What is a travel experience? Well there are numerous definitions to this spectacular term that has been making waves for the past decade in the global tourism industry. From being in travel during that decade and being directly involved in conceptualizing, creating and operating experiences here is my take on it.
An experience is a sensation, that triggers either one or multiple senses in a traveler as a result of engaging with a place, an activity or the people in the destination he/she is travelling in. The take back from an experience differs from person to person. For example, by doing a city walk with a local, one person would take back a deeper understanding about the urbanization of that particular city, whilst the other by witnessing the lifestyle and culture of the locals in the same city, have a personal discovery. Literally the reward of an experience is shaped by one’s personal desires and expectations.
This is why it is important for experience architects to first identify the why, what and how, when conceptualizing an experience to the global travel market.
The Why?
“People don’t buy what you do, they buy why you do it” – Simon Sinek
The above quote from Simon, sums it all up. When you are creating an experience first ask yourself, why are you doing it? If you don’t have that figured out or don’t know why you are creating a particular experience then do yourself a favor and stop right there.
When I conceptualized our experience in the Kotte Kingdom, I asked myself, why do you do it? Here is why……
The residents of Colombo (the capital of Sri Lanka) are blessed to have an ancient medieval kingdom in our own backyard. It’s not just any kingdom. The Kingdom of Kotte played a pivotal part in changing the course of Sri Lanka’s sociopolitical path due to a coupe called the “Vijayaba Kollaya”, paving the way for colonization of the island.
I wanted to tell the story of this forgotten kingdom out to the world in an interesting and insightful way, whist touching on aspect of its origins and its evolution to a prime residential area in Colombo. I also wanted travelers to notice that Colombo is not a commercial dump that many portray it to be. On the contrary my goal was to showcase that Colombo is a city full of diversity, color and vibrance, that should not be missed during their travels to Sri Lanka.
The What?
Now that you know “why you do it”, the next step is figuring out “what you do”? This is where you need to put your creative hats on and start thinking. Not only do you need to think, but you need to do a lot of research to get your facts right. You may not look at ranting about facts and figures to travelers during the experience, but the facts are the fundamental building blocks that holds the experience together making it a credible one.
What I normally do is imagine operating the experience in my mind, connecting the dots from place to place, associating elements of interaction and deciphering the flow of the experience. Now you may think I am a bit crazy but don’t forget that great empires were first built on people’s minds.
The How?
We are almost there.
Now that we are past the “why” and the “what”, let’s understand how we are going to do it. The “how” is equally important and the most difficult out of the three tasks of creating an amazing experience. Ticking off the “how” box is something that we will never be able to do on our own. We need to be dependent on resources that makes the experience come alive. This is also the point where the “what we do”, intertwines closely with the “how we do it”. I like to call this union the science of execution. This is the secret ingredient in your experience that makes it hard for anyone else to emulate it.
If I take our Kotte experience as an example, we have a solid host who delivers the experience with passion and a proven track record of his expertise in adventure biking. We know exactly where we start, the flow and order of the highlights we visit and what we do at each place. Plus, we do this experience with the blessing of the governing body in charge of the Kotte Kingdom. So, your networks and contacts go a long way in how you put the final touches to an experience.
I hope that you enjoyed reading this piece about the thought process and hard work behind all of the experiences that Sensory Indulgences offer.
Please visit our website www.sensoryindulgences.com and social media spaces to keep yourself up to date on our unique offering. I hope to connect with you once again with an insightful article soon. Stay safe and take care.
