Why Do People Travel?

Travel agencies and tour company managers should really dig down to discover the real reasons people travel.

And travel marketers and tour company owners must be experts in the needs and motivations of travelers. Your customer’s wishes are the source of your revenues.

Because, the answers for travelling are uniquely personal, not necessarily the superficial explanations provided by general traveler surveys from the big travel corporations.

What’s Being Sought by Your Customers?

The real value being purchased is the promise inside your tours, destinations, or services. ,

Too many marketers look at surface motivations as you see depicted in the graph from Expedia at right.  As discussed below, the real motivation is much simpler.

With that underlying motivation in mind, you can differentiate your brand, services and products much better. Better means more sales conversions.

And your content will be more relevant and interesting, make more impact, be more immersive and result in more bookings.

So while we might first think it’s the euphoric high travelers get when we travel somewhere, that buzz might be tied to what we think is going to happen to our lives afterward. Travelers book from you because they envision the key benefit they’re going to capture, while reading your blogs, videos, social posts and product pages. The mind travels first.

 

With relaxation, rejuvenation of our spirit, return of energy, rebalancing of our brain chemicals, and the temporary absence of our boring routines, we all come back to our lives more empowered.

 

What Travelers Know: The 6-Month Buzz

There was a time when I hadn’t traveled for quite a while, while working in a daily grind commuting job. Feeling low, I then pushed myself to take an 11-day trip to San Diego, California, my favorite place. When I returned from the trip, I was feeling euphoric, because I had been true to myself and took the trip I knew would be really good for me.

It’s one part adventure and one part assertiveness.

The buzz from that trip lasted about 5 months. I found some research later that discovered that traveler’s post-travel buzz typically lasts up to 6 months. Wow, they got it right. Then 5 months later, I quit that dead-end job and restarted by own business. I’m not wealthy, but I did what was right for me. It’s allowed me to grow in many ways professionally and become a much better marketer. And the learning keeps on keepin on.

Transformation +

I found a post from Adventure Travel News, by travel writer, Christina Beckmann. It reveals why adventure travelers go on trips. It’s from research done by the Adventure Travel Trade Association. And Feeldot’s graphic below, adds that transformation is the real benefit beyond having experiences.

But what is this thing called transformation? Kind of a general word. I like the idea, however, I believe there is something beyond that, which I will explain below.

You should definitely click over to Adventure Travel News to read that great post and more on Adventure travel. When travelers come back home, does the buzz last? Does the transformation really happen?

Beyond an Experience to the Real Goal: Transformation of their Self-Identity

Out of all the great transformative experiences that travelers enjoy, something gets transformed. What is the essence of what is being rejigged, rejuvenated and improved?

Is it their life force and spirit being revived? So, what will that do for them? What’s the big payoff? Is it just a temporary feeling they want, like a drinking a gallon of Red Bull?

Self-Esteem is the Payoff

Travelers are trying to improve their self-identity (what they think of themselves) which boosts self-esteem. Self-esteem is respect/confidence about their self-identity. They also would like a boost to their self-image too (what others think of them), but it’s mostly a personal internal thing about themselves. They want to feel better about themselves. So, it’s not about the destination really, but the effect the destination/experience will have on them — how good they’ll feel and what kind of emotional transformation they’ll get.

This is what they’re assessing when they’re at your website.

Your travel customers need to know why they believe the Grand Canyon, Bali Beaches, Italian villages, Thai food market, Swiss mountain cable car ride, or an African safari tour will make them feel better.

That’s as deep as we’ll get into psychology here. But it’s important for any travel marketer or travel product designer to know.

We might think people just want a temporary buzz. Some do. And relaxation is a form of temporary buzz which is the release of dopamine, oxytocin and other feel-good brand chemicals.

But for serious repeat travel customers, your brand-loyal customers who book again and again, it’s all about self-esteem.

What will this Revived Self-esteem do for Them?

Travelers like to use travel as a tool to elevate their view of themselves and improve their self-respect and confidence. But what do they then do with that new, improved self-esteem, self-respect and spirit?

Is it like they charging up a battery or trying out a new battery for more energy which then helps them manage their lives more effectively?

It might come down to expectations, where people feel they must operate at a certain level of clarity, energy, and enthusiasm. Without it, they don’t respect themselves and feel they’re not accomplishing what they think they should be — with their lives. Some see travel as the elixir.

And remember, some people don’t believe travel has any value. They’re not sold that it would transform anything.

And that new state of self-esteem, confidence, respect and mastery, makes them believe they’re managing their future well.
So are students really thinking that tour of Peru or Africa is going to create mastery back home? Well, it might make them feel they’re in more control and are worldly and accomplished. But the main thing, is that it makes them feel less anxious about an uncertain future — that they have mastery. That’s good for establishing a strong self-identity which is why parents push them into it.

Travelers Want to Elevate their Whole World

And in our new buzz of self-esteem, we might think we’re a good role model for others and wish to see them enjoy the very same personal transformation too. I mean why would selfies, videos, and social posts be so important to share, if travel is about just our transformation alone?

We come from our family, work and friend contexts, and we want them to grow and rejuvenate too. Without change in them, our own experience might seem hollow and flat.

With that, we could say that sharing our travel memories is a big part of a satisfying travel adventure too. It’s not that we’re full of ourselves and desperate to be reborn. We want to uplift our families, coworkers, and friends too on a rising tide of values.

We want our whole life to get that lift, so that we’re all more prosperous, happy, and renewed.

So you might ask the traveler in your cruise, tour, or big event who they would like to have the same experience, because those people are part of the tranformation.

And every independent traveler who knows this, knows that others may take some time before they try to experience the joy of travel.

Leveraging these Motivation Insights

My conclusion on this article and topic of why travelers travel is that it is about self-esteem and self-identity. If these aren’t great, the person will seek an experience to improve them.

And we know people are giving up on material products now and pursuing experiences instead. This is the new experience economy driving the travel industry. It involves experiences with people. This is why guided tours are so popular.

People want their own private travel experience but they need other people to make it feel real and immersive – for the right context. It’s the human connection while traveling where new emotional circuitry is created. Memories are stronger if experienced with others because the “view” is more complex. And more pleasure brain chemicals are released this way.

For tour guides, conversations with tourists about their lives is wise, because temporary “in the moment” experiences have to be anchored to that person’s real life. For marketers, this information is gold — knowing exactly why they’re motivated to spend so much money to travel. Using polls, surveys, and social media engagement can bring out this information too.

So it’s more than just an awesome view of Yosemite’s mountainscapes, the breathtaking panorama of the Golden Gate Bridge, Italy’s canals, or the incredible vista over the Grand Canyon. We travel in service of our life and what we think of our life.

As a tour company or tour guide, you’re in a special place to be able to provide one of the best experiences to rejuvenate the lives and self-esteem of so many people.

What is your motivation for travel? Head on over to my Facebook page, join me and discuss these interesting things.

Hire a innovative travel content strategist and get the results you need.  Contact Gord at 416 998 6246.