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For the past few years, we’ve all been dreaming of packing our bags, boarding a plane, and traveling to a new destination. After lots of armchair travel, it’s time to make those dreams a reality, and we know that with all the information out in the world, it can be hard to find travel advice you can trust. But trust us — we have the best travel guides to help you make the trip of a lifetime happen.

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A cancer survivor walks 330 miles from Washington D.C. to New York City in this remarkable memoir about identity, finding home and our common ground. A hopeful portrait of America, now available in paperback.

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The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Travel and Tourism

• Linda L. Lowry - University of Massachusetts - Amherst
• Description

Taking a global and multidisciplinary approach, The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Travel and Tourism brings together a team of international scholars to examine the travel and tourism industry, which is expected to grow at an annual rate of four percent for the next decade.  

In more than 500 entries spanning four comprehensive volumes, the Encyclopedia examines the business of tourism around the world paying particular attention to the social, economic, environmental, and policy issues at play. The book examines global, regional, national, and local issues including transportation, infrastructure, the environment, and business promotion. By looking at travel trends and countries large and small, the Encyclopedia analyses a wide variety of challenges and opportunities facing the industry.  

In taking a comprehensive and global approach, the Encyclopedia approaches the field of travel and tourism through the numerous disciplines it reaches, including the traditional tourism administration curriculum within schools of business and management, economics, public policy, as well as social science disciplines such as the anthropology and sociology.

Key features include:

• More than 500 entries authored and signed by key academics in the field
• Entries on individual countries that details the health of the tourism industry, policy and planning approaches, promotion efforts, and primary tourism draws. Additional entries look at major cities and popular destinations
• Coverage of travel trends such as culinary tourism, wine tourism, agritourism, ecotourism, geotourism, slow tourism, heritage and cultural-based tourism, sustainable tourism, and recreation-based tourism
• Cross-references and further readings
• A Reader’s Guide grouping articles by disciplinary areas and broad themes

See what’s new to this edition by selecting the Features tab on this page. Should you need additional information or have questions regarding the HEOA information provided for this title, including what is new to this edition, please email [email protected] . Please include your name, contact information, and the name of the title for which you would like more information. For information on the HEOA, please go to http://ed.gov/policy/highered/leg/hea08/index.html .

For assistance with your order: Please email us at [email protected] or connect with your SAGE representative.

SAGE 2455 Teller Road Thousand Oaks, CA 91320 www.sagepub.com

Taking a global and multidisciplinary approach,  The SAGE International Encyclopedia of Travel and Tourism  brings together a team of international scholars to examine the travel and tourism industry, which is expected to grow at an annual rate of four percent for the next decade. 

In over 600 entries spanning four comprehensive volumes, the Encyclopedia examines the business of tourism around the world paying particular attention to the social, economic, environmental, and policy issues at play. The book examines global, regional, national, and local issues including transportation, infrastructure, the environment, and business promotion. By looking at travel trends and countries large and small, the  Encyclopedia  analyses a wide variety of challenges and opportunities facing the industry. 

In taking a comprehensive and global approach, the  Encyclopedia  approaches the field of travel and tourism through the numerous disciplines it reaches, including the traditional tourism administration curriculum within schools of business and management, economics, public policy, as well as social science disciplines such as the anthropology and sociology.

- Over 600 entries authored and signed by key academics in the field  - An entry on nearly every country in the world that details the health of the tourism industry, policy and planning approaches, promotion efforts, and primary tourism draws. Additional entries look at major cities and popular destinations.  - Coverage of travel trends such as culinary tourism, wine tourism, agritourism, ecotourism, geotourism, slow tourism, heritage and cultural-based tourism, sustainable tourism, and recreation-based tourism.   - Cross-references and further readings  - A Reader’s Guide grouping articles by disciplinary areas and broad themes  - A helpful resource guide that directs readers to classic books, journals and electronic resources for more in-depth study

Select a Purchasing Option

This title is also available on SAGE Knowledge , the ultimate social sciences online library. If your library doesn’t have access, ask your librarian to start a trial .

12 Must-Read Books About the Tourism Industry

Tourism Economy

Tourism technology, tourism marketing, tourism industry.

With hundreds of books about the tourism industry, you might find it hard to decide which one to read next . The tourism industry books cover a wide variety of topics. The best way to find an interesting read is to choose one that addresses the topic that you find interesting .

To help you, we put together a list of must-read books about the tourism industry. Below you can find relevant information about every book we included, such as a short description, ratings, price, and why you should read it.

It’s always interesting to look at tourism as an economy. The following books will help you expand your knowledge of the tourism economy.

Sustainable Tourism Supply Chain Management

Author: Sudhanshu Yoshi

First edition date: Release scheduled for October 1, 2022

Number of editions: 1

Goodreads rating : N/A

Amazon rating : N/A

Price on Amazon : Pre-order price $149.99

While scheduled for release in 2022, you should have your eyes on this book. The author is focused on sustainable supply chain management and sustainable tourism management in general . The book offers in-depth explanations of the aspect of the supply chain that continuously becomes more complex with every passing year. 

Why we chose it : We chose this book because it’s the first book that provides a comprehensive analysis of the effects policies and strategies have on the sustainable tourism supply chain . 

Things we don’t like : If you are not familiar with the concepts of sustainable tourism management, you might find this book hard to read, as it assumes that you have an extensive background in this field.

Tourism Policy and Planning: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

Author: David L. Edgell, Jason R. Swanson, Ginger Smith, Jason Swanson, and David L. Edgell Sr.

First edition date: May 1, 2018

Number of editions: 3

Amazon rating : 4.3/5

Price on Amazon : Hardcover $173.27, Paperback $52.85

The book explains the connection between tourism policies and strategic tourism planning. The authors explain in great detail the entire tourism policy process and how it affects planning on all levels, including local, national, and international. 

Why we chose it : The book is perfect for people interested in the tourism policy process, and the latest edition addresses some new interesting topics such as terrorism and sustainable tourism. It also introduces new case studies. 

Things we don’t like : While the book addresses many concepts of policies and strategic planning, it is still considered an introduction, rendering it less valuable for experts on the subject. 

Travel Industry Economics: A Guide for Financial Analysis

Author: Harold L. Vogel

First edition date: January 15, 2001

Number of editions: 4

Goodreads rating : 3/5

Amazon rating : 3/5

Price on Amazon : Hardcover $97.31, Paperback $99.99

The book closely examines all components of the travel sector, such as marketing, hotels, airlines, tourism, theme parks, and cruise lines. It provides reviews, historical performance, and analysis of every sector , making it a must-read for travel professionals interested in the financial aspect of their operation.  

Why we chose it : We chose this book because the author regularly publishes new editions with updated information. For instance, the latest edition analyses the impact big data, emerging technologies, and pandemics have on the tourism sector. 

Things we don’t like : The book is a comprehensive guide for travel companies interested in improving financial performance and marketing. It addresses complex concepts from the start, so it’s not beginner-friendly.

Transforming Travel: Realizing the Potential of Sustainable Tourism

Author: Jeremy Smith

First edition date: December 19, 2017

Goodreads rating : 4/5

Amazon rating : 4.5/5

Price on Amazon : Paperback $30.75

The author features the success stories of the most innovative travel business across the world . The book is all about the benefits of sustainable tourism, and the common challenges travel companies and hotels face when deciding to go sustainable.

Why we chose it : We chose this book because it enables you to gather deep insights from the case studies. There are also very interesting stories from pioneers and thinkers in sustainable tourism . The book also helps readers discover the most efficient ways to promote sustainable tourism even in emerging economies.

Things we don’t like : While the book highlights some successful examples of sustainable tourism, the examples are somewhat outdated, and the book deserves a 2nd edition to bring new best practices to light. 

As one of the fastest-growing sectors, tourism heavily relies on various technologies. Here are the books that cover tourism technology.

How Robots Can Bring Positive Emotion: To Travelers

Author: John Lok

First edition date: January 27, 2022

Price on Amazon : Paperback $14.62

The future of AI use in the travel sector is now. This book explains the key role of AI and Big Data in the tourism industry . It enables the readers to truly understand the impact of emerging technologies and how they can help organisations predict shifts in the target market and changes in consumer behaviour. 

Why we chose it : We chose this book because it is a rare find in the Books About Tourism Industry category. The book tackles some of the most exciting implementations of AI in the sector, such as building positive customer experiences and emotions.

Things we don’t like : While the book enables the readers to understand the importance of using AI and big data to create positive experiences, it doesn’t showcase case studies and positive outcomes of implementing AI and big data. 

An SPSS Guide for Tourism, Hospitality, and Events Researchers

Author: Rahul Pratap Singh Kaurav, Dogan Gursoy, and Nimit Chowdhary

First edition date: December 15, 2020

Price on Amazon : Hardcover $155.58, Paperback $44.95

The book provides everything a reader has to know about SPSS, a statistical analytics software, to undertake analysis of data at any scale. The book helps readers identify the best statistical method for specific research and delivers step-by-step instructions.

Why we chose it : We chose this book because it’s the first book that enables researchers in the field of tourism to use big data to identify patterns and trends and draw actionable insights. 

Things we don’t like : The book provides highly technical knowledge, and unless you have data scientists or analysts on your team, you won’t be able to make much use of it.

