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.New York Times "New Frontier for Tourists: Your Home" It can often be transformative. 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 lifeWashington 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. Therefore, the traveler usually gets in touch with locals who give guidance how to experience a place.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. 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 1985Google Books "Insights in strategic retail management" – however, it has become a more popular market trend in recent years.How Experiential Travel Can Change Your Life In 2017, 65% of United States travelers preferred 'experiencing something new' over 'feeling rested and recharged'.
See also Adventure travel Culinary tourism Cultural tourism Sex tourism Volunteer tourism
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