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Success Story: Experiential Travel Agency Success Story — From Destinations to Access
- Ray Gudrups
- Jan 6
- 4 min read
Something fundamental has shifted in travel — and many agencies are still pretending it hasn’t.
Mainstream itineraries are losing their appeal. Not because people travel less, but because destinations alone no longer excite.
The classic formula — country + route + hotels + highlights — is quietly breaking down. Travelers are no longer asking “Where should I go?” They’re asking:
“What will actually happen to me there?”
This shift challenges the traditional definition of a “travel product.”And that’s exactly why it sparks debate.
If destinations are no longer the primary product, then many legacy travel models are built on a flawed foundation.
Travelers Want Experiences First — Data That Proves It
This isn’t intuition. The numbers are clear.
Spending on immersive travel experiences has grown ~65% compared with 2019, significantly outpacing growth in traditional products like flights and hotels.
The global experiential travel market reached approximately USD 72.4 billion in 2024 and is forecast to grow at ~17% annually through 2033, potentially reaching nearly USD 200 billion.
Multiple industry reports confirm that travelers increasingly prioritize culture, activities, and meaningful engagement over passive sightseeing.
This demand shift is not niche. It is structural.
For readers who want a broader industry view on why experiential travel is reshaping demand, this trend overview from the World Travel Market explains the shift in detail:👉 https://www.wtm.com
The implication is uncomfortable but unavoidable: Agencies still selling destinations as the main value proposition are swimming against demand.
Pain Point — Weak Storytelling & Interchangeable Products
Here’s the core problem most agencies face:
They still sell tours as logistics.
Day-by-day routes
Landmark lists
Hotel categories
Transport details
The result? Commoditization.
When everyone sells “10 days in Peru” or “Authentic Mexico Highlights,” the only remaining differentiator becomes price — or marketing noise.
But travelers don’t remember routes. They remember moments.
They remember:
Who welcomed them
What story were they told
What they experienced that others didn’t
This tension sets the stage for the success story.
Experiential Travel Agency Success Story — Bold Shift from Destinations to Access
How One Agency Reframed Its Product from “Tours” to “Experiences”
To understand what it means to sell access instead of destinations, we can look at a real, living reference point: Withlocals.
Founded in the Netherlands, Withlocals repositioned travel by connecting visitors directly with local hosts for personalized, immersive experiences — rather than traditional packages.
Instead of asking customers to choose:
Cities
Routes
Fixed itineraries
They invited them to choose:
Food experiences
Cultural practices
Local lifestyles
Time spent with real people
Travelers didn’t buy Amsterdam. They bought dinner at a local home.
They didn’t buy Japan. They bought time with someone who lives there.
That is the essence of the experiential travel agency success story: Reframing the product from geography to permission.
Why This Model Works
Experiences increasingly shape destination choice, not the other way around.
Recent industry data shows:
Spending on experiences is growing significantly faster than traditional travel components
Platforms focused on experiences are exploding in scale
Consider this:
GetYourGuide app downloads increased by ~355% since 2019
Viator’s revenue grew from ~$55 million in 2020 to ~$840 million in 2024
This growth isn’t accidental. Personalization and access are no longer “nice to have” — they are profit drivers.
When travelers can’t compare experiences easily, price sensitivity drops and loyalty increases.
Traditional Tour Product vs Access-Driven Model
Traditional Product | Access-Driven Experience |
Route itinerary | Curated experience |
Landmark visits | Local immersion & storytelling |
Fixed activities | Personalized choices |
Price competition | Value creation |
Low differentiation | High differentiation |
This is where selling access becomes a strategic advantage, not a marketing slogan.
Access can’t be cloned easily. Destinations can.
How Agencies Can Make the Shift
This transition doesn’t require abandoning destinations — it requires reframing them.
Practical steps:
Sell stories and moments, not routes
Partner with local hosts, artisans, guides, and cultural insiders
Showcase experiences digitally — not just landscapes
Design trips where experiences lead, destinations support
Track ROI beyond bookings: satisfaction, referrals, repeat travel
When done right, destinations become context — not the headline.
Strategic Risks & How to Manage Them
This model is powerful, but not risk-free.
Key challenges:
Operational complexity
Scaling personalized offers
Pricing bespoke access
How successful agencies manage it:
Modularized experience design
Repeatable experience frameworks
Technology to support personalization and bookings
The goal isn’t chaos — it’s structured flexibility.
Conclusion — The Future of Travel Product
Here’s the uncomfortable truth:
The future of travel isn’t about where you go. It’s about what happens when you get there.
Destinations are no longer scarce. Access is.
And the agencies that understand this aren’t just selling trips —they’re selling entry into worlds travelers can’t reach alone.
That is where the next generation of experiential travel agency success will be built.
Sources
World Travel Monitor / World Travel Market (WTM)
Dataintelo — Experiential Travel Market Forecast
Hospitality Net — Traveler Preference & Experience Trends
Revista Merca2.0 — Experience Platform Growth Data
Withlocals — Company Background & Business Model (Wikipedia)
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