Tourism Information Technology

Author: Pierre J Benckendorff, Zheng Xiang, Pauline J Sheldon

First edition date: November 14, 2017

Goodreads rating: N/A

Amazon rating: 4.6/5

Price on Amazon: Paperback $53.42

Tourism Information Technology outlines all the challenges of using technology in the tourism sector. It goes through various information technology use cases in the travel sector. It covers tech used in destinations, airlines, accommodation, and travel intermediaries. 

Why we chose it: We chose this book because it’s organized to reflect the stages of the traveler’s journey. It outlines how travelers interact with technologies during the decision-making process.  

Things we don’t like: The book is intended for students, and we don’t like that it also focuses on outdated technology solutions which you have to go through to discover the modern technologies in use today. 

Advances in Tourism, Technology and Systems: Selected Papers from ICOTTS20 Vol 1 and 2

Author: João Vidal de Carvalho, Álvaro Rocha, Pedro Liberato, Alejandro Peña

First edition date: November 16, 2020

Amazon rating: N/A

Price on Amazon: Hardcover $14.60

This book is a collection of research papers presented at ICOTTS 2020. The research paper covers various topics ranging from information technology use in tourism in general to the digital transformation of the tourism business. It also outlines a few studies on how big data and robotics changed the sector.

Why we chose it: The researchers presented at ICOTTS provide valuable insights into technology use in tourism . It’s one of the best resources to stay tuned to the latest technology use cases, best practices, and outcomes.

Things we don’t like: This is not a classic book which makes it harder to consume, especially for readers not used to skimming through research papers.

In case you want to find out more about tourism marketing, the following books will help you learn and discover interesting facts and strategies.

Marketing Tourist Destinations in Emerging Economies

Author:   Ishmael Mensah, Kandappan Balasubramanian, Mohd Raziff Jamaluddin, Gina Alcoriza, Vanessa Gaffar, and S. Mostafa Rasoolimanesh

First edition date: November 28, 2021

Price on Amazon : Hardcover $169.99

The book helps readers identify and understand the risks that can derail tourism in emerging economies. More importantly, it offers marketing strategies and best practices that businesses in the hotel industry and hospitality industry can use to flourish in emerging economies . 

Why we chose it : The countries with emerging economies can leverage tourism as an economic generator. We chose this book because it provides practical marketing advice to travel industry organizations in emerging economies .

Things we don’t like : The book is focused on destination and crisis management and marketing during pandemics. Readers that are familiar with these concepts might find the book a less valuable read.

Marketing Handbook for Health Tourism

Author: Irving L Stackpole and László Puczkó

First edition date: February 18, 2021

Goodreads rating : 

Amazon rating : 4.1/5

Price on Amazon : Paperback $48.50

Marketing Handbook for Health Tourism provides actionable insights for destination managers and health, wellness, and medical service providers . It also features examples and practical advice to health tourism professionals who want to attract more travelers and establish themselves as trustworthy service providers. 

Why we chose it : We chose this book because it offers practical advice to niche audiences. Given that health tourism is becoming popular, knowing what to do and how to do it is very important if you want to stay competitive. 

Things we don’t like : While the book offers case studies and practical advice, there is still more ground to cover, and health tourism organizations might need more data to make informed decisions.

Future of Tourism Marketing

Author:   Seongseop (Sam) Kim and Dan Wang

First edition date: June 15, 2021

Price on Amazon : Hardcover $164.34

Future of Tourism Marketing is a comprehensive read tackling the topic of digital marketing tools used in the tourism sector . The book outlines the most recent advancements in information technology and how they impact the marketing strategies for businesses in this vertical.

Why we chose it : We chose this book because it even addresses the use of emerging technologies such as AI, VR, GIS systems, and robots in tourism marketing.

Things we don’t like : The only thing we don’t like about this book is its price point which is quite high compared to some other titles on our list.

Marketing for Tourism, Hospitality & Events: A Global & Digital Approach

Author: Simon Hudson and Louise Hudson

First edition date: August 9, 2017

Goodreads rating : 4.33/5

Price on Amazon : Hardcover $158.55, Paperback $58.54

Marketing for Tourism, Hospitality & Events: A Global & Digital Approach addresses two major topics. First, it emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the shift in tourism demographics. And it follows by addressing modern tourism marketing strategies and the value of personalized messaging and offers .

Why we chose it : We like that the authors shared their personal experiences and insights while also providing relevant tourism marketing case studies and outcomes.

Things we don’t like : We didn’t like that authors often disclose tourism marketing theories but don’t provide more data such as diagrams and tables to support their claims.

If you are interested in reading books covering various topics in the tourism industry in general, you will find the following titles quite interesting and engaging.

The Meaning of Luxury in Tourism, Hospitality & Events

Author: John Swarbrooke

First edition date: January 24, 2018

Goodreads rating : 5/5

Amazon rating : 4.6/5

Price on Amazon : Hardcover $76.20, Paperback $49.67

As the title suggests, this book takes a closer look at the concept of luxury . It takes readers across the tourism industry globally. Its focus is on the concept of luxury in the industry and how it changes the sector . It also takes into account sustainability challenges and technological innovations as factors that change the concept of luxury.

Why we chose it : We chose this book because it features a dozen case studies, thus helping the readers truly understand the impact of a wide range of factors on luxury in tourism . 

Things we don’t like : Given that the book mainly focuses on case studies, you might find it hard to go through in one go.

The Elephant Tourism Business

Author:   Eric Laws, Noel Scott, Xavier Font, and John Koldowski

First edition date: December 23, 2020

Price on Amazon : Hardcover $12.88

This book is for people involved in elephant tourism, which is a dominant sector in many countries, including India. It brings into perspective the improvements organizations can make to enhance tourists’ experiences of elephant tourism. The book also outlines the marketing strategies elephant tourism organizations can use to efficiently promote activities. 

Why we chose it : This book provides a better understanding of the elephant tourism business, and it’s the only one of its kind published in recent years. Given how important this tourism sector is in some countries, we decide to include it as it addresses several key aspects of elephant tourism. 

Things we don’t like : Many sections of the book are written for veterinarians and policymakers, making finding chapters relevant to tourism organizations somewhat hard. 

Tourism Theory: Concepts, Models, and Systems

Author:   Gui Lohmann and Alexandre Panosso Netto

First edition date: December 19, 2016

Price on Amazon : Hardcover $107.05, Paperback $63.12

This book addresses tourism as a field of study. It covers all essential aspects of tourism, ranging from concepts and disciplines to market analysis and marketing. The book also addresses the most common multi-destination travel patterns and high-season destination management. 

Why we chose it : This must-have book covers everything you need to know about tourism theory. We decided to add it to our list because it’s one of the most complete books on this subject. It makes finding relevant information easy thanks to encyclopedic cross-referencing. 

Things we don’t like : Although quite big, the book is only an introduction to tourism theory, and readers will need to explore other resources to get additional context to better understand some concepts. 

The Good Company

Author: Robert Girling

First edition date: March 28, 2012 

Number of editions: 2

Goodreads rating : 4.5/5

Price on Amazon : Paperback $6.32

The Good Company is a book that features successful companies that are overcoming environmental challenges by implementing emerging technologies. It also highlights the aspects that make a good company and why giving back to the community is essential. 

Why we chose it : Although it’s not tourism industry-specific, we decided to add this book to our list because organizations in the tourism sector can play a vital role in making our planet better. This book can help tour operators and hotel owners build better companies for their employees, consumers, and society as a whole.

Things we don’t like : The book features in-depth key studies of companies making the planet a better place, but the companies included are from the manufacturing and service sectors. There isn’t a single example of a company from the travel industry.

While there are many books about the tourism sector, the 12 we included in our list are definitely must-read books in 2022. We made sure to add books that address fairly different topics and provide insights into the best practices and developments in the industry . Since you might have specific needs and preferences, you should choose a book that can help you find the answers you are looking for .

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Cristóbal Reali, VP of Global Sales at Mize, with over 20 years of experience, has led high-performance teams in major companies in the tourism industry, as well as in the public sector. He has successfully undertaken ventures, including a DMO and technology transformation consulting. In his role at Mize, he stands out not only for his analytical and strategic ability but also for effective leadership. He speaks English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. He holds a degree in Economics from UBA, complementing his professional training at Harvard Business School Online.

Mize is the leading hotel booking optimization solution in the world. With over 170 partners using our fintech products, Mize creates new extra profit for the hotel booking industry using its fully automated proprietary technology and has generated hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue across its suite of products for its partners. Mize was founded in 2016 with its headquarters in Tel Aviv and offices worldwide.

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The Best Books of 2022

This Year's Must-Reads

The Ten Best Books About Travel of 2022

After two years of limited travel opportunities, we’re ready to explore the world once more

Jennifer Nalewicki

Travel Correspondent

Traveling is about much more than your destination—it’s about the people who live there, and for many travelers it’s the experiences they have alongside locals that are the most memorable. Take, for instance, the story of a journalist who lived with an Iñupiaq family of whale hunters in Alaska before setting off with her toddler to follow the gray whale migration, or a young woman who traveled solo 6,800 miles by bike from Europe to the Middle East, often turning to local farmers and villagers to help her navigate unfamiliar territory. Both women adapted their experiences into books where they relive the laughter (and the pain) they shared with members of the local communities that go far beyond anything found in a guidebook.

Here are ten travel book releases from 2022 that are inspiring us to dust off our passports and experience new locales alongside the people who make them unforgettable.

