Experiential tourism or travel means immersion travel. It is a niche market in the tourism industry. In this form of Travel, the main focus is on engaging in and experiencing a specific place and its cultural and environmental characteristics in an active and attentive way. Experiential travel aims for getting a more in-depth understanding of the travelled destination and tends to obtain an inspirational and personalized experience.
Travel has always been about experiences, although what has come to real life was merely summed up in ticking of sight-seeing and highlights. While the term “experiential travel” has been mentioned since 1985 but the travel trends in recent years shows that 65% of world travellers started to see what they have been through was not about authentic experiences. People realized it is no more enough to visit typical landmarks rather than creating lasting memories that impact on the whole being. That kind of experiences that let us experience destinations and become more aware of the culture and engage deeply with the place to personalize your trip.
The experiential Travel is our need for getting more involved and immerse for a more local experience. Things that change us for the better. Experiential travel comes along locals, localized experience and in spite of the fact that transformation is in the travel company, there is a subtle point that you have improved this change deliberately with a higher and new consciousness. Experiential Travel can transform us in a long-lasting way, that is the slight difference between experiential and transformative Travel.
according to TripAdvisor’s 2019 Experiences Trends Report Classes and workshops, family-friendly activities, and wellness experiences are the fastest-growing experience categories that global travellers among them U.S travellers book for vacation.
Family-friendly experiences outmatched by the fast-growing trend since it is a substantial priority of global travellers to such experiences engage the whole family, including the smallest ones. On the top of the fastest-growing types of experiences, globally “family-friendly” activities stand with more than 200% of growth rate. Children are not suitcase to carry them while travelling. They need to get a sense of the trip and the place like other members of the family. When all the family enjoy Travel, then they have shared a one-of-a-kind memory.
Experiences like Family Tour Round Iran, Tehran Family Trip, Target your Iran Family Adventure in Qazvin are designed to support quality trips for families throughout Iran.
“Travelers are booking more immersive experiences than ever,” says Molly Burke, a TripAdvisor spokesperson. “Visiting iconic sites is still a priority, but travellers are increasingly curating trips to suit their unique interests. Whether that means bringing the whole family along or booking rejuvenating wellness experiences, travellers have so many options to really customize their trip and immerse themselves in the local culture. They are experiences that will stay with travellers for a lifetime, long after they’ve put away their suitcase.”
Experiential Travel gives you new skills to take in your living with you. What can be a more lasting souvenir to bring back from our trip if not new expertise? In the second position of experiences trends, classes and workshops almost double and grew 90% year-over-year. Learning new skills is a way to embrace experiential tourism. It might be learning to cook Persian cuisines in Tehran or create Persian blue beads in Qom or maybe you would learn to set up a feast in Zoroastrian style in Yazd or get to know about astronomy in the desert. It can be life-changing power in your Travel.
Health and Well-being is the third-ranked category which jumped 82% within a year. While the spa experience seems doesn’t worth it compared to Iceland’s and New Zealand’s, A Persian bath in Iran with all the traditions and excellent massage is something ranked among the top well-being experiences.
Almost all the travellers who happened to travel in Iran say it is the country of diversity. It can be one of those exceptional destinations that one can meet the highest snow-capped summits in one day and lay down on the edge of warm gold gravel dunes the next day. Iran has got to have almost a share of everything, but about the culture and exciting traditions, it has a library to tell. Experiential tourism works a lot for Iran. There are numerous examples of original experiences directly being functioned by locals and rural regions. If you look for some technical transformation in Travel, then the warmth of locals who give much in spite of having little, or the artistry goes into handcrafting will provide you with a new point of view to ease transformation happens on your inside. Be open to social and environmental consciousness and increase the quality of your experience.
Experiential travellers can find a vibrant and intact playground for tasting Iran as it is still an undiscovered destination for the world catches people awe-inspiring. All the experiences in Iran are blended with the deep touch of local life and activities last for a lifetime. You can travel to Persepolis, the grandeur capital of Persian Empires and visit the neighbour village’s farming and livestock with the most hospitable people to join them for a local homemade lunch. Or you might be interested in hiking to the highest peak of northwest Iran but learn about the Gilaki tradition and world heritage handicrafts. Join the agro tours like Saffron harvest in Khorasan fields, picking roses and making rosewater in Kashan, rice cultivation in Gilan.
Among the traditional ceremonies and rituals in Iran, Persian New Year eve, Fire festival of Chaharshanbe Suri, Yalda Night festival, Ashura ceremony are all one of a kind emerge into the roots of Iranian culture.
By Hanie Rahmati