Educational travel, learning vacations, and enrichment travel are all terms we have been using in the Canadian tourism market to describe traveler motivations and niche market segments. What is the common demoninator? Learning – a quest for new knowledge! At the Edge of the Wedge experiential travel training program in Rocky Harbour NL, we work with a few definitions.
Educational travelers are defined as people who value learning as an integral part of their travel experience. They seek, and are motivated to purchase, travel activities that provide an opportunity to gain knowledge and insight into the people and places they visit. Educational-travelers are motivated by learning first; travel second (e.g. language schools, training programs). Learning-travelers in comparison are motivated by travel first, learning second (e.g. learning vacations, experiential travel).
Experiential travel on the other hand addresses more the customer experience; and engaging series of memorable travel activities, revealed over a duration of time, that are inherently personal, engage the senses, and makes connections on an emotional, physical, spiritual or intellectual level.
In 1999, Joe Pine and James Gilmore, authors of the Experience Economy, identified four realms of experiences - educational, esthetic, escape, and entertainment. These experiential realms are great to keep in mind when you are crafting experiences, package guest experiences and creating the ‘invitation to visit’.
Check out the educational vacations list with the Canadian Tourism Commission. The concept is not new, it in fact has been around since the 16th century! How’s that for standing the test of time. The business opportunity is how to take advantage of the motivation to learn, combined with an engaging memorable experience, to truly a unique visitor opportunity for your business or within your comunity.
Nancy Arsenault, Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management, Royal Roads University
