Experiential travel, also known as immersion travel, is a form of
tourism
Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...
in which people focus on experiencing a country, city or particular place by actively and meaningfully engaging with its
history
History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the Human history, human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some t ...
, people,
culture
Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...
, food and environment. 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 life – 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. 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 1985 – however, it has become a more popular market trend in recent years. In 2017, 65% of United States travelers preferred 'experiencing something new' over 'feeling rested and recharged'.
See also
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Adventure travel
Adventure travel is a type of tourism, involving exploration or travel with a certain degree of risk (real or perceived), and which may require special skills and physical exertion. In the United States, adventure tourism has seen growth in l ...
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Culinary tourism
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Cultural tourism
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Sex tourism
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Volunteer tourism
References
{{tourism
Types of tourism
Types of travel