Winning the Experience-Driven Consumer
A $1 trillion market heading to $3 trillion by 2025
People are choosing experiences over possessions—and your marketing strategy for travel, tourism, and outdoor brands needs to keep up.
What This Means for You
Experience-driven consumers represent the fastest-growing, highest-margin segment you can reach.
74% of consumers now prioritize experiences over cost when making decisions. They decide what they want to do first, then figure out where to do it. They’ll cut back on rent, cars, and shopping before they’ll trim their experience budget.
And here’s what really matters: these purchases deliver profit margins around 60%, substantially better than selling products.
"We are not selling climbing. We're not selling running shoes. We're selling experiences and beyond, experiences; we're selling calm and balance and happiness, most of all."
Key Insights About
Experience-Driven Consumers
Emotional Staying Power
Experiences produce more lasting happiness than material goods. The peak-end rule shows we judge experiences by their most intense moment and conclusion—well-designed experiences create positive memories that appreciate over time.
Experiences appreciate, products depreciate
Identity Expression
Experiences have become the primary way people signal who they are and what they value. Shared experiences create bonds and connection that modern life often lacks, extending through social sharing to broader communities.
REI’s #OptOutside aligned consumer identity with brand values
Time Consciousness
The real constraint isn’t money—it’s time. This makes curated, efficient experiences more valuable than cheaper alternatives. A well-designed three-day adventure can beat a week-long generic vacation.
Time scarcity drives premium experience value
Personal Growth Investment
Experience-driven consumers view these purchases as investments in themselves. They’re not just buying a retreat—they’re buying stress reduction, new skills, perspective shifts, and lasting wellness habits.
Experiences become part of personal identity
The Travel Industry Shift
The purchase funnel has flipped. Travelers pick activities first, then choose destinations that offer them. 47% of experience bookings still happen offline—brands eliminating that friction capture outsized share.
Experiences now sit at the top of the funnel
Discovery and Novelty
These consumers seek ‘firsts that last’—inaugural experiences that become defining life memories and shape how they tell their own stories. They’re looking for emotional resonance and genuine connection.
Meaningful moments over material possessions
"Pre-pandemic, you saw a younger demographic really start to shift their spending away from hard goods toward travel and experiences. Now when we look at the data, it is clear that the pandemic acted as an accelerant to that trend across demographics."
Experience-Driven Consumer Personas
Four key audience segments that drive demand in the travel and outdoor industries
Adventure Maya
Gen Z & Millennials
18-42 years old
Show the most extreme version of experience prioritization. They will cut spending on housing, transportation, consumer goods, and even food before they reduce their experience budgets.
Key Motivators
- Authentic experiences
- Social sharing
- Personal identity
- Novel discoveries
Leading the experience-first shift with willingness to sacrifice traditional purchases
Explorer James
Gen X
43-59 years old
At peak earning years with disposable income, creating memories with growing families. Demonstrate heightened time awareness, making them willing to invest in experiences that deliver both adventure and comfort.
Key Motivators
- Family bonding
- Quality over quantity
- Time efficiency
- Comfort with adventure
Substantial market often overlooked, balancing fam
Curator Linda
Boomers
60-78 years old
Represent about 20% of experience spending—a substantial market that often gets overlooked. More value-conscious and selective than younger consumers, and will reduce experience spending to preserve financial stability.
Key Motivators
- Value for money
- Comfort & safety
- Cultural enrichment
- Flexibility
Different spending priorities—will cut experiences before financial stability
Wanderer Robert
Active Seniors
55-80 years old
Defying stereotypes, prioritizing wellness, adventure within their comfort parameters, and meaningful travel. Have both time and often discretionary income, making them valuable targets for travel and outdoor brands that avoid patronizing messaging.
Key Motivators
- Wellness focus
- Accessible adventure
- Meaningful travel
- Group experiences
Time-rich with resources, seeking comfort alongside authentic experiences
Industry Opportunity
Outdoor Industry
181 million Americans participate annually
90%
of spending
Driven by casual and active participants, yet most brands still design everything for the 5% who are core enthusiasts
The growth opportunity: Inclusive marketing, experiential retail, and selling the outcomes people actually want—calm, balance, happiness.
Travel & Tourism
The purchase funnel has flipped
Experiences First
Travelers now pick activities first, then choose destinations that offer them. The traditional marketing funnel has completely reversed.
The opportunity: Brands that position themselves as experience enablers with seamless digital booking will capture extraordinary growth
Why This Matters Now
Travel, tourism, and outdoor brands that authentically position themselves as experience enablers will capture extraordinary growth. Those that keep operating with product-focused strategies while their competitors transform? They’ll find themselves competing for a shrinking slice of the market.
We have the playbook. We have compelling data. The question is how fast you can move.
Marketing Solutions for
Travel, Tourism, and Outdoor Brands
Lead with Experiences
Put experiences at the center of your messaging, not features or locations. Consumers decide what they want to do first, then choose where to do it.
Our services include:
✓ Experience-first brand positioning
✓ Outcome-focused messaging (calm, balance, happiness)
✓ Emotional resonance over product specs
✓ Authentic storytelling
Remove Booking Friction
47% of experience bookings still happen offline. The brands eliminating that friction through integrated digital platforms are capturing outsized market share.
Our services include:
✓ Seamless digital booking systems
✓ Mobile-optimized experiences
✓ Integrated payment solutions
✓ Multi-channel accessibility
Remove Booking Friction
47% of experience bookings still happen offline. The brands eliminating that friction through integrated digital platforms are capturing outsized market share.
Our services include:
✓ Seamless digital booking systems
✓ Mobile-optimized experiences
✓ Integrated payment solutions
✓ Multi-channel accessibility
Target Super-Spenders
Focus on the 20% of consumers driving 60% of revenue. These high-value segments prioritize experiences and have the resources to invest in them.
Our services include:
✓ High-value audience targeting
✓ Premium experience positioning
✓ Personalized messaging
✓ Retention and loyalty programs
Measure What Matters
Focus on visitation, engagement, and repeat behavior metrics—not just impressions. Track the KPIs that actually correlate with experience-driven consumer success.
Our services include:
✓ Visitation and attendance tracking
✓ Engagement depth metrics
✓ Repeat visitor analysis
✓ Experience satisfaction scoring
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