The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman’s Journey to Every Country in the World by Jessica Nabongo

Visiting all 195 countries in the world is no small feat and a goal that most people can only dream of. Luckily, armchair travelers can live vicariously through author Jessica Nabongo’s epic worldwide adventure in her book The Catch Me If You Can . From retelling the blow-by-blow of a scooter accident in Nauru (an island nation in Micronesia that also happens to be the world’s least visited country) and dog-sledding in Norway to swimming with humpback whales in Tonga and learning the art of making traditional takoyaki (octopus balls) in Japan, the 38-year-old, who’s also the first Black woman to travel to every nation in the world, introduces readers not only to bucket-list-worthy places but also to the people who live there.

The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman's Journey to Every Country in the World

In this inspiring travelogue, celebrated traveler and photographer Jessica Nabongo―the first Black woman on record to visit all 195 countries in the world―shares her journey around the globe with fascinating stories of adventure, culture, travel musts, and human connections.

Soundings: Journeys in the Company of Whales by Doreen Cunningham

In an everchanging world threatened by climate change, whales have learned to adapt. Irish British author Doreen Cunningham takes that notion to heart in Soundings , which blends science and nature writing with memoir as she shares her own experiences as a struggling single mother and journalist. Together with her toddler, she follows the migration route of gray whales as they make the long journey between Mexico and Alaska (where years earlier she spent time with Iñupiaq whalers), experiencing from a distance the familial bonds, not unlike her own close relationship with her son, of the marine mammals. “What at first seems a reckless, near-mystical pursuit of an imagined being leads her to find a human pod of her own,” writes the Guardian ’s Edward Posnett.

Soundings: Journeys in the Company of Whales: A Memoir

A story of courage and resilience, Soundings is about the migrating whales and all we can learn from them as they mother, adapt, and endure, their lives interrupted and threatened by global warming.

Bridges of the World by Giancarlo Ascari

Italian cartoonist and journalist Giancarlo Ascari has a degree in architecture, so it’s no wonder why he’s fascinated with bridges. Packed with illustrations by Pia Valentinis , Ascari’s book Bridges of the World highlights recognizable spans like the brightly painted Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the Victorian Gothic-style Tower Bridge in London, while also highlighting less obvious examples, including the stretch of wire French high-wire artist Philippe Petit strung between the Twin Towers in New York City and dangerously crossed in 1974. In total, Bridges of the World features 50 human-made and natural wonders accented by interesting facts and anecdotes.

Bridges of the World

Fifty bridges from all over the world to be crossed on foot or with one's imagination.

Black Lion: Teachings from the Wilderness by Sicelo Mbatha

When Sicelo Mbatha was a child, he watched in horror as a crocodile viciously attacked his cousin. Rather than shy away from the cruel realities of nature, the Zulu author, who goes by the nickname Black Lion, confronted them head on to become a wilderness guide. Over the years, he’s volunteered at Imfolozi Game Reserve in KwaZulu-Natal, a province located along the coast of South Africa. Because of his childhood encounter, he has learned to approach the savanna and the lions, elephants and other animals that inhabit it from a spiritual perspective. He has since fostered a deeper connection with the local fauna and hopes to pass that mindset on to visitors on his guided excursions as well as readers of Black Lion , his debut book.

Black Lion: Alive in the Wilderness

Wilderness guide Sicelo Mbatha shares lessons learnt from a lifetime’s intimate association with Africa’s wildest nature.

The Writer’s Journey: In the Footsteps of the Literary Greats by Travis Elborough

Ask any writer, and they’ll likely confirm that a story’s setting plays as critical a role as its plot. Case in point: Would Bram Stoker’s Gothic novel Dracula be as compelling if it wasn’t set in macabre Transylvania? Like Stoker, many literary greats were inspired by places they traveled to before sitting down to write. In The Writer’s Journey , British author and cultural commentator Travis Elborough explores 35 experiences around the globe that influenced authors and helped shape their writings, including Herman Melville’s perilous 1841 whaling voyage on the Atlantic and Jack Kerouac’s cross-country escapades in the late 1940s over “all that raw land that rolls in one unbelievable huge bulge over to the West Coast.”

The Writer's Journey: In the Footsteps of the Literary Greats

Follow in the footsteps of some of the world’s most famous authors on the journeys which inspired their greatest works in this beautiful illustrated atlas.

South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation by Imani Perry

What comes to mind when you think of the American South? The Civil War? College football? Gone with the Wind ? Imani Perry , an award-winning author and African American studies professor at Princeton University, tackles all of these topics in her New York Times best seller South to America . Combining history with culture, Perry brings readers on an eye-opening journey south of the Mason-Dixon line, from her native Alabama to Appalachia, focusing not only on past civil atrocities that have scarred the region and the country as a whole, but also on the immigrant communities, artists and innovators leading the way to a brighter future.

South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation

An essential, surprising journey through the history, rituals, and landscapes of the American South—and a revelatory argument for why you must understand the South in order to understand America

The Slow Road to Tehran: A Revelatory Bike Ride Through Europe and the Middle East by Rebecca Lowe

While the Syrian War rattled the Middle East in 2015, journalist Rebecca Lowe embarked on a yearlong 6,800-mile grand tour via a bicycle she affectionately named “Maud” from her home base of London to Tehran. During her epic ride, she cycled through Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan and the Gulf, often relying on the knowledge and assistance of farmers, villagers and other locals she met along the way. For her travel memoir The Slow Road to Tehran , she weaves her own experiences as a woman traveling alone through the mountains and deserts of the Middle East with tales about the people and cultures she encountered. Tom Chesshyre of the Critic calls it “modern travel writing at its very best, full of vim and vigor, painstakingly researched, laced with wry humor, political (without being too political), adventurous and rich with anecdote.”

The Slow Road to Tehran: A Revelatory Bike Ride through Europe and the Middle East

One woman, one bike and one richly entertaining, perception-altering journey of discovery.

Antarctica: A History in 100 Objects by Jean de Pomereu and Daniella McCahey

On January 17, 1773, Captain James Cook made the first crossing into the Antarctic Circle aboard the Royal Navy sloop Resolution . Now, on the 250th anniversary of this monumental journey, historical geographer Jean de Pomereu and historian Daniella McCahey have come together to highlight 100 objects (culled from the National Maritime Museum in London, the Library of Congress, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History and many other collections) that define the world’s least-visited continent. Items that made the cut and are featured in their co-written book Antarctica include the tiny, 22-foot lifeboat used by Irish explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew after their ship struck ice and sunk in 1915; a sealing club fashioned out of the penis bone of an elephant seal; and skis that Norwegian explorer Olav Bjaaland used in the early 1900s.

Antarctica: A History in 100 Objects

This stunning and powerfully relevant book tells the history of Antarctica through 100 varied and fascinating objects drawn from collections around the world.

This Contested Land: The Storied Past and Uncertain Future of America’s National Monuments by McKenzie Long

Despite their federal designation as protected land, national monuments in the United States come under threat. Just look at Bears Ears National Monument, a 2,125-square-mile expanse of red sandstone, cliff dwellings and petroglyphs in the Utah desert held sacred by many Native Americans. The Trump administration decreased the monument in size by 85 percent to allow for oil drilling (only for the Biden administration to later restore its protections). In her debut book, This Contested Land , author and graphic artist McKenzie Long sets out by ski, foot and fin to explore 13 sites across the country, including Maine’s Katahdin Woods and Hawaii’s Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, in a series of compelling essays that convey the importance of protecting these natural resources from the threats of development and climate change.

This Contested Land: The Storied Past and Uncertain Future of America’s National Monuments

One woman’s enlightening trek through the natural histories, cultural stories, and present perils of 13 national monuments, from Maine to Hawaii

Crossed Off the Map: Travels in Bolivia by Shafik Meghji

The world’s highest metropolis is La Paz, Bolivia, home to two million inhabitants living at 13,600 feet above sea level (higher than Mount Fuji). However, not many people know this fact, nor much about the South American country, for that matter. In Crossed Off the Map , author, travel expert and Amnesty International editorial consultant Shafik Meghji introduces readers to the landmarks, history and current issues of Bolivia. Fellow travel author Tim Hannigan says in the book blurb, “Shafik Meghji is a natural travel writer with a ready mastery of history, anecdote and atmosphere, and [this] is the best sort of travel book—an informed and informative portrait of Bolivia that doubles as a vicarious journey for readers on an epic scale, through high mountains, across the altiplano [high plains] and into deep tropical forests.”

Crossed Off the Map: Travels in Bolivia

Blending travel writing, history and reportage, Crossed off the Map: Travels in Bolivia journeys from the Andes to the Amazon to explore Bolivia’s turbulent past and contemporary challenges.

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A Note to our Readers Smithsonian magazine participates in affiliate link advertising programs. If you purchase an item through these links, we receive a commission.

Jennifer Nalewicki | | READ MORE

Jennifer Nalewicki is a Brooklyn-based journalist. Her articles have been published in The New York Times , Scientific American , Popular Mechanics , United Hemispheres and more. You can find more of her work at her website .

15 Best Travel Guidebook Series & Why You Will Love Them

• Updated: 07/09/2024

Are you an avid traveler or someone who loves exploring new places? If so, you know the value of good travel planning  information and particularly the value of editorial independent guidebooks . Though—with so many options, how do you choose the best book? 

