10-07-2025
The rise of experiential travel: A new era for hospitality leadership
Travel has always been a marker of human curiosity, an expression of our desire to explore, discover, and connect. But today, that desire is evolving. We are witnessing a fundamental shift from transactional to transformational travel. This is not simply about where guests go, but why they go and how they engage with the people, cultures, and stories that define a destination.
This global appetite for experiential travel is reshaping the very DNA of hospitality. It compels us, as industry leaders, to move beyond the traditional paradigms of service and luxury. At IHG Hotels at Dubai Festival City we see this evolution firsthand. Our guests are no longer just booking rooms but are also seeking meaningful travel with personal takeaways that resonate with their aspirations.
What defines experiential travel is not just immersion, but intention. Guests want to discover, learn, and return home transformed. That might mean starting the day with exquisite breakfast at Anise, then enjoying exclusive access to adults-only beach club at voco Monaco Dubai World Islands —experiencing both city and coastal retreats. Or perhaps a wellness experience combining sunrise yoga with a restorative treatment at SPA InterContinental. Families might opt for a curated stay with exciting visit to football legend's journey at Messi Experience, full-day access to Fabyland or Leo & Loona Indoor Family Park at Dubai Festival City Mall, giving children the freedom to explore while parents unwind at the spa or private dining with privileges. Understanding guests' travel intention means creating moments that go beyond offering.
We believe these embedded moments truly impact every stay. This is central to our value proposition. Hospitality today must be open and adaptable, integrating local culture, personalisation, sustainability, and technology to every part of the guest journey. That includes rethinking space design, reimagining partnerships, and retraining teams as experience makers.
Technology undoubtedly enhances the experiential offering, but it is not the experience itself. True differentiation comes from emotional intelligence. While data helps revealing preferences, it is still human intuition that anticipate unspoken needs, create satisfaction, and build loyalty.
At IHG Hotels at Dubai Festival City, we have the advantage of scale and synergy. The proximity of our properties, retail, leisure, and F&B ecosystems allows us to thoughtfully arrange integrated, multi-sensory experiences that resonate with modern travellers. Whether it's launching purpose-driven stay packages, aligning with global events, or leveraging our waterfront setting for activations, the goal is to make every stay a story worth sharing.
As commercial leaders, this shift demands a strategic focus. We must evolve performance metrics beyond room sales and occupancy levels, to encompass guest sentiment, experiential engagement, Net Promoter Score (NPS), and the measurable impact of purpose-driven initiatives.
The rise of experiential travel is not a passing trend, it is the clearest signal that hospitality's future belongs to those placing human engagement at the heart of every offering. At IHG Hotels at Dubai Festival City, we are proud to be part of this transformation, where every journey is designed not just to impress, but to inspire.
The writer is Cluster Commercial Director, IHG Hotels at Dubai Festival City.
