THE AFICIONADO TRAVEL
EXPERIENCE THE EXTRAORDINARY HERE ARE SOME UNBEATABLE EXPERIENCES TO ADD TO YOUR TRAVEL BUCKETLIST True travelling is always associated with experiences, and this is why more and more companies and hotels have begun to tailor experiences to their patrons by trying to offer them a unique insight into the place’s culture, history or traditional practices. As we travel to seek ourselves, we also aim to try things that lie outside our comfort zone. This could be anything from renting a private island for diving, or going to a wellness retreat in Costa Rica. Most popular hotel royalty programs are also now focusing on redeeming points with experiences rather than quintessential hotel stays. Rewards can include front row seats to the opera or even a local excursion. The Peak + Skift Experiential Travel Report states that most people are now looking for more immersive, local, authentic, adventurous and/or active travel. Jamie Wong, the Founder/CEO of Vayable, an online sharing portal that pairs travelers with its network of local
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W W W.LU X H A BI TAT. A E
citizens around the world offering opportunities to experience their destination as much as possible like a local says the most inspired types of travel today are those that “you would never find in the traditional tourism industry, such as going thrifting with a former Jean-Paul Gaultier designer in Barcelona, or eating with a food blogger in Queens.” Adventure tourism alone has grown 65% over the past 10 years, according to a report by the 2019 Adventure Tourism Market Study, co-produced by George Washington University and the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA). The growth is attributed in part due to the rise of interest in soft adventure by a wider range of age demographics than in previous decades. The survey states: “Nearly 54% of travelers plan to participate in an adventure those transformative experiences is driving business in almost every