In this article, I share the top 15 must-have travel guidebook series , from Lonely Planet to Rick Steves and everything in between. These books offer essential resources for travelers seeking reliable details about destinations, local cultures, and tips for a seamless journey.

The guides deliver a one-stop-shop that combines the best of the internet without the pop-up ads and paid-for-placement “recommendations.”

So, join in—as I delve into the pros and cons of each travel guidebook series, considering factors like accuracy, depth of coverage, user-friendly layout, and unique features. I will cover what sets these guidebooks apart, helping you to make the best decision on which one to choose before your next trip.

Table Of Contents

Why travel guidebooks are still relevant in the digital age.

From our early days of travel, I remember one of the heaviest parts of backpacking around the world used to be shouldering the weight of hefty printed guidebooks as we made our way from one country to another. We would often carry four or five thick books at a time. This heavy stack included guides for our current country, our recently visited country, and, if we happened to be organized—for the country we were going to next.

We did this because, at the time, we had no other choice. Before the prevalence of e-books and travel blogs, YouTube channels, and social media, old-school travel guidebooks provided the only source of travel information available.

Sign up for my monthly Discovery Newsletter & get a free Trip Budget Calculator !

However, today, when information is just a few clicks away, you might wonder if travel guidebooks still hold any value. The truth is, despite the abundance of online resources, guidebooks continue to be an essential tool for travelers worldwide.

Here are three reasons why: 

• Travel guidebooks offer a curated, reliable, and comprehensive source of information . While the internet can provide a wealth of data, it can also be overwhelming and often unreliable. Guidebooks, on the other hand, are meticulously researched, are editorially independent (aka do not receive payment from businesses for placements), written by experts who often share a distinct opinion on a place and its attractions, and are constantly updated to ensure accuracy.
• Guidebooks provide a complete overview of a destination. They go beyond just listing tourist attractions, offering insights into possible itineraries, local customs, traditions, and lesser-known gems that are easy to miss. Whether your interests lie in history, art, food, or adventure, guidebooks typically cover it all comprehensively.

For example, after reading Frommer’s EasyGuide to Washington, DC  before a family spring break visit, I learned I needed to act fast to request tickets for Capitol and White House tours. Because the guidebook let me know to reserve so early, we successfully booked a tour and visited the Capitol building. Standing in the historic and beautiful US Capitol Rotunda and viewing the House and Senate Chambers was an unforgettable experience I would not have wanted to miss. 

With these benefits in mind, we will explore things you should consider when choosing the best guidebook in the section below.

5 Factors to Consider When Choosing a Travel Guidebook

To help you choose the ideal travel guidebook for your next trip, here are five key factors to consider:

1. Destination: Consider the specific destination you plan to visit. Some guidebook series specialize in regions or countries, offering more in-depth coverage and insider tips. For example, Rick Steves’  travel guidebooks focus on Europe only.

2. Travel Style: Think about your travel style and preferences. If you are a backpacker looking for budget-friendly recommendations—you will likely want to read Lonely Planet . Or are you more interested in luxury and upscale experiences? Then, a DK Eyewitness Guide or a Fodor’s might be more to your taste. Different guidebook series cater to specific travel styles, so choose one that best aligns with the way you travel.

3. Content: Evaluate the type of content you are looking for. Do you prefer detailed historical information, practical tips, or recommendations for off-the-beaten-path experiences? Some guidebooks, like Culture Smart! , focus on cultural insights, while others provide a broader overview.

4. Layout and Format: Consider the layout and format of the guidebook. Is it easy to navigate? Are there maps, photos, or illustrations? Does it offer an easy-to-follow rating system for top recommendations like the Frommer’s guides include? A well-organized guidebook with clear visuals can significantly enhance your travel experience.

5. Publish Date: Reference the date the travel guidebook was most recently published. If it is several years old, see if a newer version with updated content is available for your destination from a different guidebook series. 

Now that we have covered the factors to consider, check out the top 15 picks for the travel guidebook series in the sections below.

Lonely Planet: The Iconic Travel Guidebook Series

Best for: Budget and mid-range independent travelers.

Coverage: 50+ countries throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, Americas, Australasia & the Middle East.

Lonely Planet  is—undoubtedly—one of the most well-known and respected travel guidebook series. For over five decades, Lonely Planet  has been helping travelers discover the world with its comprehensive guides.

Here are three things that set Lonely Planet apart:

• Accuracy: Lonely Planet guidebooks are known for their accuracy. Writers and editors meticulously research the information, ensuring that you have the most up-to-date and reliable details at your fingertips.
• Depth of Coverage: Lonely Planet offers extensive coverage of destinations worldwide. From popular tourist spots to hidden gems, you will find detailed information on attractions, accommodations, transportation, and more.
• User-Friendly Layout: Lonely Planet guidebooks have a user-friendly layout that makes it easy to navigate and find the information you need quickly. Clear maps, color-coded sections, and helpful icons enhance the reading experience.

However, it is worth noting that Lonely Planet guidebooks can sometimes be overwhelming due to the vast information provided. Additionally, since it focuses primarily on budget and mid-range travel, you may want to consult other sources for more luxury recommendations.

Though given that their library is so extensive and refreshed so frequently, they may offer the only up-to-date travel guidebook for your destination. We recently used their Lonely Planet Malta & Gozo guide for a spring family trip to Gozo  and Valletta and found it an excellent resource. 

The only other downside when it comes to Lonely Planet for travelers who prefer e-books is that it can be slow to e-publish new editions, offering only print guides for sale.

Rick Steves: A Comprehensive Guide for the European Traveler

Best for: Independent European travelers.

Coverage: 30+ European countries.

For travelers planning a trip to Europe, Rick Steves’ guidebooks are a must-have. With a focus on European destinations, Rick Steves has been helping travelers explore the continent for over four decades. 

Three reasons why travelers regard Rick Steves’ guidebooks so highly:

• In-depth European Coverage: Rick Steves’ guidebooks offer unparalleled coverage of European destinations. Whether visiting popular cities like Paris and Rome or exploring lesser-known towns, like Dingle Town in Ireland, you will find detailed information and valuable insider tips provided by experts. For example, in his Ireland guidebook, the excellent detail for the Dingle Peninsula self-guided route is supplied by a local archeological tour guide and retired police chief, Tim Collins.
• Cultural Insights: Rick Steves is known for emphasizing cultural immersion. His guidebooks provide insights into local customs, traditions, and history, helping to give you a deeper understanding of the places you visit.
• Practical Advice: Rick Steves packs his guidebooks with practical advice for European travel. From transportation options to money-saving tips, you will find everything you need to make the most of your trip.

One downside of Rick Steves’ guidebooks that might be an upside is that Rick always has an opinion, and he shares it. You may love his strong point of view. Or you might not agree with what he thinks. 

For example, I love Rick Steves and always reference his guides for any new European destination. However, in his Switzerland guidebook , Rick shares his low opinion of a Berner Oberland mountain hub town called Grindelwald for being too busy and overly commercial. Upon visiting Grindelwald, I could see his point. However, a short five to 10-minute walk from the train station showed me a very different view of a beautiful and much quieter destination that I would, without hesitation, highly recommend for any traveler to visit. 

Read Rick for his deep knowledge of Europe, though take some of his strongest opinions with a grain of salt. Then, visit and form your own views. 

Fodor's: The Go-to Guide for Luxury and Upscale Travel

Best for: The upscale traveler.

Coverage: 150+ guides for countries throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, Australasia & the Middle East.

For travelers seeking a more luxurious and upscale trip experience, Fodor’s guidebooks are an excellent choice. With a focus on high-end destinations and experiences, Fodor’s offers a curated selection of recommendations for the discerning traveler. 

Here are three things that make Fodor’s stand out:

• Luxury Recommendations: Fodor’s guidebooks offer comprehensive coverage of luxury accommodations, fine dining options, and upscale experiences. If you want to indulge in the finer things during your travels, Fodor’s has you covered.
• Insider Tips: Fodor’s guidebooks offe r insider tips and recommendations from local experts. Whether a hidden gem or an exclusive experience, you will find unique suggestions that cater to luxury travelers.
• Beautiful Photography: Fodor’s guidebooks are known for stunning photography. The visuals not only inspire wanderlust but also provide a glimpse into the luxurious experiences that await you.

However, due to its upscale focus, you may find Fodor’s guidebooks to be not as budget-friendly as other series. If you are on a tight budget, you may need to supplement this book with additional resources.

Frommer's: A Trusted Guide for Budget-Conscious Travelers

Best for: The all-around traveler looking for value for money. Also, for family travelers.

Coverage: 350+ guides split across 10+ different series from Frommer’s Complete Guides to EasyGuides that cover Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, Australasia & the Middle East.

If you are a budget-conscious traveler looking for value-for-money recommendations, which includes most family travelers, Frommer’s guidebooks offer an excellent choice. With a focus on affordable travel, Frommer’s offers practical advice, insider tips, and a reliable rating system, bestowing one to three stars on places and experiences it recommends as worth your time and money.  

Over the years, and as a value-conscious traveler always looking to get the most out of my travel budget, I have come to rely on Frommer’s guidebooks as my first resource for how I want to shape a trip. I use these guides to set high-level itineraries and develop a broad-strokes list of things I want to see and do most. For example, its Hawaii guide provided just the right amount of information for me to figure out which islands were best for our family to visit on a two-week trip. 

