Comments on: Quicker, smaller, more constrained…and different. What does the future hold for travel? http://blog.highlandbusinessresearch.com/2008/06/24/quicker-smaller-more-constrained%e2%80%a6and-different-what-does-the-future-hold-for-travel/ Travel industry thinking from Stephen Budd and Vicky Brock at Highland Business Research Tue, 30 Mar 2010 16:06:34 +0100 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.1 hourly 1 By: Beth Nobles http://blog.highlandbusinessresearch.com/2008/06/24/quicker-smaller-more-constrained%e2%80%a6and-different-what-does-the-future-hold-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-994 Beth Nobles Wed, 25 Jun 2008 19:30:55 +0000 http://blog.highlandbusinessresearch.com/?p=123#comment-994 Stephen, I hope US travelers will have a wider geographic zone, but I suspect 3 hours might be on target. I think we will focus on the spiritual/bodily wellbeing aspects for the Texas Mountain Trail more in the future--it is definitely a strength for us. And great to know you're in the Highlands...just last week I was hiking near Glencoe and had a wonderful time in your mountains, and was most impressed by the tourism infrastructure and support I encountered. I know I'm glad I traveled beyond my 3 hour zone! Stephen, I hope US travelers will have a wider geographic zone, but I suspect 3 hours might be on target. I think we will focus on the spiritual/bodily wellbeing aspects for the Texas Mountain Trail more in the future–it is definitely a strength for us. And great to know you’re in the Highlands…just last week I was hiking near Glencoe and had a wonderful time in your mountains, and was most impressed by the tourism infrastructure and support I encountered. I know I’m glad I traveled beyond my 3 hour zone!

]]> By: Stephen http://blog.highlandbusinessresearch.com/2008/06/24/quicker-smaller-more-constrained%e2%80%a6and-different-what-does-the-future-hold-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-993 Stephen Wed, 25 Jun 2008 07:37:54 +0000 http://blog.highlandbusinessresearch.com/?p=123#comment-993 Hi Beth, I think that's a good point and has raised interesting questions on many levels. In a lot of respects, the region in which I live is very similar to yours (I’m in the Scottish Highlands) and, in both cases, I suspect that undifferentiated rural tourism offerings will take a hit. I wonder though if a fundamental difference is the three-hour time zone for travel that Ian identifies and whether that is actually longer in the US? I do think the emphasis on remoteness and solitude is an interesting one though but I suspect that it will be competing against this issue of proximity. On the one hand, there is the issue of proximity and its costs in terms of money and time. On the other hand, there is a growing tendency among travellers to want to travel to places that offer a degree of spiritual and bodily wellbeing. I also think that the areas current emphasis on activities such as cycling, hiking and adventure activities (while not entirely recession proof) fit in with this trend – in both cases they are about enriching activities and I think people will be more prepared to invest in this kind of break that the ‘it doesn’t matter where I am as long as it’s not home’ breaks we have all taken in the past. Hi Beth,

I think that’s a good point and has raised interesting questions on many levels.

In a lot of respects, the region in which I live is very similar to yours (I’m in the Scottish Highlands) and, in both cases, I suspect that undifferentiated rural tourism offerings will take a hit.

I wonder though if a fundamental difference is the three-hour time zone for travel that Ian identifies and whether that is actually longer in the US?

I do think the emphasis on remoteness and solitude is an interesting one though but I suspect that it will be competing against this issue of proximity.

On the one hand, there is the issue of proximity and its costs in terms of money and time. On the other hand, there is a growing tendency among travellers to want to travel to places that offer a degree of spiritual and bodily wellbeing. I also think that the areas current emphasis on activities such as cycling, hiking and adventure activities (while not entirely recession proof) fit in with this trend – in both cases they are about enriching activities and I think people will be more prepared to invest in this kind of break that the ‘it doesn’t matter where I am as long as it’s not home’ breaks we have all taken in the past.

]]> By: Beth Nobles http://blog.highlandbusinessresearch.com/2008/06/24/quicker-smaller-more-constrained%e2%80%a6and-different-what-does-the-future-hold-for-travel/comment-page-1/#comment-989 Beth Nobles Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:05:13 +0000 http://blog.highlandbusinessresearch.com/?p=123#comment-989 Excellent food-for-thought in a sobering market. How successful will far flung regions--such as ours in Far West Texas--as we attempt to market our remoteness and the potential for visitor solitude as an asset? Excellent food-for-thought in a sobering market. How successful will far flung regions–such as ours in Far West Texas–as we attempt to market our remoteness and the potential for visitor solitude as an asset?

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