This trend has been evolving since the pandemic, but now it's taking a new direction: the "theme tour." We're already seeing how Taylor Swift's "The Eras Tour" is changing travel. As consumers flock to buy tickets, hotels in cities visited by the tour break occupancy records and airlines add additional routes to their networks around Swift's shows, making this possibly the biggest cultural event around which people plan their trips right now.
Music, gastronomy and sports, especially the Paris Olympics, are just some of the themes that will shape travel in 2024. This week, the eclipse that devastated Mexico and the United States was a HUGE travel phenomenon. How can all travel industry players benefit in the future? We've spoken to several B2B travel experts to find out more.
"Douglas Quinby, co-founder and CEO of Arival, says: "The typical traveler's wish list used to consist of places to go, countries to check off and passport stamps to collect. "But in 2024 and beyond, it will be more about who, what and why, rather than where and when. Experiences are no longer just 'things to do', but the reason for going in the first place. Increasingly , are the driver of the destination decision. Travel brands around the world, from destinations and hotels to OTAs, travel agencies and tour operators, have to start prioritizing experiences to inspire that traveler and capture their demand. ".
According to Andrew Lockhead, CEO of Stay22, the travel technology company that offers membership revenue opportunities to travel bloggers and media outlets, Tik Tok and Instagram videos should not be overlooked as distribution channels. Perhaps the main factor driving the desire for themed travel is social media and, within it, the influencers who inspire people with perfect travel experiences, perhaps much more than any marketing campaign from an OTA or travel agency. travel retail." But aside from offering packages similar to those shared by influencers, how can you take advantage of this trend? One way is to partner with influencers through affiliate marketing campaigns, meaning they place links to your website on your content and you pay them a commission for each sale."
Ayşe Yaşar from B2B accommodation booking platform Bedsopia, powered by global distributor PrimeTravel, highlights that it is essential to have the right technology and resources to sell the accommodation part of the package. "If they are going with a specific activity in mind, they know the neighborhood they want to stay in and you have to have those local properties available and at the right price too; someone who is going to a Taylor Swift tour or the Olympics is doing their research and comparing prices clearly".
Craig Everett, founder and CEO of Holibob, a provider of experience technology for airlines and OTAs, says that, when it comes to selling and marketing this type of travel, one of the differentiating factors is being able to not only package the flight and the hotel, but also to sell the activity that is going to take place at the destination, such as a concert or a sports match. “Having the experience itself integrated into the package available for instant booking is attractive and risk-free for travelers who want to take that special themed trip. But you don't just have to have access to those experiences, you also have to have the right technology for a seamless booking experience and automated after-sales customer service.”
However, Civitatis, a B2B2C marketplace for guided tours and excursions in Spanish in 160 countries, warns companies to think carefully before trying to promote a themed activity or tour. "Taylor Swift's tour and other big events have opened the doors to the experience and travel sector in general. Even cruise ships are taking advantage of it: we recently heard about, for example, the Taylor Swift themed cruise specifically for "Swifties "But tourism companies should not jump on just any train, their thematic experiences must be consistent with their brand and offer high-quality content. Otherwise, they risk alienating some of their customers, disappointing others ( for example, fans) or simply discovering that the topic has gone out of fashion before even getting started.
As with any type of marketing campaign, it is also important to ensure that you are able to manage demand from an administrative point of view, and payments should not be underestimated as a potential problem, especially when it comes to international travel. “The experiential travel boom is expected to continue into 2024, with experiences becoming more varied and specialized, making it important to have robust payment solutions,” says Maria Sellar of global travel payments company B2B Terrapay. "There is no point in offering a unique experience to consumers if cross-border payments to service providers on the ground are going to create unforeseen costs or liquidity dilemmas."
When music tours or sporting events arrive at a destination, travel and experience operators in those places face a double-edged sword, warns Juana Muro, COO of TourReview, a platform for travel and activity providers to manage their online reviews. "Destinations and travel service providers in general need to think about the experience their customers may have during these busy periods and the type of potentially negative reviews they may post online. This is because it is "Customers who see overcrowding or are forced to pay higher than normal prices are likely to leave a critical review or lower satisfaction scores on online review sites like Tripadvisor, etc." What can be done? Prepare in advance, train your staff on how to deal with negative reviews. However, having a positive online reputation will help you sell your trips even in a season of high prices, and a great experience on your trips could still give you a chance for a positive review." Regarding managing reviews negatives, TourReview recently published a blog offering tour operators guidance on how to respond.
As a final thought, Sami Doyle of TMU Management, a data-driven insurance broker specializing in travel, highlights that there is a level of risk for those who branch out into thematic experiences. "Themed travel - at the scale it's becoming now - is a whole new revenue stream for many travel companies and that's great news. But if that's not your usual operating model, you could be exposing yourself to unknown risks. , so you'll want to make sure your commercial insurer is adequately protecting you before venturing into this area. If you discover after an incident that you've voided your coverage, it could be catastrophic for your finances and damaging for your brand.
Source: Belvera Partners.