experiential travel
{{Short description|Tourism focused on cultural activities}}
Experiential travel, also known as immersion travel, is a form of tourism in which people focus on experiencing a country, city or particular place by actively and meaningfully engaging with its history, people, culture, food and environment.[https://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/08/nyregion/your-home-the-new-frontier-for-tourists-in-new-york-city.html?_r=0/ New York Times "New Frontier for Tourists: Your Home"] It can often be transformative.{{Cite news|url=https://www.vogue.com/article/transformative-travel-trend-2017|title=Why "Transformative Travel" Will Be the Travel Trend of 2017|work=Vogue|access-date=2018-11-08|language=en}} Therewith the concept is based on very similar mechanisms as for example experiential education, experiential knowledge, experiential interior design, and experiential marketing...
About
Experiential travel can emphasize different areas of local life – culinary, culture, history, shopping, nature or social life[https://web.archive.org/web/20120324004938/http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/coming-and-going-new-hotel-booking-site-tingo-travel-trends-and-more-news/2012/03/21/gIQAk358VS_story.html Washington Post "Coming and Going: New hotel booking site, travel trends and more news"] – and can therewith be the basis for a holistic travel experience. The goal is to more deeply understand a travel destination's culture, people and history by connecting with it more than just by visiting it.{{Cite news|url=https://travelcollecting.com/experiential-travel-manipulative-marketing-or-transformative-trend/|title=Experiential Travel: Manipulative Marketing or Transformative Trend? - TRAVEL COLLECTING|date=2018-11-08|work=TRAVEL COLLECTING|access-date=2018-11-08|language=en-US}} Therefore, the traveler usually gets in touch with locals who give guidance how to experience a place.[http://www.travelweekly.com/Middle-East-Africa-Travel/Insights/African-safaris-As-experiential-as-it-gets/ Weekly Travel "African safaris: As experiential as it gets"] This can be a friend, an accommodation host or another person.
Experiential travel tends to focus on travel that is inspirational, personalized and/ or creates a path to self-discovery.{{Cite journal|last=Peak Management Company|date=2014|title=The Rise of Experiential Travel|url=https://skift.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/skift-peak-experiential-traveler-report1.pdf|journal=Skift Special Report|access-date=2018-08-13|archive-date=2021-08-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210815103522/https://skift.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/skift-peak-experiential-traveler-report1.pdf|url-status=dead}} Examples include driving a tank and shooting military weaponry at a test range, flying an airplane under instruction, and mining for gold or diamonds. Other mock experiences include reenactments of historical events, fighting a fire at a training facility, and running through a maze.
History
The term "experiential travel" is already mentioned in books and publications from 1985[https://books.google.com/books?id=o_QJAQAAMAAJ&q=%22experiential+travel%22 Google Books "Insights in strategic retail management"] – however, it has become a more popular market trend in recent years.[https://www.thelifeofriley.com/blog/how-experiential-travel-can-change-your-life How Experiential Travel Can Change Your Life] In 2017, 65% of United States travelers preferred 'experiencing something new' over 'feeling rested and recharged'.{{Cite news|url=https://research.skift.com/reports/u-s-experiential-traveler-trends-2018/|title=U.S. Experiential Traveler Trends 2018: Annual Survey on Traveler Behavior, Motivations & Preferences|work=Skift Research|access-date=2018-08-13|language=en-US}}