The Experiential Travel Boom and the Travel Industry

Experiential travel is becoming more widely popular in this day and age. In basic terms, experiential travel is a type of tourism in which people really focus on experiencing a country, city, or particular location by closely connecting with its history, people, and culture. Experiential travel is also known as immersion travel.

Experiential travel is based on the same types of concepts and mechanisms that are associated with things like experiential education as well as things like experiential knowledge, experiential interior design, and experiential marketing.

The Focus Points of Experiential Travel

Experiential travel tends to emphasize a number of different points of "local life." These include such elements of local life like culture, cuisine, history, shopping, nature, and social life.

The ultimate goal or objective is to deeply understand your travel destination via culture, people, and history by connecting directly with it. The ultimate goal is to do more than just by visit a destination.

As a matter of practice, when it comes to experiential travel, you usually get in touch or direct contact with locals. The locals provide guidance about how to truly experience a locale.

Examples of Experiential Travel

Examples of experiential travel can help you better understand what the process is all about. Examples of experiential travel include gorilla trekking in Rwanda, riding elephants in Thailand, or even visiting schoolchildren in Bali. Other examples of experiential travel include swimming with manta rays in the Maldives and snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef.

Sharing tea with the Berber elders of the Atlas Mountains is yet another keen illustration of experiential travel. "Flightseeing" via helicopter off Namibia’s coast can be the basis for experiential travel.

Experiential travel can include some very basic steps like people-watching at what are known as the lively souks of Morocco. The definition of experiential travel can include riding a Zodiac at Iguassu Falls or even observing monks at prayer ceremonies in Bhutan.

Experiential Travel Demands Authenticity in Travel

One of the other key elements associated with experiential travel is authenticity. Through experiential travel travelers are able to reclaim what is real. Mass tourism, without authenticity, no longer "cuts it" for an ever increasing number of people from different walks of life.

What to Look for with Experiential Tour Operators

If you've made the decision to explore what might be available to you in the way of experiential travel, finding experiential tour operators is crucial. This way you will not end up blindly trying to identify experiential travel options on your own.

When looking for experiential travel tour operators, you need to identify professionals that demonstrate or show how an experience can be authentic, rather than just pay lip service to it. A qualified experiential travel tour professional should be able to provide inspiring experiences. These experiences should include a component that teaches you something about yourself.

A capable experiential travel tour professional has the ability to focus on authenticity. They should focus on inspiration in their marketing efforts. They understand the importance of showing, as opposed to telling. The especially focus on using visual content in marketing and explaining a potential experiential travel opportunity.

A sign that you have connected with a well qualified experiential travel tour operator is to examine who that professional partners in arranging a trip or tour. For example, an adept experiential travel tour operator most likely is one with a network of small, individual partners that can open the doors up to experiences in a specific locality.

A qualified experiential travel tour operator should be able to personalize experiences they offer as well as making certain to leave room for spontaneity in a trip.

Oftentimes, a skilled experiential travel tour professional focuses on offering social travel experiences. Through this process, you have the ability to be better connected to the local community. You will become more in touch with the locality and its people through this process.

Consult with an Experiential Travel Tour Professional

Once you have made the decision to venture off on an experiential travel tour, you need to schedule an initial consultation. During this consult, you will be able to better flesh out what you can expect on a experiential travel adventure. You will be able to analyze and discuss some basic options that are available to you when it comes to experiential travel. You will be able to obtain essential information regarding costs of particular experiential travel options. In addition, you will be able to obtain answers to any questions that you might have about experiential travel and developing an itinerary for such an experience.

About The Author
Jessica Kane is a professional blogger who focuses on personal finance and other money matters. She currently writes for Checkworks.com, where you can get personal checks and business checks.