As the Arival 360 Conference closes in, slated to be held in Orlando from October 9 to 12, leaders in the tourism sector have shared the three main trends in travel, activities and experiences that they predict will shape the travel sector. travel in 2024.

The trends were unveiled at the recent Arival 360 2023 Conference held in Orlando, US, which was attended by more than 1,000 business representatives from the travel, activities, attractions and experiences sectors.

Among the hottest topics at the event was AI and its implications for the experiences industry, digital distribution, pricing, passion travel, partnerships and how inclusion and diversity will continue to drive fundamental changes in the way that people experience the trips and the response they expect, said experts.

Artificial Intelligence

"We have seen an explosion of excitement and tangible applications for artificial intelligence in 2023. We must delve into the tangible applications and opportunities for businesses across travel experiences to drive new efficiencies and improve the guest experience," said Douglas Quinby, the CEO and Co-Founder of Arival.

"Yes If we channel it in the right way, operators will get better at delivering that personal and human touch that makes the experiences sector so special within travel," he stated.

Greg DeShields, CEO of Tourism Diversity Matters, pointed out that AI has the potential to redefine the guest experience in 2024.

"Customer expectations for greater authenticity will remain high, while advances in artificial intelligence and automation will continue. redefining the guest experience, providing greater insight and more options AI and automation will impact various segments, adapt and offer more customer-friendly AI-based solutions AI algorithms and data analytics will provide travelers more personalized and efficient experiences," he noted.

Immersive Experiences

"This trend, which has dominated 2023, will continue to evolve in 2024 – with the desire for unique, once-in-a-lifetime and themed travel being even more prominent," remarked Quinby.

"As a result, there is likely to be a huge range of new options available to travellers. Travel providers will need to consider how to take their offerings a step further in 2024 than they did in 2023 - focusing on differentiation and user experience at the booking stage will be key to captivating travelers, and converting the voyeurs in reservations," he observed.

Rebecca Fisher, co-founder of Beyond the Bell Tours, said: "People are going to be increasingly driven to seek out experiential travel experiences [in 2024]. Travellers are looking for authentic connection and deeper engagement."

"I think we will see these trends grow both globally and domestically [within US]," she added.

Passion-based Travel

"Where will matter less than why in 2024," remarked Quinby. "The typical traveller's bucket list used to consist of places to go, countries to cross off, passport stamps to collect. But in 2024, it will be more about who, what and why, rather than where and when," he added.

Dan Christian, host of the Travel Trends podcast and founder of the Acceleration Team, said: "We are seeing a shift from destination-based travel to passion-based travel. But travel discovery remains stuck in the past; the only options today are where and when, and we have to move on to who you are and what interests you."

"Websites and other travel platforms, for example, continue to focus on destinations. But people choose travel experiences based on their passions rather than the destinations," stated Dan.

"Building marketing funnels around time and place is no longer the most effective approach; It is up to all of us to make this change to attract and retain today's consumers," he added.

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