When you go on holiday and arrive to a new city what would be the first thing you would like to do? Go on a tour of the city hearing of it’s historic history? Or would you prefer to experience the local cuisine and maybe learn how to make a local dish? Well now, all of this is possible through tourist experience platforms who offer personalised guides and activities.
These are growing at a rapid rate and their main function is connecting travellers with locals, consequently, changing what it means to experience something when going on holiday.
In this article, we will look and compare a few of the latest tourist experience platforms.
Traditional excursions vs experiences with locals.
On one hand, you will find platforms that are a digital extension of the traditional travel agencies that offer prototype tourist experiences, such as guided tours and visits to museums and monuments, with online reputation systems for users to rate their experience. On the other hand, the newer platforms offer tourist experiences that are much more authentic, local and made to measure; like having a yoga class in an unknown cove or learning about the customs of the country. These local experiences allow the traveller to get away from the conventional channels and access a type of activities that would otherwise be difficult for a foreigner to reach.
Airbnb experience are one of the best who specialise in this. They are considered to be one of the best platforms out there. Not just for its functionality, but also its clarity and it’s simplicity of communicating with hosts, and their paying and cancelling process. They are able to provide a variety of activities by tapping into their global network of hosts.
Platforms on the go
Apart from their versatility and diversity, the experience platforms also have to be adaptable to the traveller. Travellers want to be able to book these experiences whilst they are on the go or whilst already in the destination. TripAdvisor via its brand Viator currently dominate this field and provide a large catalogue of things to do and with the help of reviews, travellers are able to filter through the options.
Let’s take a closer look
However, it must be stated the perfect platform does not exist; some have a large catalogue, others stand out for their online reputation system and there are some that distinguish their suppliers very well. Ocu-Compra Maestra magazine carried out a study weighing up the pros and cons of the following platforms.
The way forward
There will always be a place for the traditional bus tour or sightseeing cruise, but we are now living in a time where individuals are wanting to escape from digital distractions and are looking to find unique activities. Bookable online and an increased choice of new experiences and activities is making it easier for travellers and creating a desire to find the experiences they prefer.
We at MTS Globe plan to pave the way forward and will be working towards providing experiences in all of our destinations. We have already made the first step and have created an emotive / experience film to highlight what we can offer. This will be launched at the ITB Berlin, so stay tuned!
