What’s your sign?
We’ve read about buddymoons, dry-tripping, set-jetting and more. Today, we’re going to indulge in the idea of zodiac travel.
If you’re not into zodiac talk, here’s your sign from the stars to peruse content from the rest of our site! Might I suggest catching up on coverage from the recent Americas Lodging Investment Summit?
Recently I’ve come across a couple headlines about zodiac travel, including “Where You Should Travel in 2024, According to Your Zodiac Sign,” “Moxy Hotels and Sanctuary Team Up for Astrological Travel” and “Here’s Where You Should Travel in 2024 Based on Your Zodiac Sign, According to Delta Air Lines and an Astrologer.”
Checking my horoscope isn’t part of my morning routine, but when I do look at it … sometimes it hits a little too close to home. Coincidence or not?
Regardless, I think it’s a fun marketing strategy. It can be interactive and a bit of a thrill for those who are indecisive about planning trips and want some inspiration.
With Moxy and Sanctuary’s new Cosmic Curations, travelers can download astrology and mystical services app Sanctuary, which has “free personalized travel date, location and companion recommendations specifically tailored to global Moxy destinations.”
“Sanctuary social channels and Moxy.com will also feature ongoing astrology-based insights, travel-inspired horoscopes and interactive content,” Forbes reports.
The programming doesn’t stop pre-arrival. Once on property at check-in, guests can choose from a variety of cocktails from its “Sip by Sign menu” and zodiac-inspired coffee foam patterns. Then, there’s the brand’s signature “Bedtime Stories” where guests can use the in-room rotary phone to listen to 2024 predictions based on their zodiac sign and listen to a sound bath or dream interpretations.
I love how the theme is woven through various touchpoints of the guest's stay. It doesn't appear to be in-your-face marketing either. It's subtly baked into the overall experience.
As depicted in the USA Today article, a perfect trip for a Scorpio is to Sri Lanka. “Mysterious and original, Scorpios can enjoy going off-grid in the temples of Sri Lanka. While exploring the rich heritage of the Gangaramaya Temple or come up close to wildlife, Scorpios may find a little serendipity.”
I asked Editorial Director Steph Ricca, who is a Scorpio, if this was a trip she’d take.
She said, “ABSOLUTELY.”
For good measure, I asked our office’s resident Capricorn, Senior Graphic Designer Rachel Daub, if she would fancy a trip to Melbourne, which USA Today said was an ideal destination for those born between December 22 and January 19.
“A Capricorn likes diversity and friendliness, and the best place for this is Melbourne. One of the friendliest cities in the world and home to the exotic Royal Botanical Gardens, a Capricorn will feel right at home here," the article states.
Rachel's response to that? “100 percent.”
I looked up my horoscope for this week on the Washington Post, and guess what it said?
"Today, combine your passion for travel with the huge burst of organizational energy that's buzzing in your brain. Get to planning your next adventure! Start doing some research and let your traveling companions know that you are kicking things into high gear. Get their input and ideas too. It's very important to keep this group outing a group effort. But there is no denying that you're the right person to be in charge. No one can wrangle all the details as well as you can."
What are the odds it's centered on travel and planning my next trip? See what I mean about a horoscope hitting a little too close to home sometimes?
There you have it, friends. Astrology and zodiac travel is legit!
The point I want to make to tie this all together is that no matter who your core customer is — the economy traveler, upscale business traveler or luxury leisure traveler — curating experiences is a must for today’s travelers.
I know what you’re thinking: “We hear the word ‘experiences’ over and over again, but what does that mean for customers today who are staying at my hotel?”
Gilda Perez-Alvarado, Accor’s group chief strategy officer and CEO of Orient Express brand, outlined it well in a recent video interview.
Regardless of geopolitical, macroeconomic and social demographic changes, travel remains a priority for many people. In fact, the appetite that people have for travel is "insatiable,” she said. To ensure that that all customers are happy, Accor is tracking behavior across all generations as it diversifies its offerings, which range from hotels, branded residences, curated food and beverage, luxury trains and yachts.
The offerings at each location within each product type must make sense and resonate with guests.
What I liked most about Perez-Alvarado’s comments is that she acknowledges Accor has “quite a bit of work to do.”
I think that's true for all hoteliers. While there will always be certain experiences that remain timeless with generations, we live in a viral culture. Goods, services and experiences can go viral on TikTok, for example, on a whim and create massive demand. But a few months later, it could be considered old news. That takes work to stay on top of.
"What does a millennial want to do? What does Generation Z want to do? From a baby boomer perspective, they have disposable income and disposable time. We're trying to curate our product or service offering, etc., to best match those individual travelers but also the general trends that we're seeing around the world," Perez-Alvarado said.
Whether it's curating experiences around sports tourism, wellness, food and beverage, wildlife or concerts, it needs to feel well-thought-out, original, delightful, valuable, leaves you wanting more or thinking about it a year from now.
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