Years ago, it was not uncommon to work hard all of your life
and then reward yourself at retirement with the “trip of a lifetime”. In those days, visiting the destination was
the point, and the travel industry created escorted tours to fulfill those
dreams. Travel was a privilege. Travel was its own reward
We don’t approach our leisure travel experiences that way
anymore. We expect to take many
memorable trips during our life. We take
multiple trips every year. We travel
with family, friends, and on our own. We are traveling to new and exotic places. We believe travel is our right. Rewards are found in meaningful travel experiences.
In a recent Travel Weekly, Arnie Wiessmann wrote that
leisure travel magazine editors instruct their writers to use an “angle” or
“contrivance” to “package destinations”. It’s “the point” within the context of the destination that entertains
and creates meaning for travel magazine readers.
Mr. Weissmann then made a comparison:
“…the travel industry, too, packages travel experiences...
But interestingly, for the most part, the final product doesn't seem to have a
point…it seldom promises to follow a specific story line.” (“Inauthentic
Authenticity”, Arnie Weissmann, Travel Weekly, March 31, 2008),
In Marie’s post of March 19 she is asking the travel
industry to recognize that “the point” (the “Why” and “What”) of her travel is the
most important thing for her. The
commodities of the travel equation – getting there, staying there, getting
around there – will fall into place when “the point” is taken care of first.
It’s “the point” that immerses us in our travels and creates
a lifetime of experiences that connect us to the world. “The point” makes travel personal.
Mr. Weissmann makes the conclusion in his March 31st
editorial that in general the travel industry seems content to sell “generic
and clichéd” experiences even as trends say we want authenticity and immersion
in our travel.
We believe there is a better way. This is what motivates us
to explore new ways to approach the travel equation.
