exposure to others in the confined space of an aircraft hence they’ll choose to travel less frequently and opt for longer trips when they do. Travelers nowadays need time to fully disconnect and relax.
Another reason could be climate activists shedding light on climate change issues and tourism being highlighted as a major cause of ecosystem destruction. Travelers are becoming more aware of these issues. They want to be more responsible and look for ways to protect the natural environment. So people are avoiding the kinds of destinations where people, wildlife, and the natural environment are being exploited.
Experience-based travel and traditional travel
Traditional travel is all about destinations. If you travel with an agency you’ll be asked for a list of places you want to go. They’ll match one of those places with a holiday package that suits your budget. Then they’ll include the touristy things you expect to do there. It is a very mindless way to travel which seems like a box-ticking exercise aimed to deliver a final result at the end.
Instead, you will be asked different kinds of questions designed to find out how you want to feel during your trip, in the case of experiential travel. Questions such as ‘Do you want to connect to the place you’re going to and interact with locals there?’ Or ‘Would you like to step out of your comfort zone?’ Or ‘Do you want a deep sense of relaxation?’ These are important questions that are often missed.
That is why experience-based travel companies can understand how you want to feel and can recommend the perfect destination. Someplace that will give you a rich and wonderful experience. This trend is here to stay for the foreseeable future as travelers are seeking space and longevity in travel, along with a rich cultural experience rather than a quick escape.