These three factors set Frommer’s apart:

• Budget-Friendly Recommendations: Frommer’s guidebooks provide a wide range of budget-friendly recommendations, including affordable accommodations, dining options, and attractions. They also offer money-saving tips to help you stretch your travel budget.
• Practical Information: Frommer’s guidebooks are known for their practical and detailed information. From transportation to multiple sample itinerary options, you will find everything you need to plan your trip efficiently.
• Local Insights: Frommer’s guidebooks include insights and recommendations from local experts, allowing you to experience a destination like a local. This adds a unique perspective to your travel experience.

One limitation of Frommer’s guidebooks is their coverage, which may not be as extensive as other series. Especially if you are visiting lesser-known destinations, you will want to consult additional resources.

Rough Guides: The Adventurous Travel Companion

Best for: The adventure traveler.

Coverage: 100+ countries throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, Australasia & the Middle East.

For adventurous travelers seeking off-the-beaten-path experiences, Rough Guides is the perfect companion for your journeys. With a focus on adventure travel, R ough Guides offers a wealth of information for those looking to explore beyond the usual tourist spots.

Here are three things that make Rough Guides unique:

• Off-the-beaten-path Recommendations: Rough Guides detail recommendations for lesser-known destinations and experiences. Whether trekking through remote mountains or exploring hidden cultural gems, Rough Guides will inspire your adventurous spirit.
• Adventure Travel Tips: Rough Guides offer practical advice for adventure travel, including information on outdoor activities, gear recommendations, and safety tips. If you are planning a hiking, diving, or wildlife-focused trip, Rough Guides supply a valuable resource.
• Cultural Immersion: Rough Guides emphasize cultural immersion, providing insights into local customs, traditions, and indigenous communities, helping you achieve a more authentic travel experience.

One potential drawback of Rough Guides is their limited coverage of popular tourist destinations. If you plan to visit major cities or well-known attractions, you may need to consult additional guidebooks.

DK Eyewitness Travel: Visual Guides for Immersive Travel Experiences

Best for: Travelers who love to learn while they travel.

Coverage: 200+ guides to destinations throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, Australasia & the Middle East.

If you are a visual learner or prefer a more immersive travel experience, DK Eyewitness Travel guidebooks or their Pocket Top 10 guides are a perfect choice. Or the ideal complement to read along with a more detail-intense series. With its stunning visuals and in-depth coverage, DK Eyewitness Travel offers a unique way to explore the world. 

Here are three things that make DK Eyewitness Travel stand out:

• Visuals: DK Eyewitness Travel guidebooks are known for their beautiful photography, detailed illustrations, and 3D maps. These graphics bring destinations to life and help you visualize your travel experience.
• Immersive Content: DK Eyewitness Travel guidebooks provide immersive content beyond just listing attractions. They offer insights into local culture, history, and traditions, helping give you a deeper understanding of the places you visit.
• User-Friendly Layout: DK Eyewitness Travel guidebooks have a user-friendly layout with color-coded sections, detailed maps, and easy-to-read text. Readers find these convenient to navigate, helping them to find the information needed.

However, it is worth noting that DK Eyewitness Travel guidebooks may not offer as much depth of coverage or budget-friendly recommendations as other series. If you seek more specific or detailed information, you will want to pick this up elsewhere.

National Geographic Traveler: Discover the World Through Stunning Photography

Best for : Travelers who want their guidebooks to double as keepsakes and prefer a culturally immersive experience. 

Coverage: 40+ guides to destinations throughout the world, with the heaviest coverage in Europe and a few titles for top destinations in the US, Central America, Asia & Africa.

National Geographic Traveler guidebooks offer a unique perspective on travel, combining stunning photography with informative content. 

Three factors that make National Geographic Traveler guidebooks a must-have:

• Photography : National Geographic Traveler guidebooks are known for breathtaking photography. The visuals capture the essence of a destination and will inspire your wanderlust.
• Insider Tips: National Geographic Traveler guidebooks provide insider tips and recommendations from National Geographic experts. These insights offer a deeper understanding of a destination, allowing for more unique travel experiences.
• Cultural Exploration: National Geographic Traveler guidebooks emphasize cultural exploration, focusing on local customs, traditions, and indigenous communities. These elements add a deeper layer of authenticity to your travel experience.

One potential limitation of National Geographic Traveler guidebooks, like the DK Eyewitness Guides , is their limited coverage of the logistics of travel as compared to other series. If you are planning a trip to lesser-known or off-the-beaten-path locations, you may need to consult additional resources. 

8 Other Notable Travel Guidebook Series

1. Bradt Travel Guides : Known for their offbeat and unconventional destinations, and Slow Travel titles to British regions, Bradt Travel Guides are perfect for travelers seeking unique experiences.

2. Moon Travel Guides: Moon Travel Guides offer comprehensive coverage of worldwide destinations. Though—it publishes many titles for less mainstream places. For example, Moon offers the best, and in some cases, the only guidebooks for less common places like Vermont  and Door County, Wisconsin .

3. Berlitz Pocket Guides : Berlitz Pocket Guides provide concise and practical information for travelers who prefer a more compact and portable guidebook.

4. Michelin Green Guides : Michelin Green Guides are known for their meticulous attention to detail and focus on cultural, historical, and architectural landmarks. Although, check the date of publication. Many of its Green Guides are due for an update.

5. Blue Guides : These in-depth guides are indispensable for culture and history lovers. Expect a deep and thorough dive into art, architecture, and history for major and minor destinations and sites throughout Europe. Also, look for their Art/Shop/Eat guides  for major international cities.

6. Culture Smart! : Culture Smart! guides offer excellent pre-trip reading. Learn about the people, the culture, and the dos and don’ts travelers should adhere to while visiting. These illuminating guides—we read Culture Smart! Switzerland  before a trip to the Bernese Oberland —written by long-term expats, journalists, professors, and diplomats, help provide visitors with a deeper understanding of a place and direction on how to be a good guest. 

7: Not for Tourists : Although these guides, mainly offered for major US cities and a few large international ones, are designed for residents, they provide an excellent alternative read for visitors seeking a more off-the-beaten-path experience.

8: Independent Local guidebooks: When planning a visit to any new destination, search online for the term “best guidebooks for [your destination]” and see what you find. Many travel locales offer hyperlocal guidebooks written by experts in the know and are sometimes not easily found without an engaged search.

A good example of this is the Himalayan Travel Guides  series, offering 20+ titles dedicated to in-depth information about trekking in the Himalayas. Or the Hawaii Revealed  series, which provides the most extensive and detailed travel resource for the four most visited Hawaiian Islands. I read both the Oahu Revealed  and Kauai Revealed  guidebooks before a two-week Hawaii stay, and each was excellent. 

Or even for a recent trip to Acadia National Park   in Maine, I found and read two non-mainstream travel guidebooks, Acadia: The Complete Guide  and Ten Days in Acadia—A Kids Hiking Guide to Mount Desert Island , both off-the-radar reads written by locals. The history section in the Complete Guide was so good that I read it twice. And our heavily used dog-eared copy of the Hiking Guide is a testament to how valuable I found it to be during our trip. See a few pics from our Maine visit below.

About Finding the Perfect Travel Guidebook for Your Next Adventure

Choosing the best travel guidebook can easily enhance your travel experience, providing you with the most useful information, insights into local culture, and practical tips. From Lonely Planet  to Rick Steves , Fodor’s to DK Eyewitness Travel , each guidebook series has its own unique strengths and specialties.

Consider factors like accuracy, depth of coverage, user-friendly layout, and unique features to help pick the right book. Determine the destination, travel style, and content you are looking for to choose a guidebook series that fits your needs best. 

If you are still unsure which travel guidebook is the right one, try one out. Borrow a book from your local library, visit a nearby bookshop to skim their travel section , or take a leap and buy and download an e-book to determine if you want to keep or return it.

Guidebooks continue to offer a valuable travel planning resource in the digital age, delivering curated and reliable information not often replicated by online sources. So, before your next adventure, find your perfect travel companion from the travel guidebook series that fits you best. Happy travels!

Related Reading

If you are searching for more travel planning assistance to help you save time and money and to stay organized, check out the related articles below.

• 49 Things You Need to Do to Plan Your Best Trip (Free Travel Research & Planning Checklist)
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• Pack Faster & Better with This Universal Printable Packing List
• Pre-Trip: A Practical Checklist to Close the House & Pack

Additional Trip Planning Resources

To further help you with travel planning, I share my go-to resources for every trip below. 

Google Flights. My first research stop for affordable flights for every trip. Learn why here . 

Google Hotels . Use its “ Where to stay ” button to discover the best neighborhoods to base your visit.

Booking.com. For hotel and rental bookings, I appreciate its flexible cancellation, candid user reviews, discounts, loyalty program, and easy-to-use interface.

Viator , Get Your Guide , & Airbnb Experiences . Quickly find and book highly-rated tours and activities on these sites.

Google Travel Things to Do & Google Maps . Find more things to do in your destination on Google Travel, then record where you want to visit on a custom Google Maps list. 

AllTrails . Love to hike? Me too. I religiously use AllTrails to discover hiking and biking trails and download its offline maps to manage my hikes.

Guide Along . 5-star self-guided audio tours that are GPS-compatible for US road trips and national parks. We loved the Glacier National Park tour .

Insure My Trip. I never travel internationally without trip insurance. Learn why here . My preferred place to shop and compare policies is InsureMyTrip.com . 

