Interview: Abercrombie & Kent CEO on the Roots of Experiential Travel
Skift Take
Abercrombie & Kent may have been one of the first companies to capitalize on experiential travel but it has since become a mainstream phenomenon sought after by travelers of all spend levels. Companies across all sectors can learn from Abercrombie & Kent's decades-long success.
The global growth of tourism, limitless access to information, and the democratization of travel media fueled by social media have led to an intense demand for deeper travel experiences.
Travel brands across all sectors are developing products that are more personalized, better aligned to local culture, and inspiring for consumers on a path of self discovery through travel.
However, long before Asian airlines touted local culture in international ads and hotels brought neighborhood coffee shops into their lobbies, Abercrombie & Kent was building experiential travel experiences for a sophisticated and affluent customer base.
Despite today’s mass interest in such experiences, Abercrombie & Kent founder and CEO Geoffrey Kent has maintained focus on his initial offering and customer type.
Where Kent has adapted the company's approach is in how he markets the adventure travel company’s tour packages, the company's response to global health and safety crises, and the Internet’s impact on consumers’ planning and booking process.
Skift recently spoke to Kent about everything ranging from his company’s early days and the introduction of new products to his hate for unbundling requests and future adventure travel trends. An edited version of the interview can be read below.
Skift: You've said before that you invented experiential travel. How did this come about?
Geoffrey Kent: I started the company in Kenya when I was a very young guy. In 1962, I developed a very unusual way to go on a safari, which was to shoot animals with a camera instead of a gun. Then I wanted to put the travelers in tents, but nobody wanted tents if they weren’t hunting.
It was quite a hard sell, but it worked because I put in caviar and ice machines. We had indoor toilets and showers, refrigeration, the best chefs and the best wine.
What I wanted to do was to have the contradiction of looking at hippos in the Mara River one minute and having caviar and champagne the next. There was this whole contradiction of life, which today is called experiential travel. I invented experiential travel. I’ve always been adventurous and I’ve always liked to live well so I put the two together.
Skift: The product began with a very wealthy customer base and has stuck with it. What was the idea behind introducing the A&K Connections product?
Kent: I’ve always kept Abercrombie & Kent at the upper level. A lot of people come to me and say you h
