we want more from our travels - and hoteliers are listening
the shift in hospitality from service to co-creation is here
“We think of design as choreography. Architecture creates thresholds - open kitchens, shared, gardens, alleys that spill into town life. Programs activate those thresholds: bread-making with local bakers, joining fishermen at dawn, tending a community garden.”
The days of polished, predictable travel experiences are reaching their end. With the expansion of AI and overconsumption, we as consumers long for something richer in our experiences. With a saturated market of perfection and computer-generated images, the longing for human touch is only getting stronger.
Travel exists for the soul-searcher, the curious, the pioneer. In a recent study on Post-Experiential Hospitality by Design Hotels, they found that 88% of travellers value experiences that challenge their perspective. We get on the plane to come back re-visioned, with a fresh new outlook on our daily life.
The beauty of the hospitality industry lies in the elasticity of it’s structure. Intended with the sole purpose of creating experiences, hoteliers and industry professionals have taken an ear to what travellers really want. And its not creaseless sheets or bus tours. It’s digging our teeth into a world outside of all we’ve come to know. It’s sharing a meal with strangers, attempting to grasp a culture unlike our own. It’s deeply and simply - human.
guesthouse by good neighbor in Baltimore is striving to blend the boundaries between host and guest, local and foreigner, through inviting community with markets, book readings, and an annual design camp. SALT of Palmar in Mauritius offers guests a program called Skill Swap, where they can exchange their talents with local artisans or staff in intimate masterclasses. Staple Inc., founded by Yuta Oka, regenerates existing buildings instead of new developments, with a mission to foster local economies in Japan.
This shift is a marker of what’s to come in tourism, and the incredible experiences we can have as travellers if we stay informed and select accommodations that support REAL travel.
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