The first Arival event of 2024 is fast approaching, and as our team is preparing to host over 50 speakers and 700 attendees from the in-destination experiences industry at Arival 360 | Berlin in March there’s a lot we’re looking forward to.
With every Arival we try to improve and build upon the last one, and this event is no exception. In addition to the theater sessions featuring inspiring speakers discussing the latest insights into industry research and travel trends, as well as the ever-popular connection opportunities in the networking lounge and at our off-site parties and experiences, this year we’re changing up the format of many of our breakout sessions and workshops to be more interactive, based on feedback from attendees of past events.
This year we’re also adding a few new elements to the event, including the first Arival TourReview Awards in Europe, a special focus on innovation with the first Arival Innovation Showcase, a “lunch and learn” event with GetYourGuide CEO Johannes Reck, and we’re bringing the Attractions Forum — which has been very successful in our U.S. events — to Europe for the first time this March.
Everything about this event is being intentionally designed to help creators and sellers of tours, activities and attractions learn, connect and grow their businesses. Here are the top 10 things we’re looking forward to at Arival 360 | Berlin 2024.
28-30 APRIL 2025
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THE event of the year for the European in-destination experiences industry
Save up to €860 with the Autumn Advantage ticket
1. The Outlook for the Experiences Economy in 2024 and Beyond
Experiences have never been more central to travel and the revival of travel around the world. We’ll look at the outlook for tours, activities and attractions across Europe, and Arival CEO Douglas Quinby will present the newest research on traveler trends and booking patterns with a special focus on the U.S. experiences traveler as an important source market for many European destinations and experience operators.
2. What Travelers Want: The Rise of Experiential Travel
With the demand for experiences on the rise among travelers, a key theme of this event will be the future of experience design and how operators can stay two steps ahead of trends. We’ll have speakers demonstrating successful approaches to immersive experiences, such as Ana Araque from Imagine Experiences, and explore the increasingly popular category of culinary experiences with a double-length session led by Margot Lockridge from Walk With Us Tours.
3. The Future of Technology & AI in Travel Experiences
We are now more than a year into generative artificial intelligence (now often shortened to GenAI), and the applications and opportunities for use by everyone including operators of tours, activities and attractions are real and usable today. Theater and breakout sessions will focus on the latest developments of technology and AI as they relate to experiences, balancing AI and the human-centered nature of experiences, examples of AI in the wild, and more, with an array of expert speakers who are at the forefront of the intersection between AI and experiences, including Alex Bainbridge from Autoura, Christian Watts from Magpie Travel, and Thomas McGarry from Holiday Extras.
4. Spotlight on Innovation in Experiences
This year we’re shining a spotlight on innovation in the experiences sector. We’re excited to have a featured speaker from the College of Extraordinary Experiences, Claus Raasted, who will share innovation tips for tour and activity operators, and discuss how our sector can learn from other industries.
5. The Innovation Showcase
Also on the topic of innovation, new to Arival this year: the first Arival Innovation Showcase! This part of the event will feature short “Innovation Idea” presentations, where we will learn about the latest innovations in technology and business, directly applicable to the in-destination experience industry, that will benefit operators, attractions and resellers, and could even change how we are tackling our industry’s biggest challenges.
28-30 APRIL 2025
Insider Pro Access Members Save 20%
THE event of the year for the European in-destination experiences industry
Save up to €860 with the Autumn Advantage ticket
6. A Song of Ice, Fire & Responsible Travel
Winter is coming, and travel and tourism must put sustainability front and center. But what do consumers really expect, and how can experiences businesses satisfy the master of coin while meeting environmental goals? We’re excited to welcome The Game of Thrones Studio Tours Executive Director David Browne, to share how they capture the magic of Westeros while also meeting the growing demand for environmentally friendly experiences. In this unmissable session, Browne will walk us through their approach to the guest experience and the environment while delivering an unforgettable journey through the iconic landscapes and moments of the beloved series.
7. The Arival Attractions Forum Comes to Europe
This year for the first time, we’re bringing the Attractions Forum, which has been incredibly well-received at our last couple of U.S. events, to Europe. In the Attractions Forum in Berlin, we’ll focus on issues impacting attractions and large tour operators in Europe, including variable and dynamic pricing, distribution and content management.
8. Arival TourReview Spotlight Awards: Europe!
This Berlin we’ll be holding the first Arival TourReview Spotlight Awards ceremony for Europe. These new awards recognize excellence in guest satisfaction for operators of tours, activities, and visitor attractions, based on independent, unbiased analysis of guest reviews across major online travel and experiences websites (learn more about the awards here). The finalists have already been announced, and winners will be announced during the welcome party on 2 March, 2024.
9. The Breakouts You Want
You asked, we listened. Based on feedback from past events, we’ve reformatted many of our breakout sessions to be less focused on talking heads, and more focused on discussion, sharing and hands-on learning. It’s all about getting the right people in the room to discuss the hottest topics, from pricing strategies to working with OTAs and alternative distribution channels, to growth, branding and scale (with a special focus on how to scale unique, passion-based experiences), to digital marketing in the age of AI, to hiring training and retaining guides.
28-30 APRIL 2025
Insider Pro Access Members Save 20%
THE event of the year for the European in-destination experiences industry
Save up to €860 with the Autumn Advantage ticket
10. People, Parties & Connections: The Best Part!
Arival is the best place to meet others in the Best Part of Travel. Connecting and networking with others in the tours, activities and attractions industry is always a highlight for our attendees (and for us!) and our events are designed to leave space for both planned and spontaneous/organic connections.
This year we’ll be hosting an off-site party at the Festsaal Kreuzberg, and holding a “Lunch & Learn” with GetYourGuide CEO Johannes Reck to encourage deep dive discussions on the future of experiences, in addition to the networking lounge and intentional meeting spaces set up around the event and other built-in opportunities for networking in and around Arival.
Wir Sehen uns in Berlin (See you in Berlin)!
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Header photo: Unsplash / Florian Wehde
