Why the Travel Industry’s obsession with transactions is making us miss the real magic of adventure

As someone who has spent years immersed in the travel and tourism industry, I’ve often observed a glaring gap in how we think about the customer journey. We’re so focused on transactions — securing bookings, managing logistics, and upselling upgrades — that we overlook one of the most powerful parts of the travel experience: anticipation.

It wasn’t until I experienced it firsthand that I truly understood the transformative potential of this stage. While traveling through South America, I stayed at a boutique hotel in Buenos Aires that gave every guest a small, curated guidebook filled with local recommendations. It wasn’t flashy, but it was personal, thoughtful, and packed with authentic insights. It completely shaped how we explored the city, and it struck me that this kind of inspiration could have made an even bigger impact if we’d had it earlier — during the weeks leading up to our trip when excitement was already running high.

That’s when it clicked: this overlooked phase, which I now call the “Anticipation Stage,” is where travelers are most engaged, excited, and open to influence. Yet, as an industry, we’re largely missing the opportunity to connect with them during this critical period.

Discovering the Anticipation Stage

The more I thought about it, the more I realized that anticipation isn’t just a fleeting moment — it’s a defining part of the travel experience. Research backs this up: the average traveler spends 73 days between booking and departure, consulting over 38 websites to plan their trip. It’s fragmented, time-consuming, and, frankly, uninspiring.

This phase is when travelers are filled with curiosity and energy. They’re imagining themselves at the destination, dreaming about what they’ll eat, see, and experience. And yet, during this pivotal period, most businesses disappear. They take the booking, focus on operations, and leave travelers to fend for themselves, often turning to influencers, social media, or generic travel blogs for inspiration.

It’s crazy to me that this happens. This is the perfect window for tourism businesses to step in, inspire, and guide travelers. When done right, it’s not just about creating a better trip — it’s about building trust, loyalty, and even new revenue streams.

Why Anticipation Matters More Than Ever

One thing I’ve learned is that travel is one of the most emotional purchases people make. It’s not just a vacation; it’s an escape, an adventure, or even a dream fulfilled. The anticipation leading up to a trip is often just as exciting as the trip itself.

For example, during my time as creative director for Tourism Australia, we focused on inspiring people to explore lesser-known regions beyond the iconic landmarks. This wasn’t just about encouraging dispersal; it was about making their trip feel richer and more rewarding. If we didn’t engage with travelers post-booking, they might have stuck to the usual spots, missing out on the incredible diversity Australia has to offer.

This idea of keeping people inspired after they book became a central focus for me. Anticipation isn’t just about dreaming — it’s about decision-making. It’s the stage where travelers decide what kind of trip they’ll have, and businesses that engage with them during this phase can play a huge role in shaping those decisions.

Personalization and Authenticity: A Winning Combination

What’s clear to me is that travelers today want more than a cookie-cutter experience. They’re looking for something authentic, personal, and meaningful. That’s why the little guidebook I received in Buenos Aires left such a lasting impression. It wasn’t a generic list of tourist spots; it felt like a trusted friend sharing their favorite places.

This kind of authenticity is what the industry needs to embrace, especially during the Anticipation Stage. Travelers don’t want to feel like they’re just another customer being fed algorithmic suggestions. They want recommendations that feel tailored to them — whether it’s a hidden bar, a local coffee roaster, or a trail with stunning views they’d never find on their own.

That’s where technology and human expertise come together. AI can help scale personalization, but it’s the human insights — the local knowledge, the personal touch — that make recommendations feel real and trustworthy. I’ve found that when travelers sense this authenticity, it deepens their connection to the destination and, by extension, to the businesses that helped them discover it.

Empowering Travelers as Creators

One of the most exciting opportunities in this space is the rise of travelers as content creators. Today, everyone has the potential to influence their networks, whether it’s through a blog, a video, or even just a well-crafted Instagram post.

What’s fascinating is how much of this starts in the Anticipation Stage. When travelers feel inspired before their trip, they’re more likely to share their plans, get feedback, and build excitement with their friends and followers. By giving them the tools and inspiration they need, tourism businesses can become part of this story, amplifying their reach through authentic, user-generated content.

I believe this is a powerful shift. It’s not about pushing products or services; it’s about enabling travelers to tell their own stories in ways that resonate deeply with their audience.

A Call to Action for the Industry

The Anticipation Stage isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s the future of travel. For too long, the industry has treated the time between booking and arrival as a passive period, but it’s anything but. This is when travelers are most engaged, most curious, and most open to forming lasting connections with brands, destinations, and local businesses.

What excites me is the potential for change. By focusing on this stage, we can create better experiences for travelers, support local economies, and build stronger, more sustainable relationships between businesses and their customers.

As an industry, we need to think bigger. The travel experience shouldn’t start at the airport or hotel check-in desk — it should start the moment someone books, with a journey of inspiration, discovery, and excitement that carries through to the trip itself.

If we embrace this mindset, the possibilities are endless. The Anticipation Stage isn’t just about preparing for a trip; it’s about transforming how we connect with travelers, making every step of the journey as memorable as the destination itself.

A platform like Journey Maker is driven by the belief that the Anticipation Stage is the key to transforming how people experience travel. The platform blends the efficiency of AI with the authenticity of local insights, designed to inspire travelers and make the planning process as exciting as the trip itself. If you share our vision for a more connected, personal, and meaningful approach to tourism, I invite you to join us. Whether you’re a traveler, a local expert, or a tourism business, together we can shape the future of travel — one unforgettable journey at a time.