Skift Global Forum: Adventure Travel Pioneer Darrell Wade on Travelers' Local Obsesssion
Skift Take
Brands are jumping on the experiential travel trend, but their marketing messages are empty without on-the-ground research needed to deliver a truly authentic, one-of-a-kind experience.
Travelers today are seeking authentic experiences where they not only connect with locals, but have the opportunity to contribute to the economy and learn something about the world and themselves.
The trend might be seen as a sea change in traveler interests to some, but Darrell Wade, CEO of PEAK Adventure Travel Group, has been obsessed with the topic for more than 25 years.
Wade co-founded Intrepid Travel in 1989 with the goal of getting small groups of travelers into unique destinations for an affordable cost. The company has since evolved into a collection of adventure travel businesses with more than 350,000 customers, who have traveled to more 100 countries.
Wade, who has spent his career making unique and meaningful experiences accessible to everyday travelers, will speak October 9 about the mainstreaming of experiential travel at the Skift Global Forum on The Future of Travel. Skift caught up with Wade for a discussion on the increasingly broad appeal of experiential travel.
Get Your Ticket to the Skift Global Forum
Skift: What are some of the causes that contributed to the global rise of interest in experiential travel?
Darrell Wade: I see the interest in experiential travel like a snowball rolling down a hill – the further it goes, the bigger it gets, and eventually people start to not