Plus, check out the 15 travel apps I use on trips, my preferred guidebooks , and my free customizable travel itinerary template , downloadable in four file formats.

About the author : Janice Moskoff is a travel writer and blogger who loves hiking, exploring the world, and reading. She writes to inspire travel-loving families, adult friends, and couples on her blog, Gather and Go Travel . After attending the University of Michigan undergraduate business school and following a career in retail strategy and event management, she returned to focus on her first love—travel. Read her bio , learn how she became a blogger , and discover how to work with her . Sign up for her monthly Discovery Newsletter to get her latest travel recommendations and how-to’s .

Love to travel? Sign up for m y monthly Gather & Go Travel Discovery Newsletter and get a free trip budget calculator.

Affiliate Disclosure: Some of the links on this page may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I only recommend products and companies I use. And the income goes to keeping the site community-supported and ads minimal.

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Welcome to  Gather and Go Travel , a blog inspiring families, adult friends, and couples to explore US and international destinations and to get outdoors. I am Janice, a world traveler to 50+ countries, a travel writer/blogger, and a book lover. Learn more  about me , read  our story , and how to  work with me . Get my latest updates, how-tos, and trip ideas in my monthly  Discovery Newsletter .

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Travel and Tourism

• By: Richard Sharpley
• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
• Publication year: 2006
• Online pub date: June 19, 2012
• Discipline: Business & Management
• Subject: Hospitality, Travel & Tourism Management , Tourism, Events & Hospitality Marketing
• DOI: https:// doi. org/10.4135/9781446213810
• Keywords: airlines , attraction , foreign tourism , rural tourism , tourism , tourism sector , travel Show all Show less
• Print ISBN: 9781412922951
• Online ISBN: 9781446213810
• Buy the book icon link

Subject index

The Sage Course Companion in Travel and Tourism is an accessible introduction to the subject that will help readers extend their understanding of key concepts and enhance their thinking skills in line with course requirements. It provides support on how to revise for exams, how to present calculations, and how to prepare for and write assessed pieces. Readers are encouraged not only to think like a Travel and Tourism professional but also to think about the subject critically.

Front Matter

Part one: introducing your companion, part two: core areas of the curriculum.

• Chapter 1: Introducing Travel and Tourism
• Chapter 2: Global Tourism
• Chapter 3: The Demand for Travel and Tourism
• Chapter 4: Tourist Motivation
• Chapter 5: The Travel and Tourism Industry
• Chapter 6: Transport for Travel and Tourism
• Chapter 7: Air Transport
• Chapter 8: Accommodation
• Chapter 9: Attractions
• Chapter 10: Tour Operations
• Chapter 11: Travel and Tourism Retailing
• Chapter 12: Marketing in Travel and Tourism
• Chapter 13: Strategy in Travel and Tourism
• Chapter 14: Economics of Travel and Tourism
• Chapter 15: Tourism and Development
• Chapter 16: Planning Travel and Tourism
• Chapter 17: Tourism and the Environment
• Chapter 18: Tourism, Society and Culture
• Chapter 19: Visitor Management
• Chapter 20: Urban Tourism
• Chapter 21: Rural Tourism
• Chapter 22: Contemporary Issues in Travel and Tourism

Part Three: Study, Writing and Revision Skills (in Collaboration with David McIlroy)

• Chapter 1: How to Get the Most out of your Lectures
• Chapter 2: How to Make the Most of your Seminars
• Chapter 3: Essay-writing Tips
• Chapter 4: Revision Hints and Tips
• Chapter 5: Exam Tips
• Chapter 6: Tips on interpreting Essay and Exam Questions

Back Matter

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Get ready to book your next trip — recent study shows travel may help slow down aging

The findings of a recently published study suggest travel could slow or delay the aging process, along with having other health benefits.

By Caitlin Keith

A recent study from a university in Australia looks at how travel affects entropy in the human body and what health benefits that provides, including the potential of slowing down aging.

“The Principle of Entropy Increase: A Novel View of How Tourism Influences Human Health” was published in the Journal of Travel Research in August, according to Fox News .

The study used an entropy perspective to look at how travel could affect an individual’s health.

“For the first time, an interdisciplinary study has applied the theory of entropy to tourism, finding that travel could have positive health benefits, including slowing down the signs of ageing,” per ScienceDaily .

What is entropy?

According to ScienceDaily entropy is “the general trend of the universe towards death and disorder.”

The study done from an entropy perspective suggests entropy changes can be triggered by tourism.

“Positive experiences might mitigate entropy increase and enhance health, while negative experiences may contribute to entropy increase and compromise health,” per ScienceDaily.

Who conducted the study?

The study “The Principle of Entropy Increase: A Novel View of How Tourism Influences Human Health” was conducted by researchers at Edith Cowan University, per Fox News . ECU is found outside Perth, Australia.

The lead researcher on the study was Fangli Hu, a Ph.D. candidate at ECU.

What are the effects of travel on health?

According to ScienceDaily, Hu said an individual’s physical and mental wellness could be enhanced through positive travel experiences including:

• Novel environments
• Engagement in physical activities
• Social interaction
• Fostering of positive emotions.

Positive travel experiences can help the body sustain a low-entropy state.

The researchers who conducted the study found that “travel therapy” could serve as a groundbreaking new health intervention when looked at through an entropy lens.

“Tourism typically exposes people to new surroundings and relaxing activities, and novel settings can stimulate stress responses and elevate metabolic rates, positively influencing metabolic activities and the body’s self-organising capabilities,” per ScienceDaily.

Travel contexts can also trigger an adaptive immune system response which improves the body’s ability to defend itself from external threats.

As Hu told Fox News , “Leisurely travel activities might help alleviate chronic stress, dampen over-activation of the immune system and encourage normal functioning of the self-defense system.”

Recreational travel activities could also release tension and fatigue in joints and muscles.

“This relief helps maintain the body’s metabolic balance and increases the anti-wear-and-tear system’s effectiveness,” Hu told ScienceDaily .

The aging process, according to Hu, is irreversible and can’t be stopped, but it can be slowed down.

All of the potential affects of “travel therapy” can contribute to slowing or delaying the aging process.

According to ScienceDaily there is also research to the contrary which has pointed out tourists can face challenges such as accidents, injuries, violence, infectious disease and safety issues with food and water.

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The best excuse to take a vacation: study reveals how travel slows aging.

Dying to book your next trip? Then go ahead and live a little.

Traveling can delay the aging process and improve physical and mental health, a new study published in the Journal of Travel Research found.

Researchers at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Australia conducted the study believed to be the first-ever that applied the theory of entropy — the general trend of the universe towards death and disorder — to tourism.

“Ageing, as a process, is irreversible. While it can’t be stopped, it can be slowed down,” ECU  PhD candidate Fangli Hu   said in a press release .

The team discovered that the positive physical and mental health benefits of traveling — such as exercising and relaxing — do help the body slow the signs of aging.

And the results can last much longer than your tan will.

Trips that include active experiences like hiking or swimming encourage people to get moving and enjoy the many well-known benefits of exercise.

Meanwhile, leisurely travel could reduce chronic stress, slow an overactive immune system, and encourage normal functioning of the self-defense system, which in turn can allow the body to reach a a low-entropy state.

“Tourism isn’t just about leisure and recreation. It could also contribute to people’s physical and mental health,” Hu said, noting that the reverse is also true.

To put it simply, “positive experiences might mitigate entropy increase and enhance health, while negative experiences may contribute to entropy increase and compromise health.”

In response to their study, the experts suggested that “travel therapy could serve as a groundbreaking health intervention.”

The discovery comes as adults are more stressed about aging than ever and people continue to book wellness travel .

Almost half of women (47%) express that aging causes them stress — more so millennials (57%) and Gen Z (56%). Meanwhile, some men — are going to extreme lengths to slow the aging process .

So instead of scheduling your next Botox or stem cell injection, maybe just book a flight.

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Leading Travel and Tourism Retail: How Businesses Can Sustainably Capture New Profits in Shopping Tourism Paperback – April 25, 2023

