Stroll by means of any airport, scroll by means of social media, or hearken to dinner conversations, and one factor turns into clear. Individuals are extra excited to share what they’ve skilled than what they’ve bought.
Vacationers in the present day are shifting their spending from materials items to experiences that create significant moments. In response to Bain & Firm, world luxurious spending remained regular at $1.5 trillion in 2024, whereas journey, leisure, and eating sectors skilled important development. Within the U.S., experience-based spending rose by 3 % in comparison with pre-pandemic ranges (GetYourGuide). Within the UK, leisure spending elevated by 5.8 %, whereas complete card spending grew simply 1.6 % (Barclays).
In 2024, U.S. shopper spending reached $16.1 trillion, with a rising share directed towards journey and leisure (Statista). Immediately’s shoppers are usually not simply reserving journeys—they’re actively investing in which means, reminiscence, and connection. For journey manufacturers, expertise should be the muse of technique fairly than a byproduct of it.
The Expertise Economic system has Developed
Economists have lengthy predicted that individuals would start to worth experiences greater than possessions. That shift is not theoretical—it’s right here. Immediately’s behaviors replicate new values, elevated entry to expertise, and post-pandemic priorities which have reshaped how folks stay and spend.
Millennials and Gen Z are main this transformation. They search journey that’s immersive, intentional, and socially linked. A visit is not merely an escape. It has develop into an expression of id, a instrument for emotional well-being, and a strategy to share tales with the world.
This mindset raises the bar for manufacturers. A lovely setting or courteous service shouldn’t be sufficient. Vacationers now anticipate consistency, goal, and emotional readability in each interplay. Manufacturers should strategy expertise design with intention at each stage of the visitor journey.
5 Ideas for Expertise-First Journey Manufacturers
Personalization Begins with Design, not Simply Knowledge: Company need greater than recognition. They need experiences that really feel related and thoughtfully tailor-made. Personalization ought to information each a part of the journey, from pre-arrival planning to post-departure follow-up. AI instruments can provide good suggestions, however true loyalty is constructed by means of human-centered moments. The manufacturers that anticipate wants and provide significant decisions foster belief and emotional connection.
Luxurious is now Outlined by Emotional Impression: Conventional luxurious nonetheless issues. Privateness, standing, and high-end facilities stay vital, however vacationers now anticipate extra. They search cultural connection, immersive storytelling, and alternatives for private development and transformation. At its peak, Disney’s Galactic Starcruiser supplied an expertise that blended narrative with hospitality. Airbnb Experiences connects company with native traditions. These moments go away lasting impressions as a result of they resonate on an emotional degree.
Storytelling Begins within the Bodily House: Advertising campaigns might entice consideration, however the bodily atmosphere delivers probably the most highly effective story. Parts like sound, scent, lighting, and format affect how company really feel and what they keep in mind. A rooftop that hosts yoga within the morning and stay music at night time conveys a way of considerate programming. Each bodily element has the potential to assist or undermine the model narrative. Areas must be handled as integral components of the story, not as static backdrops.
Values Have to be Embedded, not Simply Marketed: Vacationers are paying shut consideration to model values. Moral sourcing, labor practices, and neighborhood affect all affect buying choices. These components can’t be surface-level messages. They should be constructed into operations. Intrepid Journey, for instance, operates by means of a mannequin rooted in low-impact, community-based tourism. Their values inform each side of the enterprise, from pricing to partnerships. Manufacturers that fail to stroll the speak threat dropping credibility.
Expertise Ought to Help, not Change, the Expertise: Digital instruments can improve accessibility and scale back friction, however they need to by no means come at the price of human connection. Hilton’s digital key system affords comfort, but it surely issues most when paired with heat, responsive service elsewhere. AR and VR may also help vacationers think about a vacation spot, however with out cultural depth or relevance, they continue to be surface-level novelties. Expertise ought to serve the model’s goal and enrich the expertise, not distract from it.
Redefining Management within the Expertise Period
The expertise financial system now defines how vacationers make choices and discuss manufacturers. Ahead-thinking firms are reimagining their operations to replicate this new actuality. They’re specializing in expertise design, aligning their values throughout each touchpoint, and shifting from being service suppliers to turning into memory-makers.
CMOs, model strategists, and hospitality executives should replicate deeply on how their model is felt and remembered. Crucial questions are usually not about publicity or scale—they’re about emotional readability. What moments are we creating for our company? The place are we unintentionally inflicting confusion or dissatisfaction? What tales are folks telling as soon as they go away? The manufacturers that embrace these questions and act on them are starting to set themselves aside. Others might discover themselves changed by rivals who transfer extra rapidly, assume extra deliberately, and design extra meaningfully.
