How I Decided Experiential Travel Was My Thing

What is experiential travel? Besides being one of those buzzwords at the moment, experiential travel simply is when you immerse yourself in the culture of the place you are visiting. You connect with local people, eat local food and speak the language (or at least, attempt to).

Here is how I came across the idea of experiential travel: My dad has always encouraged me to start my own business. Maybe it came from years of working for the man, or he saw an entrepreneurial spark in me, or just knew I needed to lead...he taught me to learn everything possible at each and every company, and to soak up all that I could. When I worked as a Tour Director, he suggested I work in the office as well so I could learn more about the operations and sales process. I ended up doing that and falling in love with the industry, and I kept learning at each new role I started. When we would have our chats about work, he'd ask me - what type of travel business would you run? And for years, I didn't have an answer. Luxury travel was great - but what would I do differently than everyone else? Student travel was too competitive and too small margins...Biking trips weren't my style - I just didn't know what to do.

That was the case until recently.

I was travelling on a group trip that felt so staged, forced and inauthentic, even if it claimed to be an off-the-beaten-path experience. I knew there had to be more, because I always felt so much more engaged as a solo traveler. I was always so excited to read the plaques or follow along with a local guide, but on this trip, I was struggling to stay awake on this tour.

I realized I was less connected to the guide, place and people because I wasn't getting the chance to ride the subway or the local bus, I was eating in touristy restaurants, not speaking the language and doing cookie-cutter experiences that didn't mean anything to me. I woke up early one morning and started writing. Writing about a tour company and experience that felt more real to me. A tour experience where you could plan time to explore, spend time with locals, and experience the the destination by foot or by local transport. I started thinking about my fondest travel memories, and they all stemmed from these types of experiences.

After realizing this, I knew - experiential travel was my thing.

What kind of travel is your thing? Connect with me on instagram and share YOUR story!