The three experience trends set to shape the leisure travel industry in 2024
Ahead of the Arival 360 Conference in Orlando on October 9-12, travel leaders have shared the top three tours, activities, and experiences trends they expect will shape the travel industry in 2024.
More than 1,000 representatives from companies across the tours, activities, attractions, and experiences sectors will attend the 2023 Arival 360 Conference next week. Hot topics will include artificial intelligence and its implications for the experiences industry, digital distribution, pricing, passion travel, partnerships, and how inclusion and diversity will continue to drive fundamental shifts in people’s travel experiences and the response they expect.
In addition, these top three trends for 2024 are expected to dominate discussions at the event:
Artificial intelligence could finally pave the way to genuine personalization
“We’ve seen an explosion in excitement and tangible applications for artificial intelligence in 2023. At the Arival, we will dig into the tangible applications and opportunities for businesses across travel experiences to drive new efficiencies and enhance the guest experience. If we channel it the right way, operators will only get better at delivering that personal, human touch that makes the experiences sector so special within travel,” said Douglas Quinby, CEO, and Co-founder at Arival.
Greg DeShields, Executive Director at Tourism Diversity Matters, adds that AI has the potential to redefine the guest experience in 2024: “Customer expectations for more authenticity will remain high, while artificial intelligence and automation advancements will continue redefining the guest experience, providing greater awareness and more choices. AI and automation will influence various segments, adapt, and offer more “customer-friendly” AI-driven solutions. AI algorithms and data analytics will provide travelers with more personalized and efficient experiences.
Demand for immersive experiences with authentic, human connection will continue to grow.
“This trend, which has dominated 2023, will continue to evolve in 2024 – with the desire for unique, once-in-a-lifetime and themed trips becoming even more prominent,” notes Quinby. “As a result, there is likely to be a huge range of new options available to travelers. Travel providers will need to consider how to take their offerings a step further in 2024 than they did in 2023 – focusing on differentiation and user experience at the booking stage will be key to captivating travelers and turning lookers into bookers.”
Rebecca Fisher, Co-Founder of Beyond the Bell Tours, agrees: “People are going to be more and more driven to pursue experiential travel experiences [in 2024]. Travelers are seeking authentic connection and deeper engagement. We will see these trends grow globally and domestically [within the US].”
We will see a shift from destination-based travel to passion-based travel
“Where will matter less than why in 2024,” says Quinby. “The typical traveler’s bucket list used to consist of places to go, countries to check off, and passport stamps to collect. But in 2024, it will be more about the who, what, and why than the where and when.”
On the other hand, as Dan Christian, host of the Travel Trends podcast and founder of the Acceleration Team puts it:
“We are seeing a shift from destination-based travel to passion-based travel. However, travel discovery is still stuck in the past; the only options today are where and when, and we need to move to who you are and what you’re interested in. Websites and other travel platforms,
For example, are still focused on destinations. However, people are choosing travel experiences based on their passions over destinations. Building marketing funnels around time and place is no longer the most effective approach; it’s up to all of us to make this shift to attract and retain consumers today.”