Sponsored – Experience Economy: The Future of Selling Travel is Selling Experiences
Contributed By: Cruise Planners
Since the global shutdown in 2020, people’s priorities have shifted significantly. After months and months stuck at home, there is now a heightened emphasis on exploring the world and living unforgettable experiences.
Rather than spending money on material goods, such as clothing and home items, or everyday services, like food delivery and rideshares, people are cutting discretionary costs and choosing instead to invest their time and money in experiences, like travel.
This shift has enhanced the travel industry, presenting travel agents with unprecedented opportunities to grow their businesses and forge deeper, more meaningful connections with their clients.
Understanding the Experience Economy?
The Experience Economy represents how consumer preferences have shifted from material possessions to memorable experiences. Consumers crave authenticity, personalization, and meaningful connections with places and communities. According to the Harvard Business Review, “by orchestrating memorable events for customers, that memory itself becomes the product.”
That’s the essence of the Experience Economy: it’s all about creating memories that last a lifetime. From hiking through lush forests to savoring street food in bustling markets, travelers today are hungry for journeys that touch their hearts and souls.
Travel is the Heart of the Experience Economy
Travel itself is an experience, but it’s not just ticking boxes on a tourist checklist anymore; it’s about diving into local culture, trying new things, and coming away with stories to tell. Instead of observing, travelers want to participate and immerse themselves in experiences that enrich their lives.
Whether it’s learning to cook traditional dishes in Puerto Rico with a local chef like Adam Martindale did, or exploring hidden gems off the beaten path like Debra Thune in Portugal, experiential travel is all about adventure-filled and unique moments.
Even the streaming media giant Netflix has embraced this concept as they turn beloved on-screen stories into in-person experiences. Set to open in 2025, two Netflix House locations will include shopping, dining, and experiential activities related to popular Netflix franchises.
Travel Agents are Pioneers of the Experience Economy
So, where do travel agents fit into this picture? Think of yourself as the director of these unforgettable journeys. With the heightened interest in experiences, Travel Agents have more business than ever. According to a recent Eventbrite study, 78% of millennials are choosing to spend money on experiences over a desirable item. We know people are craving these experiences, but as Travel Agents, you make them happen. With insider knowledge and a passion for travel, you set clients up for travels they will never forget. Plus, you will take care of all the details, so they can focus on embracing those moments.
Now is the Best Time to be a Travel Advisor
As the travel landscape changes, one thing is clear: the Experience Economy is here to stay. For travel agents, this is a golden opportunity to reinvent yourself as a provider of these unforgettable experiences and grow your client base by promoting that.
The world wants to travel, and by embracing authenticity and creativity, you can carve out a niche and help clients create memories that will last a lifetime.
Selling the Experience Economy as a Travel Advisor
In this new world of experiential travel, travel agents can stand out by doing a few key things:
- Build Relationships: Travelers crave genuine experiences that reflect the true spirit of a destination. By building relationships with clients, local guides, and businesses, travel agents can offer clients an insider’s perspective that they won’t find in any guidebook. Get to know clients so you can provide recommendations tailored to them.
- Think Outside the Box: The possibilities for experiential travel are endless. Whether it’s sleeping under the stars in a remote wilderness camp or embarking on a culinary tour of a vibrant city, there’s no shortage of ways to wow your clients. Pay attention to their interests, motivations, and preferences, to curate the best experiences for your clients.
- Experience Things Yourself: The best way to build knowledge about destinations and activities is to experience them yourself. Go on FAM Trips, take advantage of travel deals you are promoting, and see the world, so that you can build off your own experiences to ensure clients have the best trip possible. Traveling to vacation destinations and calling it ‘research for work’, now that’s a perk of being a Travel Advisor!
Make the most of this Experience Economy and become a Travel Advisor today! Learn more about owning your Cruise Planners Travel Franchise here.