ASPIRE BRUNCH CLUB
PANEL HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF SUSTAINABILITY
The panel agreed that providing an ‘authentic travel experience’ should not come at the expense of the sustainability of a destination. Six Senses Hotels Resorts & Spas’
Michael Vance said: “It is key that a hotel isn’t taking advantage of a location, and an element of that is adding to the longevity of a place. “We try to offer experiences
that reflect a destination. It is often the less obvious stuff that leaves a mark. In Thailand, guests stay in these phenomenal villas, yet they come back and say they spent a great couple of hours with the lady who runs the chicken house.” Intrepid Travel’s Tim Winkworth added: “It is hard for hotels to offer
Six Senses Hotels Resorts & Spas’ Michael Vance
an authentic experience because locals don’t live in hotels. But businesses do a great job of getting across the local environment. “Intrepid is always monitoring
the situation, asking if something is just becoming a cash cow for someone, or making other people in villages jealous.
“One of the benefits of our recent split from Tui is that we have put people before profit.”
IT’S NOT ABOUT A PLACE’S ‘DARK UNDERBELLY’
Experiencing ‘authentic travel’ does not have to involve seeing the “dark underbelly” of a place, according to Ampersand Travel’s James Jayasundera. “I have friends who say to me:
‘James, your trips are so luxurious – that’s not real authenticity.’ So I ask them whether their definition of authentic is miserable and dusty. “As far as I’m concerned, a
maharaja in a palace is just as real as a beggar in a mud hut. “It is interesting to sometimes
move in similar social spheres as you might back home. “There are so many things
that appear ordinary, but with the right people looking at them can become extraordinary.” Intrepid Travel’s Tim Winkworth added: “There is all this talk of ‘museums of poverty’, but authentic travel 30 years ago was going to places nobody had been to before. Now it is experiences, and people watching is fabulous. “We put the ingredients
together – as a bit of a chef, a bit of a chemist, however you want to look at it – and let things happen. “We create the leaders and the
groups and take them to places, and real-life experiences do happen.”
‘AUTHENTIC’ DISMISSED AS A MARKETING TERM
The panellists agreed that the term ‘authentic’ is one they sometimes avoided using. “Lately, the word makes me cringe,” said Jayasundera. “I’ve always used ‘sincere’ and ‘non-commercial’ – I often rave about something because no amount of money will create the experience.” Winkworth described the word ‘authentic’ as a “marketing term”.
COMPANIES URGED TO HOLD INFORMATION BACK
It was suggested that travel companies withhold some information when marketing their holidays. Describing a recent family trip to Italy, Dive said: “Because we had no idea where we were going, it was all of a sudden far more interesting and exciting.” Winkworth added: “It’s a tricky one though, because people can get so much information now, they want it all.”
SMALLER GROUP SIZES CREATE IMMERSIVE TRIPS
Winkworth advised travel companies looking to offer immersive trips to stick to smaller group sizes. He said: “People are more confident when they are part of a group and that is a key part of allowing those authentic experiences to happen. Winkworth said Intrepid limited group sizes to 12 on adult trips, which allowed local-run accommodation to be used.
30 — aspire september 2015
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