Personalization and Curation are the Sweet Spot of Modern Travel
Travelers are demanding more personalization from every facet of marketing. Accenture‘s 2016 report showed that 65% of consumers were more likely to make purchases with relevant and personalized offers. Branching out from the retail and shopping arena, the same proposition holds true for travelers. According to Deloitte‘s 2017 Travel and Hospitality (T&H) Report, “If T&H companies want to deliver an outstanding, individualized customer experience, they should consider understanding their customers’ needs and desires and craft a value proposition that speaks directly to them.”
The challenge is to understand the continually evolving likes and dislikes of consumers, especially across generations. For example, Deloitte pointed out that millennials of the 80s to 2000s are more self centered, liberal and digitally empowered looking for “personalized communication (via multiple electronic platforms), seamless planning, flawless execution, and an authentic, customized travel experience.” Compared to their boomer counterparts, who are less tech savvy on immediate gratification, but rather use technology for relentless planning, this poses a shift in preferences.
Dot & Pin is a new travel tech startup which focuses on bringing back customization and personalization to the travel sector. Unlike the Tripadvisors and Yelps of the world, it focuses on customizing experiences for both business and leisure travelers. With a five question survey at the onset, users can swim through the surge of options and find ones that only fit them. Quiet and indoor seeking travelers will be faced with different suggestions from party animals and rooftop lovers, for example. The preferences can also be changed at anytime based on moods, times, or across the lifetime of using this mobile responsive, app-ready platform.
One can also see the entire list of suggestions, which in themselves are curated from travel influencers, food bloggers, and expert locals. This ensures that besides personalized travel, the venues and spots are curated, avoiding the noise of tourist rated and popularity spots. The platform relies on these expert influencers and locals to hand pick a variety of options from bars and food spots to fitness excursions and even art and museum venues. One can sign in and check it out here, especially if traveling or residing in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and New York.
Overall, travel is an industry going through rapid changes influenced by cultural, generational and technological evolutions. In a “Generation Me” world where everything but time is of abundance, it is best to rely on platforms that can not just make travel more efficient, but ultimately what it is meant to be: fun.
