3 Key Takeaways From Adventure Together
“An adventure is a collection of experiences that are fulfilling to the soul.”
More than ever before, people want to break out of their comfort zones and experience the world in a personal, meaningful, and sustainable way. Gone are the days of just being herded from one main tourist attraction to another; instead, people crave adventures that touch the very soul.
During TourRadar’s online event Adventure Together, people joined from every corner of the travel industry to explore this revolutionary approach. Although there were many wonderful speakers and topics, this article focuses on the event’s three main takeaways: how adventures make us feel; how to sell organised adventures; and finally, how we all can make a positive impact on other people and the planet.
1. Adventures are more than just tours
Over the span of two exciting and informative days, travel industry experts gave speeches about the impact that adventures have on us. TEDx award-winning advisor & speaker, Sangbreeta Moitra provided insight into the power of neuro-behavioural science and the importance of creating a positive, memorable experience. She highlighted the benefit of keeping your vision simple so people can’t help but fall in love with what you have to offer.
On a similar note, Mitch Bach, Co-Founder of TripSchool, explained that tour guides and operators can bring an adventure to life by delighting their guests’ senses and delivering the unexpected. Rather than just pointing out a famous forest, stop to let people actually smell the sweet, spicy scent of pine needles. Introduce traditional treats, visit sights off-the-beaten-path, and share history in a way that opens the door to a new perspective. At the end of the day, an adventure is all about the unexpected, exciting, and positive experiences that leave a lasting impression.
2. Adventures should be inclusive and easily accessible to all
After having delved into how adventures make us feel, it’s time to explore the second key takeaway, which revolved around inclusion (both amongst our industry and customers) and how to sell adventures. As TourRadar’s Chief Commercial Officer, Brendan Roberts, pointed out, we’re all part of the ecosystem, not merely the custodians — and it’s our job to work together.
TourRadar’s new Adventure Booking Platform (ABP) is one way to help cater to the needs of the whole industry. With 50,000+ multi-day adventures around the globe and a network of over 2,500 world-class operators, TourRadar’s ABP has something for everyone. Operators can showcase their adventures; travellers and agents can easily search, compare, and book these adventures; and now any businesses worldwide can also become involved with selling adventures via one solution and one portal.
Expanding upon this idea of inclusion, Travel Channel host and journalist Oneika Raymond discussed why brands should care about diversity, not just on a moral basis, but also in terms of how they can best market tourism products to a diverse customer base. Simply put, if your business only focuses on marketing to similar groups day after day, you’re not including everyone, nor are you taking full advantage of the lucrative tourism industry.
3. Adventure providers should care about sustainability; your customers certainly do!
In the same way that we can all positively contribute to inclusion and diversity, we can also make a difference through sustainable travel. This third key takeaway from Adventure Together was explored in wonderful detail by Exodus Travels’ Head of Sustainability and Community, Kasia Morgan, and The Travel Foundation’s CEO, Jeremy Sampson. Together, they highlighted the importance of becoming destination stewards, uniting under an aligned vision for climate action, and recognising the fact that tourism can be a catalyst for change.
As Jeremy eloquently stated, the goal should be to “use tourism as a tool for building knowledge and changing hearts and minds.” This type of forward thinking led to the Glasgow Declaration. Through its leadership and alignment of climate action across the tourism industry, the Glasgow Declaration strives to increase urgency and encourage more companies like TourRadar (who recently signed the declaration) to become part of the change.
According to Kasia, “…there’s a growing sense of momentum, collaboration, and innovation as more parts of the sector get their shoulders behind the Glasgow Declaration and behind the changes needed to create a more regenerative future for our industry.”
The tourism industry is on the right track, but it will require commitment from everyone to make a positive difference. It was for this reason — to share inspiring insights like these and accelerate the growth of the entire ecosystem — that Adventure Together was created.
Want to know more about Adventure Together?
Click here to access the recordings and let’s start embracing a whole new world of travel, together.
