How will the traveller tribes approach tours and activities?

For example, Simplicity Searchers welcome having their tours and activities pre-arranged. New travellers from emerging markets tend to prefer group travel for initial trips, but with time they will become more confident, travel independently and book the tours and activities specific to their interests rather than that of the collective. For the Simplicity Searcher tourist in a city for the first time, natural language options are important and screens, signage and audio tours must reflect this.

Doing things independently may be the hallmark of Cultural Purists, but the emergence of platforms which connect travellers with locals offers the best of both worlds. The main bucket-list attractions will be less in demand than the niche and the obscure. Tourist boards and destination-marketing organisations can encourage this tribe to visit by highlighting attractions and events which are not widely known about through personalised communication.

More Identified Tribes

Social Capital Seekers will seek out the unusual and the photogenic to share among their network. In the interests of self-improvement they will be interested in educational and informative trips from art history tours to skiing lessons. Online galleries are a great way for tour operators to highlight their product and all clients should be encouraged to post images and reviews online.

When it comes to Reward Hunters , they often just want to relax, but within this tribe there are some people who are adrenalin-driven. Activities for this group will need to be challenging and unusual while still maintaining an element of luxury and indulgence. Reward Hunters will expect to be treated specially, so tours could be private views at museums to behind-the-scenes access to Michelin-starred restaurants.

Even on the shortest trip, most Obligation Meeters would like to have some time to see the sights or try something new. Providers of tours and activities need to market to this very specific group in a specific way. Timed entrances to museums and galleries might work for this tribe whose time is likely to be constrained.

Many tourist boards in large cities work with charitable organisations, offering visitors the chance to do some good while on vacation. This can vary from volunteering for a day to volunteering for six months. Tourist boards which are able to identify Ethical Travellers before they arrive can highlight their ethically-based tours and activity products in advance.

Have a look at our report, Future Traveller Tribes 2030: Beyond Air Travel, for more.