A recent ROADBOOK article posed the question: “Away from the algorithm, do unique travel experiences still exist?” With 70% of American millennial and Gen Z travelers seeking out experiences that their family and friends have likely not thought of, experience operators may feel pressed right now to evolve their offerings.
But how does one go about creating an activity, tour, or attraction that is truly different? Or is there really nothing new under the sun? Let’s explore the art of experience differentiation together, with a few examples from operators who’ve cracked the differentiation code.
Editor’s Note: For in-depth, in-person hands-on exploration of experience design, join us at our upcoming Arival Activate event in Edinburgh, where we’re placing a core focus on experience design with a series of experiential learning sessions. Learn more and see the full agenda here!
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Stop Following the Rules – Follow the Value
If you’re feeling stuck because you’re trying to follow a certain ‘experience formula’, then it might be time to consider a new recipe. Sometimes you must question the preconceived notions of what an experience is if you’re going to truly create something different. Must a city tour always follow the same structure? Does an outdoor activity always need to emphasize physical activity? Is an attraction’s only purpose to offer fun & entertainment?
By challenging the way things have ‘always been’ with a strong sense of curiosity, we are able to bring new ideas to the table. But innovating just for novelty’s sake can result in gimmicky, short-lived experiences. This is why following the value is essential – it ensures that you’re breaking the rules with a purpose: so that you can meet the unmet needs of today’s travelers.
Here are three ways to flip the script and differentiate yourself from the status quo:
1. Think Small
This may go against conventional advice of “thinking big” but here’s the thing: trying to come up with something that has never been done and is 100% unique is nearly impossible. Even Meow Wolf, which on the outside seems like something never seen before, is still at its core an interactive art exhibit. But it was their attention to the hundreds of small details that makes Meow Wolf feel like something completely new.
If you could change ten small things about your experience, would it result in something that feels totally different from your competitors? These small changes could apply to the flow of your experience, the way people interact within your experience, sensory touch points across your experience, the way stories are told throughout your experience, and more.
For Hudson Yards Experiences, which operates Edge NYC, the challenge was how to stand out amidst multiple other observation decks and myriad other attractions in the competitive environment of New York City. But they found a way, or rather many small ways, as VP of Sales Haley Ward shared with Arival. (The Cinco De Mayo margarita bikes are a fun example of this!)
2. Go Deeper, Get Immersive
Two experiences can have similar structure (i.e. two food tours covering the same city), but Experience A might be more of a surface level experience, lacking an immersive quality that Experience B has mastered. Depth is a differentiator in and of itself! This often shows up as increased fascination, more emotional complexity, and a richer bond with the destination.
We see this with owner-operator Alicia Stabler’s The Bloody Tour of York. In a city with around 15 different ghost tours (talk about a saturated market!), The Bloody Tour of York comes out on top with 2,200+ 5-star reviews on Tripadvisor and 230+ 5-star reviews on Google.
Her secret lies in immersing guests into a story — listen to this interview with the Arival TourReview Spotlight Award Winner to hear one approach that has contributed to her success.
Another way to create depth and differentiate your experience is to bring in seemingly unrelated interests and passions. For example, you may have started as a food tour, but what if you secretly have a love for modern art? Finding a way to merge the two will go a long way in creating a one-of-a-kind experience. This can also go a long way in delivering more value by revealing the many different cultural nuances of your destination!
3. Personalize, Personalize, Personalize
The ultimate way to create something truly unique is to personalize it to your guests’ preferences and needs. Bespoke experiences are few and far between, as they require extra effort on the host & operators’ part. But the payoff can be huge.
Finding out what guests are seeking before their arrival is one way to personalize. Sending a pre-experience survey is often the easiest way to collect this sort of data. Using feedback from reviews and social listening are other key strategies, and looking at the latest Arival consumer research to stay up to date on traveler preferences.
However, determining what your guests are looking for is only half the battle. The ability to take that information and crafting an experience based on it is what will truly differentiate you, and sometimes this can be as simple as empowering your guides to bring their own unique personalization to the experience, as GetYourGuide COO Tao Tao describes here.
As you can see, differentiating your experience doesn’t require a complete overhaul. These strategies can empower you to create unique and engaging offerings with thoughtful effort. By making small, meaningful changes, you can craft experiences that resonate with today’s novelty-seeking travelers. Most importantly, don’t be afraid to have fun with it! When ideating with your team, throw out your wildest thoughts – the next margarita bicycle idea is just a brainstorm away.
Hudson Yards Experiences — Edge NYC challenged guests to ride the “Margarita Bike” during their Cinco de Mayo celebration (scroll to second image).
About the Author
Samantha Hardcastle is the Founder of The Storied Experience and Amore Social, where she focuses on creative strategy for the experiences industry. Also Arival’s social media manager, Samantha was a speaker at Arival 360 | Las Vegas in 2022: Arival Insider Pro Access members can see that session on-demand here.
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Learn More About Experience Design & Differentiation at Arival
Our upcoming Arival event in Edinburgh has a core focus on experience design, with experiential learning sessions hosted on-location by iconic attractions such as Royal Yacht Britannia, Camera Obscura & World of Illusions and Johnnie Walker Princes Street exploring innovative experience design and how to create unforgettable visitor experiences. Learn more about the upcoming event in the preview article here and see the full agenda here!
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Header photo: Cristina Gottardi Unsplash