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WINNER: 2024 Axiom Business Book Awards - Bronze Medal in Business Reference WINNER: 2023 Goody Business Book Awards - Business - Travel & Hospitality Deepen your understanding of how to adapt to international travellers' different needs and backgrounds. Harness the burgeoning levels of tourism and learn everything you need to engage travellers with your business and spending money. The modern traveller is complex, even more so in a post-pandemic world. International consumers are in search of memorable experiences that make them feel special and, ideally, share those experiences with others and bring those feelings home with them. While wanting to be more adventurous, they also want to make their trip safe and special while minimizing their impact on the environment. Leading Travel and Tourism Retail is an invaluable guide for any professional involved in the world of retail, including consumer brands, retailers, hospitality, landlords, politicians, airports, transportation and technology groups. Engaging and accessible, this book covers everything from assessing the competitive market situation to product adaptation, ESG, human talent management, accessing funding, political considerations, and the role of technology and data. It offers a unique glimpse behind the inner workings of some of the best-known brands in the world across airports, shopping malls, and city centre locations. Delivering invaluable insight through fascinating interviews from high-profile leaders, including the President of LVMH Retail Asia, the CEO of Harrods, the President of CHANEL Perfumes & Cosmetics worldwide, this is a must-have book for those who want to drive profits. LIST OF INTERVIEWS Sir Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, UK Pierre-Hugues Schmit, Chief Commercial & Operations Officer at Vinci Airports Group, France Ravi Thakran, Group Chairman of LVMH Asia, Singapore Michael Ward, Managing Director of Harrods, UK Jacques Stern, CEO of Global Blue, Switzerland Vasiliki Petrou, CEO of Unilever Prestige, UK Andrea d'Avack, President of the CHANEL Foundation, France Pallak Seth, CEO of PDS Apparel Manufacturing, India Louis de Bourgoing, International Chairman of WHSmith, UK Jose-Antonio Lasanta, CEO of Prosegur Cash, Spain Dan Cockerell, former Vice President of Disney's Magic Kingdom, USA Tine Arentsen Willumsen, CEO of Above & Beyond Group, Founder of The Diversity Council, Denmark Paul Samuels, Executive Vice President of AEG Entertainment Group, UK Hugo Brady, Vice President of AEG Entertainment Group, UK Malik Fernando, Director of Dilmah Tea, MJF Hotels and Holdings, Sri Lanka Jonathan Chippindale, CEO of Holition Technologies, UK Ben Zifkin, President of Hubba, Canada Desirée Bollier, Chair and Chief Merchant of Value Retail, UK Stewart Wingate, CEO of London Gatwick Airport, UK Craig Robins, Founder and Owner of Miami Design District Development, USA Taylor Safford, President and CEO of Pier 39, San Francisco, USA Frances O'Grady, Secretary General of the Trades Union Congress, UK Christine Comaford, business and leadership coach Baroness Nicky Morgan former Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, UK Professor Ian Woodward at INSEAD, Singapore Professor Steve Jarding, Harvard University, USA Lesley Batchelor OBE, Director General of The Institute for Export & International Trade, UK Jason Holt, Chair of the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network, Chairman of Holts Group, UK Julia Simpson, President & CEO of World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)

• Print length 272 pages
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• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Kogan Page; 1st edition (April 25, 2023)
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 272 pages
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1398609501
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About the author

Sacha alexander zackariya.

Sacha has spent the past three decades helping tens of millions of tourist shoppers spend money across, Europe North America and Australasia. He co-founded the multi-award winning ChangeGroup International Plc in 1991, which has grown to become the world's 3rd largest international bureau de change company, and a leader in currency exchange, money transfers, ATMs and Tax-Free shopping refunds for tourists.

Sacha has devoted himself to understanding how people change their behaviours as soon as they become leisure tourists, and how this impacts where, when and how they shop and spend money. He has lived and worked in more than 10 countries and cultivated deep relationships with leading brands, retailers, landlords, airports, governmental authorities and NGOs.

Travel & tourism represents 10% of global GDP, and one in 4 of all jobs in the coming decade are forecasted to be created in the sector. Having seen the devastating impact of the pandemic on the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of people in travel and tourism, Sacha wanted to bring together the leaders of the sector for people to hear first hand how businesses can develop and grow again.

Sacha and his family’s work in the sector was officially recognised by HM Queen Elizabeth II when they received the award for Enterprise in International Trade at Buckingham Palace. Originally Sacha’s passion for travel, flying and technical focus was rewarded at a young age when he received a flying scholarship from the Royal Air Force. He went on to become a Chartered Industrial Engineer developing ways of improving the manufacturing of aircraft parts for Boeing and Airbus before switching to business after studying at night for a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Economics and then taking a year out to obtain an MBA from INSEAD.

He applied this knowledge to do more than 18 international M&A (Mergers and Acquisitions) deals. This culminated in 2022 with the sale of a majority of ChangeGroup to Prosegur, the leading cash management company listed on the Madrid Stockmarket, which employs more than 160,000 people globally.

Most importantly Sacha has always believed in the need to ensure future generation can access the best skills and opportunities available. He ensured his own company became an accredited Investor In People organisation within the first few years of being founded, and at the same time created a charity in the UK to put hundreds of talented teenagers into secondary and tertiary education in the developing world every year. He went on to become learning officer and then Chairman of YPO Greater London, part of a network of 30,000 CEOs of large corporations generating more than $9 trillion annually with a view of sharing insights and knowledge to improve the world.

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The evolving role of experiences in travel

The Evolving Role of Experiences in Travel

Since the dawn of leisure travel, people have journeyed in search of new experiences. They long to meet friendly locals, eat new foods, stroll through unfamiliar landscapes, and witness (or maybe even join) cultural traditions that remind them that they’ve left home.

More and more, experiences have become powerful decision drivers for travelers: the possibility of a life-changing travel moment motivates people to book a trip. The quest for the right type of moment even influences which destinations people will choose. But despite the enduring excitement about experiences and the large pool of value they represent, the travel industry has yet to crack the code on an approach that can simultaneously please travelers, make sense for experience providers, and produce profit at scale for distributors and larger stakeholders.

Today’s travelers often find the breadth of available experiences overwhelming, and they crave easy-to-navigate platforms that can sort through experiences and offer seamless, real-time booking anywhere in the world. Experience providers (often small, passionate outfits, sometimes run by a single tour guide) want to create broad awareness of their offerings. But operators can become frustrated when a booking platform’s thumbnail descriptions fail to capture the appeal of a quirky activity—or when an intermediating player fumbles customer relations. Distribution platforms want to become comprehensive sites for one-stop experience shopping but face challenges as they try to scale profitably while cobbling together a fragmented array of experiential offerings. Meanwhile, legacy travel institutions, such as airlines and hotel chains, are still searching for ideal ways to fit magical travel moments into the machinery of complex corporate enterprises.

The global marketplace for travel experiences offers a more than $1 trillion opportunity. Younger generations, in particular, demonstrate an eagerness to splurge on experiences, suggesting the sector will continue to expand. Yet nearly half of the business of experiences is still transacted offline. As experience booking goes digital, a considerable share could be claimed by organizations that can anticipate and eliminate pain points at every stage of the process, up and down the value chain.

How can operators quench travelers’ thirst for magical experiences while finding new customer streams from around the world? How can distribution platforms simplify and scale the discovery and booking process while creating an attractive proposition for operators? How can airlines and hotels learn from the awe and wonder that a terrific tour guide can conjure, becoming distributors for experiences and also injecting the essence of that magic into their core businesses?

A new report, The evolving role of experiences in travel , produced by McKinsey and Skift, examines the world of travel experiences 1 In this research, we defined “travel experiences” as activities, attractions, and tours, excluding multiday tours, available to visitors at a destination. —ranging from stadium rock concerts to guided nature hikes to in-home culinary gatherings and everything in between. The report offers an assessment of the experience industry as it stands today, presents ideas that could help address current dissatisfactions, and looks at opportunities for various players to capitalize on growing interest.

Desire for experiences is reshaping travel demand

Once upon a time, travelers might have picked a destination first and only later started choosing what to do upon arrival. But today’s travelers don’t treat experiences as afterthoughts. Their travel decisions are increasingly based on specific activity interests. This can invert the trip-planning funnel, placing experiences at the top and destination choices further down the cone.

A recent McKinsey survey asked about the factors most important to travelers when selecting a destination . 2 “ The way we travel now ,” McKinsey, May 29, 2024. Survey respondents cited the range and quality of local activities on offer at a rate that trailed only the rates of their citations of essential needs, such as safety, navigability, cost, and accommodation range and quality (Exhibit 1). Respondents were nearly as likely to cite, as a decision factor, the ability to experience authentic local customs and culture.

Interest in experiences is unlikely to dissipate soon, as evidenced by the preferences of younger travelers. According to McKinsey survey data, 52 percent of Gen Zers say they splurge on experiences , compared with only 29 percent of baby boomers. 3 “ The way we travel now ,” McKinsey, May 29, 2024. And Gen Z travelers say they try to save money on flights, local transportation, shopping, and food before trimming their spending on experiences.

Travel experiences could compose a market worth more than $1 trillion

The travel experience market is large and, by some estimates, rapidly growing. To size it, we began by examining the value represented by the entirety of the world’s tours, attractions, and activities. Our analysis indicates that this global market could be more than $3 trillion.

Many local residents participate in the experiences offered at a given destination. But per our research, destination visitors—both domestic and international—account for roughly 30 percent of the experience market, spending about $1.1 trillion to $1.3 trillion on experiences. This is how we defined the total addressable market for travel experiences.

Next, we quantified the serviceable available market by assessing the proportion of travel experiences that are in some way structured (for example, a professionally guided tour or a live ticketed event) versus those that are independently undertaken (for example, a tourist strolling up to an art museum’s ticket window and then perusing its galleries). The segment involving paid, structured activities represents a large part of the market that’s in play for experience providers (such as tour operators), intermediaries (such as online-booking platforms), and stakeholders from other parts of the travel industry (such as hotels and airlines).

We estimate that paid, structured tourist activities account for roughly 25 percent of global experience spending, totaling about $250 billion to $310 billion per year (Exhibit 2). This number comprises tourist spending on rock concerts, baseball games, history walks, nature hikes, theme park visits, spa treatments, museum tours, and a host of other activities. And it continues to expand: experts estimate growth in this segment of more than 14 percent per year by 2025. 4 “TUI Musement special—part of FY22 results,” TUI, December 14, 2022.

