Ahead of Berlin's upcoming Arival 360, the global conference for the travel, activities and experiences industry, Arival has revealed to European tour operators that American travelers visiting the region this year are likely to take more trips than ever before. , and that younger travelers are less interested in sightseeing.
Arival's 2024 US Tour Taker Report reveals that today's U.S. travelers are also taking more types of tours, including shopping, dining, adventure, eco-friendly, and specialty themed tours. Nearly all of these travel categories saw an increase in acceptance by American travelers.
This delves into the emerging traits of today's traveler: who they are, what they want, and how they choose, book, and share their experiences.
In particular, the report indicates a shift among younger American travelers away from traditional sightseeing tours toward other types of more experiential tours. Sightseeing remains popular overall, but this is largely due to older travelers (over 55), who are twice as likely to sightsee as 18- to 34-year-olds.
Younger travelers, particularly Gen Z and millennials, want more immersive and experiential tours. They are twice as likely (or more) than older travelers to take food, adventure and wellness tours, and special interest tours (these are tours focused on an area of the industry such as photography or a specific topic in the industry). history, culture or art.
"These trends reflect the extraordinary changes taking place in the way today's travelers want a new type of trip: one that more deeply connects the visitor to a place and its people and immerses them in an experiential activity" said Douglas Quinby, co-founder and CEO of Arival. "International travel from the US is increasing – and the way these consumers travel now is different. European tour operators should take note and act with intention: this region's new, younger travelers are seeking once-in-a-lifetime experiences." that they cannot find anywhere else."
Gen Z traveler trends will be a hot topic at this year's Arival 360 event, which is expected to attract hundreds of business representatives from the travel, activities, attractions and experiences sectors. Among the guaranteed speakers are leaders from GetYourGuide, GlobalTix, Hotelbeds, Game of Thrones Studio, Holiday Extras... and many more.
The Arival 360 Conference will take place at Estrel Berlin, one of Berlin's largest convention hotels, from March 2 to 4.
Source: Belvera Partners.