These days, everything is an experience. From tasting menus to walking tours, from ziplining to pottery classes — the market is overflowing with neatly packaged “moments” designed to feel authentic. And yet, most of them feel the same.
Even at MariXperience, we catch ourselves using the word often — it’s in our name, after all. But the truth is, language matters. “Experience” can sound shallow unless we give it real depth. Because to truly stand out in travel, you have to move beyond selling a product and start facilitating a connection. That’s where the real experience begins.
So, how do you create a deep travel experience that a traveler will remember for a lifetime? You have to get the fundamentals right.
Go Beyond the Itinerary
Skip the rigid checklist. Forget the minute-by-minute schedule. Instead, build a narrative. The goal isn’t to see everything; it’s to feel something. A deep traveler doesn’t collect destinations — they seek purpose. Every stop, every encounter should contribute to a story that makes sense on a human level.
Prioritize People Over Places
It sounds obvious, but you wouldn’t know it from most tours out there. Too often, travelers are ushered past landmarks and photo stops, with barely a moment to exchange a word with the locals.
A real experience is built on human connection. Let travelers meet the resident storytellers, artisans, and family-run hosts who keep local culture alive. Skip the staged performances — instead, invite real conversations.
Embrace the “Ugly Real”
Authenticity isn’t about perfection. The cracks, the imperfections, the unpolished corners — that’s where truth lives. Personally, I look for unscripted moments, the kind that don’t fit neatly into an itinerary. Maybe it’s a rainy day when plans change, or a chat with someone whose story shifts your perspective.
Deep travelers don’t want a constructed version of reality; they want the freedom to form their own.
Facilitate, Don’t Command
If you’re a tour operator, think of yourself less as a leader and more as a facilitator. Your role isn’t to dictate what a traveler should see or feel — it’s to create the framework that lets them explore, choose, and discover meaning for themselves. The most memorable journeys are co-created between the traveler and the place.
So, what does a real experience in travel mean to you?
Is it the people you meet, the stories you hear, or that one moment that changes the way you see the world?
Autor:
Marija Lazarevic, MSc
CEO at MariXperience ltd.