In this Newsletter
The New Era of Enrichment Travel: and what it means for Destination Marketers everywhere

“I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move,” Robert Louis Stevenson was quoted as saying.

If I could traverse time and talk with him, I’d say thanks for giving me so much pleasure as a child with the adventures of “Treasure Island” and those dastardly deeds of Long John Silver that kept me awake long into the night.

Then I’d tell him that travel today is a whole lot more about experiences gained that can actually change or “transform” the visitor—just as his vivid storytelling did--rather than the mere act of going-for-goings sake.    

We’ve surely come to know that travel is a lot more than a mere collection of places and things—and even memories created that can last a lifetime.

Brand positioning today requires us to communicate to the consumer the motivational attributes of our destinations that effectively separate them from other communities.

But here’s the new paradigm for leisure travel, according to recent behavioral studies.

Increasingly, today’s travelers are seeking trips which provide new, valuable experiences that raise their consciousness and develop new skills. The Travel Industry Association calls it “enrichment travel” (others also refer to it as “immersion” or “experiential” travel) and confirms that there’s a trend on the rise with these recent research findings:

More than half of visitors recently polled expressed interest in taking an educational trip, and nearly a quarter said they were more interested in this than they were five years ago.

The travel industry is beginning to respond to this growing trend in a number of ways.

Some are attempting to repackage and reposition the traditional pastime of sightseeing and attractions-hopping based on consumer interests. Other destinations are now marketing new visitor product opportunities for its target audiences.

“We’re evolving and developing product to meet the demands of a brand new market of seasoned, educated, well-heeled travelers who demand and desire more than stopping, standing and staring,” says Randy Julian, the head of the National Tourism Association.

Examples include ethnic cooking in Mexico, hiking from Waldenesque pond during New England’s fall foliage season and teaching teens about the fashion industry in New York City. Then there are new twists on social tourism, including helping locals; Habitat for Humanity efforts surely come to mind.

Travel writer Pam Grout calls these trips “before and after” vacations; “because, after one of them, you’re probably going to be a little bit different,” she says.

This new trend of enrichment travel affords excellent opportunities for so many communities that feature special places for individual renewal--where visitors can experience something personal and lasting—and potentially life changing.

During my recent marketing assignment in South Dakota, I was personally drawn to the experiential appeals of the Black Hills, Badlands and Lakes area, where, like many other regions, visitors can become explorers in surroundings that are exciting, personally enriching and of superior value.

In our judgment, no destination, tour company or visitor product markets this concept quite as well as the Disney Corporation through its new tour operator program.

In its recent two-page advertising spread for Adventures by Disney in Newsweek Magazine, the headline copy invited consumers to: “Live the Amazing Stories Behind the World’s Greatest Destinations.”

For North America, Disney offers three vacation products; the Mid Atlantic, the American Southwest and Wyoming.

Through its program, Disney says it is providing “…a whole new way for families to travel together”, that… “Adventures by Disney vacations are unforgettable, immersive,” and provide “…travel experiences for families to explore the world’s greatest destinations”.

Fortunately, Adventures by Disney holds no monopoly on visitor destinations where special travel experiences are waiting to be discovered.

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Romancing your Visitor Product

In our judgment, making this strong, visceral connection with the consumer takes new creative skills.

The technique calls for creating exciting descriptors, graphics that dramatically put the visitor right in the middle of the travel product--and convey strong sensory appeals that aren’t often found in communications messages to travelers—yet sensory “hooks” were the strongest motivators when Colonial Williamsburg ran advertising that romanced the viewer with the stirring sights, smells and sounds of Duke of Gloucester Street, including delicious freshly baked warm gingerbread enjoyed by children visiting the Governor’s Mansion there.

I’m also impressed with current ads for the Pocono Mountains that invite travelers to “Discover, Exhale, Conquer and Explore.” Wow. That says it all to outdoor travel enthusiasts. So does the new Virginia Beach ad message, “Live the Life. Lose yourself. Find yourself.”

Here are some other suggestions for you to consider in enhancing your communications approaches.

• Follow the recommendations from travelers in new Visitor Profile Studies that are most apt to bring visitor attention, interest and resulting desire to come.
• Deliver powerful personal new copy and broad appeals that emotionally describe the destination such as , “Step back in time for historical adventures…majestic mountain discoveries… New journeys just around the corner… exploring the Spirit of America”. As part of this approach, deliver the sensory experiences that best vividly describe your special sights, sounds and conveyed feelings.
• Use recognizable Big Names. People in general are most attracted by specifics—not generalities. So combine the appeals and experiences provided here with the well known, identifiable names and sites that have strong name recognition—and share how personal experiences can be created in so many personally rewarding and fascinating ways.
• Employ larger dramatic photos whenever feasible that include visitor “adventurers” who are experiencing the travel product. These larger photos will serve to anchor nearby smaller photos.
• Incorporate graphic icons/art of indigenous memorabilia throughout the collateral that connote the “Destination Personality” of the community.
• Use testimonials to motivate visitors. For instance third party positive comments about your destination from both media and well known public figures are far more credible to consumers than traditional promotional or advertising copy.

Here are just a few terrific examples from the Black Hills:

“An all-American road trip, filled with cowboys and Indians, buffalo and prairie dogs, and dreamers…” San Diego Union-Tribune

“The Black Hills Region is…Spectacular” Miami Herald Travel Editor Jane Wooldridge

 “The Black Hills rises out of the Badlands, inviting exploration of rock spires, clear lakes, cool forests and main-street strolling towns.”
Cottage Living Magazine

Be bold and creative

Above all, keep up with the market direction that is consistently provided by consumer research. And by all means, pay close attention to your competitors’ efforts.

For creative execution, map out your needs with a written Creative Brief that includes look and feel, the targeted customer, mandatory inclusions, primary and secondary messages, etc.Give it to your art director, copy writer and all involved for buy-in—and stick with it.

Finally, I urge you to be bold, provocative and to employ attention-getting, risk-taking opportunities that match your experiential visitor offerings with the customer’s needs. This approach is bound to separate you from the clutter of much of today’s mundane advertising.

It’s an exciting opportunity. Do it right, and you’ll really make a memorable, recognizable brand name for your destination.

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