Focus on feelings, not features
Travel marketing has always been about selling dreams. But it’s not just about showing someone a picture of a sandy beach or an exotic savannah – it’s about the intangible magic that stirs inside us when we imagine those experiences. It’s about feeling the thrill of a new adventure or the quiet satisfaction of a moment shared with loved ones in a far-off place. This is the true alchemy of travel – taking a feature, a product or a service and transforming it into an emotional experience that stays with the traveller long after they’ve returned home.
In the same way that alchemists of old sought to turn base metals into gold, today’s travel marketers must craft experiences that convert simple features into profound emotional connections. It’s not the private pool, the five-star rating or the carefully curated itinerary that captures the imagination. It’s the way those features make us feel. This is the true power of travel marketing and the industry is starting to see this shift with innovators adapting their go-to-market strategies to focus on emotions. The question is: are you ready to leave behind the features and focus on the feelings?
The shift from features to feelings
For too long, the travel industry has been focused on the what – what’s included in the package, what the room looks like and what’s on the itinerary. We’ve spent decades emphasising the size of the hotel suite, the luxury of the amenities and the exclusivity of a guided tour. But here’s the thing: customers don’t buy features, they buy emotions.
Antonio Damasio, a neuroscientist, has shown that, while we justify our decisions with logic, we ultimately make them based on how we feel. This is the true magic of decision-making. So, while travellers might talk about features like size or comfort, what they’re really deciding is how that experience will make them feel. And that’s the point where the magic happens. The connection between the customer’s unspoken emotional need and the experience you can create.
The emotional connection that drives travel choices
This doesn’t just apply to luxury travel or high-end experiences. Whether it’s a budget getaway or an adventure-filled trip, the key to success is in understanding the emotion a customer is seeking. It’s about crafting an experience that goes beyond the ordinary. A moment that connects with the traveller’s deeper desires.
When we think about the most memorable travel experiences, they’re not just about where you go, they’re about how you feel when you’re there. It’s the joy of exploring new places, the serenity of a peaceful escape or the bond you share with others in a shared adventure. These experiences resonate because they focus on the emotion, not the amenities.
Customers don’t always know what they want
This is more challenging than you think because customers don’t always know what emotion they’re seeking when booking their trip. They’ll tell you they want a beach vacation, a mountain retreat or a city break. They might even tell you that they are longing for relaxation or to switch off from corporate life but they often don’t articulate the deeper need driving those needs – the desire for self-discovery, connection or nostalgic reflection. As travel marketers, we need to go beyond the surface and tap into these deeper emotions.
Rory Sutherland, in his book Alchemy: The Surprising Power of Ideas That Don’t Make Sense, argues that the best marketing ideas don’t come from asking customers what they want but from understanding them better than they understand themselves. The magic happens when a brand is able to articulate an emotional need that the customer didn’t even know they had. This is where the real opportunity in travel marketing is – creating a connection between what the customer wants and what they didn’t know they were looking for.
The magic behind the shift
For tour operators and travel marketers, this is an opportunity to rethink how we approach customers. Rather than asking them where they want to go, we should be asking why, more than once, to uncover the true emotions leading the decision. It’s not about the hotel or the itinerary – it’s about the feeling that the traveller hopes the trip will evoke. This approach requires a shift in mindset but it’s a powerful one. By doing this, we can create something that truly resonates with customers and stays with them long after they’ve returned home.
This shift is already happening in the travel industry but it’s not always easy to embrace. Many brands will struggle to move away from the tried-and-tested method of selling features. However, the brands that will succeed are those that understand the psychology of their customers and craft experiences that go beyond the material. It’s about selling not just a trip but an emotional transformation.
In the end, the most successful brands will be those that understand that the true magic of travel isn’t in the features of the place or product – it’s in the feelings they evoke. So, if we want to create lasting connections with our customers, it’s time to embrace the alchemy of emotions in travel. By curating feelings instead of selling features, we’ll not only meet customer expectations but exceed them in ways that were once unimaginable.
