Travel brands already know that today's travelers are looking for authentic, life-changing experiences. Experiential travel was the travel trend of 2016. This year, however, tourism consumers are looking for something even deeper. They not only want the experience of a lifetime, they want it to last a lifetime, and they want to be transformed in the process. Today's travelers want transformative travel. This 2017 trend is the next phase of traveler engagement that your brand should focus on.
What is Transformative Travel?
According to Vogue, transformative travel is travel motivated and defined by a shift in perspective, self-reflection and development, and a deeper communion with nature and culture. It is not only the next big trend, it is the next evolution. The 2016 travel trend, experiential travel, wasn't enough for consumers. They want more. They want something meaningful that they can personally connect with. They want a transformation.
Tourism consumers want to feel more connected to their travel experiences. Luxury travelers are spending big bucks on their vacations, and in return they expect to receive the ultimate vacation. These life-transforming experiences are in high demand for 2017. What does that mean for your travel brand? Take your consumers a step beyond experiential travel. Instead of selling a memorable vacation, sell a life-changing experience.
Joe Pine, co-author of "Welcome to the Experience Economy," explains that this new trend is a shift among next generation travel brands from focusing on the external journey to identifying the traveler's internal journey.
What Does The Consumer Say?
In February 2017, Skift polled 1,350 upscale travelers and asked them how they felt about transformative travel. Here are the results:
"On a scale from 1-10, how much importance do you place on transformative travel experiences?"
Travelers who answered 1-3: <20%
Travelers who answered 4-6: <30%
Travelers who answered 7-10: 54.3%
"As a traveler, do you now value transformative travel more than you did 3-5 years ago?"
52.8% - Yes
47.2% - No
When asked if the value placed on transformative travel experiences for the traveler and the traveler's family increased during the last 3-5 years, more than 50% answered "Yes, significantly" or "Yes, somewhat."
The new travel evolution has been discovered. Not only do consumers want to be impacted during their trips, they want to continue having that "wanderlust" feeling even after they get home. With transformative travel, the experience doesn't end when the trip ends. The connection and emotional attachment that the traveler gains while at their destination never dies. That is certainly one way to stretch a dollar.
The Travel Industry is Taking Action
According to Vogue, there's already a new organization leading the "transformation" trend. The Transformational Travel Collaborative (TTC) offers support, coaching, advice, and resources to increase the likelihood of a life-changing experience. In other words, the organization aims to help create a deeper travel experience.
TTC came up with a three-phase process to implement. The co founder and vice president of travel products at Nomad Hill Michael Bennett's doctoral study identified the "hero's journey." This "journey" includes the departure, the initiation, and the return. Travelers set out into the unknown to learn from foreign cultures, return home to apply their new-found wisdom, thus changing their lives and the lives of others.
What Does This Mean For Your Brand?
Trying to close the deal? Market a tranformation to your consumers.
Just because the new travel trend for 2017 is transformative travel doesnt mean you have to transform your marketing tactics. Simply introduce the opportunity for a deeper and more personal experience. John Hitchcox, COO of Yoo Hotels & Resorts suggests that hotels and destinations that can support a traveler's transformative preferences have a greater opportunity to build long-term loyalty. He also confirms that exotic destinations will still be of interest, but the deciding factor will be the potential change and transformation. Change the lives of your consumers. Sell them a transformative trip - a trip that lasts forever.
Sources: "Brands Focus on Next Phase of Traveler Engagement" - Skift & "Why Transformative Travel Will be the Travel Trend of 2017" - Vogue
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