There’s an emerging recipe for creating magical experiences

A top-notch experience can be the cornerstone of a trip, lingering in a traveler’s memory for years to come. In our conversations with 19 experience providers, several crucial components for creating great experiences became apparent:

• Entertainment comes first. Experience operators observe that, no matter the type of experience, what travelers want above all is to have a good time and be entertained.
• Well-trained guides set the tone. Because creating a magical, guided experience depends so much on the guide, experience operators focus on molding high-quality frontline employees.
• Authenticity and local engagement matter. Visitors appreciate thoughtfully crafted itineraries that bring a specific locale to life.
• Expectations should be managed—and then exceeded. Overcommunicating and overdelivering are crucial.
• Guests need to feel they’re in sure, safe hands. Travelers like to feel that a tour guide is in control every step of the way.

Booking platforms might consider these components when deciding which experiences to give prominent visibility. Larger travel players, such as hotel chains and airlines, might also keep these ingredients in mind—both when thinking about add-on experiences to offer through their own platforms and when exploring how to scale magical experiences across a chain of hotel lobbies or a schedule of transoceanic flights.

Finding and booking experiences remains a frustrating process—offering opportunities for improvement

Many travelers enjoy the process of planning a vacation. They have fun searching for the individual elements that will add up to a perfect trip. But the discovery and booking process for travel experiences can be alternately thorny and exhausting. It can present travelers with an overwhelming menu of options but doesn’t always surface the best ones. It sometimes fails to accurately describe an activity, which can create expectation mismatches.

Meanwhile, the experience industry’s move to digital is still in progress. According to 2023 data, 47 percent of experience booking still happens offline—either via walk-ups or telephone calls or through offline conduits, such as hotel concierges and traditional travel agents. 5 Euromonitor, accessed July 2024. Only 22 percent of booking occurs through online intermediaries, such as booking platforms.

Many experience providers have faced difficulties as they shift their booking operations toward online distribution platforms. And for the platforms, scaling while maintaining or expanding margins has been a challenge.

Travelers aren’t always getting what they want or need from online booking

Booking platforms that offer experiences sometimes serve up a large database presented as a list, which might not have been carefully curated. These lists can be overwhelming for a customer who isn’t sure what to look for. And they might fail to surface hidden gems. What’s more, the tours and activities that appear on platforms aren’t always especially well vetted. They might not meet travelers’ expectations for quality or value—or might not align with the thumbnail descriptions travelers see on the platforms.

There’s an opportunity here to create a discovery and booking process that features more fun and fewer hiccups. Travelers could benefit from simplified and more enjoyable discovery systems (including ones linked with social media), a streamlined booking process in which platforms become seamless (or even invisible), and a detangled customer service approach (in which it’s always clear who to contact, even on short notice).

Experience operators can benefit from the transition to digital—but may also encounter challenges

Of the 19 operators we interviewed in June 2024, 78 percent already receive at least half of their bookings through platforms. Platforms can help attract online eyeballs and raise product awareness in ways an experience provider couldn’t on its own. One reason is that platforms tend to perform better in search engine results than an individual operator’s website does on its own—in part, because platforms can afford to pay more for local language translation, search engine optimization, and search keyword marketing than a typical experience operator could.

Despite all the advantages that online platforming can offer operators, it also presents some structural challenges. For instance, the variety of experience offerings—ranging from strenuous outdoor adventures to quiet cooking classes and from giant group tours to intimate gatherings—is difficult to fit into the one-size-fits-all listing approach that platforms sometimes take. Unlike, for example, air travel, where the ticket offerings tend to be fundamentally similar and easily compared, distinctively crafted activities and tours can often benefit more from a bespoke framing of offers.

The intermediary role of the booking platform can also create frustration for experience providers. When service issues arise or customers wish to cancel or reschedule a booking, execution isn’t always smooth. For instance, the customer might attempt to interact with the platform when it would be more effective to interact directly with the operator. The operator might become aware too late of a service issue or booking change request—or might not become aware at all.

Online booking platforms are hoping to scale a fragmented industry

Online-booking platforms enjoy natural advantages when it comes to selling experiences to travelers. Because the experience space is so fragmented—full of countless smaller operators—travelers look to save time and effort by turning to a platform that can aggregate and sort through an overwhelming number of options. Platforms can also lower payment and communication hurdles for a traveler, particularly when experience operators speak foreign languages or transact in foreign currencies.

Many booking platforms have thus far focused on prioritizing top-line growth instead of maximizing profitability. Building a large platform can incur significant expenses related to both acquiring a large supply of inventory and ensuring that the platform’s tools and algorithms can handle it. A central question for platforms will be how effectively they’ll be able to expand revenue while also growing margins.

Other players are seeking profitable ways to get involved with experiences

Experiences are gaining enough traction in the travel ecosystem that other players are now eyeing the market. The margins for sales of experiences can be high: operators told us they typically achieve up to 60 percent margins, even after deducting a booking platform’s commission (with labor constituting the bulk of the operator’s cost). That can make this an appealing space for businesses to enter.

Which strategies might help stakeholders find success in the experience marketplace?

The evolving role of experiences in travel could create favorable circumstances for stakeholders across the value chain. Industry players in various sectors should consider how best to capitalize on emerging opportunities.

Experience operators should generate the magic that will enable industry growth

For experience providers, it begins with delivering the distinctive, authentic moments that travelers crave. Once this crucial prerequisite is met, other success factors can be considered:

• Meeting consumer demand. This requires monitoring changing trends, catering to evolving traveler tastes, and making guests feel they’re in safe hands from start to finish.
• Savvy marketing. Using the right words and images can communicate an experience’s value proposition.
• Discovery systems. For experiences, discovery systems are still in flux, so it’s important to find customers where they are—including on social media.
• Booking strategy. Different operators can benefit from different booking strategies. It’s important for operators to consider how their needs could evolve over time when evaluating the trade-offs that come with various booking approaches.

Booking platforms could profit from making sense of a large and growing market

Distributors might find themselves in a sweet spot, as demand for travel experiences grows and the corresponding rise in supply creates an ever-more-confusing marketplace. Platforms might consider how to effectively gather, intelligently curate, artfully display, and smoothly broker the sale of experiences in ways that will appeal to overwhelmed travelers who want one-stop activity shopping:

• Building supply might involve building relationships with operators. Experience providers want to list on platforms that offer visibility and value.
• Curation can make a traveler’s discovery phase relatively easy and fun. Most travelers don’t have the time, ability, or desire to conduct a long, difficult search for a hard-to-find experience.
• A seamless booking process is likely to draw customers in and keep them coming back. Customers shouldn’t need to wade through multiple pages and filtering tools to find what they’re looking for.
• Platforms might advise—or even become—experience providers. Booking platforms have a high-level vantage point and an ability to access large amounts of data, so they are in a good position to spot unmet demand in the marketplace and help generate supply that’s likely to be appealing to travelers.

As demand for experiences grows, travel industry players could look for new ways to get involved

Stakeholders across all travel sectors could benefit from viewing their roles through the lens of serving up memorable, positive experiences to travelers. This might involve reframing services a company already provides, or it might mean looking for new opportunities to integrate experiences into a traveler’s journey:

• Hotel stays. Hotels might use experiences as incentives for travelers to book stays. Strong brand recognition and existing digital infrastructure can help hotel chains act as distribution channels for experiences. There might also be an opportunity to improve on-premises experiences that a hotel more closely controls—for instance, at the hotel’s spa or through a pop-up event in the hotel’s lobby.
• Short-term rentals. Short-term-rental platforms might offer experiences alongside accommodation bookings. Given that many short-term-rental bookings already happen online, it might make sense for short-term-rental platforms to claim a share of experience booking. These platforms have established online relationships with many customers, and they have already integrated online payments and scheduling into their operations.
• Flight packages. Many airlines already generate significant revenue from package holidays, which could be supplemented with add-on experiences. Airlines might take advantage of customer data and contexts to surface attractive experience options at the time of flight booking, which tends to happen early in the trip-planning process.
• Reframed core products. Travel stakeholders can view their core products through the lens of experiences. Hotels might consider how to turn lobbies into experiential opportunities. Airlines might examine what travelers want from experiences and then apply the insights to create in-flight presentations and improve cabin atmospheres. Spaces might be revamped in ways that make them social media worthy.

Destinations could offer support for the experience ecosystem

Visitor bureaus and destination management organizations have roles to play in helping meet traveler demand for great experiences. The distinctive capabilities and resources of these groups could aid them in shaping the experience landscape.

Magical experiences are what leisure travel is all about. They bring people joy. They shape people’s identities. They can be the chapters of people’s lives that they’re most eager to tell the world about.

The business of travel experiences is quickly growing and evolving. Today’s marketplace could be at an inflection point, poised to transform in ways that will better connect travelers, providers, platforms, and other players. The travel industry should look for opportunities to collaborate and innovate to improve the commercial elements of travel experiences while never losing sight of the essential magic that turns a travel experience into a life-changing event.

Download the full report: The evolving role of experiences in travel

Jules Seeley is a senior partner in McKinsey’s Boston office, Ryan Mann is a partner in the Chicago office, Vik Krishnan is a senior partner in the Bay Area office, and Alex Gersovitz is an associate partner in the Southern California office.

The authors wish to thank Alessandra Powell, Carol Flaksberg, Cedric Tsai, Lily Miller, Nadya Snezhkova, Nick Meronyk, and Sharon Yao of McKinsey, as well as Pranavi Agarwal, Robin Gilbert-Jones, Seth Borko, and Varsha Arora of Skift, for their contributions to this article.

This article was edited by Seth Stevenson, a senior editor in the New York office.

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