Why All-Inclusive resorts are the gate way drug to experiential travel

www.vivalavidatravel.com

"I want to go on a vacation. I've never been out of the country and I'd like to go to Mexico. I want to go to Cancun and stay in an all-inclusive resort." I can't tell you how many times I've gotten requests like this from travelers. I know these travelers well. They live in their comfort zone. They have pretty predictable lives but are ready to take the leap and "get out of the country" . They want modern comforts, food that they can recognize, the security of having other American's around them and they want to relax and unwind. These kinds of travelers are amazing to work with because they are in essence, blank slates. They enter upon foreign soil with enthusiasm, not necessarily to delve into the culture but to experience something new. They have virgin eyes and any and everything will be amazing to them. They are now entering the gate way drug of travel : their first visit to an all-inclusive resort in another country!

When I work with first time out of the country travelers, I do my best to educate them on the culture of the destination. I give them a heads up on what to expect in terms of cultural differences and how things tend to work in that country. After all, they are ambassadors of our country on foreign soil so I do my best to prepare them to have a basic understanding of the destination, even if they don't ever plan to leave the resort property.

For these adventurous first timers, everything is outstanding. "The cute little waiter was so nice and so friendly!" "I loved how they would greet me with their hand to their heart." "We had the funnest bartender!""They worked so hard at the resort to make us happy."  Such enthusiasm for their experiences, no matter how simple they may be starts creeping into the dark and dusty wanderlust corners of their souls that they never knew existed and  they begin to see "those guys" as not so different. This is the gateway drug into travel. The first taste of something new and exciting that leaves them wanting more.

Perhaps these travelers will  return to the same destination and try out a new all-inclusive resort property and they'll have another fantastic vacation. Maybe they'll hit up a new country all together and stay at an all -inclusive resort there and learn to love the people of that resort. They'll lie on the beaches, be waited on and pampered like royalty. They'll be greeted with generous smiles and firm shakes and even hugs. They'll feel welcomed and appreciated.

It might take years of vacationing all-inclusive style for these travelers to reach a plateau in their traveling lifestyle and want for "more" out of their vacation. "We've been to all-inclusive resorts in the past, I'd like to try something different now." Yep, they are moving on to the next travel drug of choice : experiential travel. Every traveler reaches this plateau in different times and approaches their desire for something different in totally different ways but eventually, the resort life vacationer fizzles out and gets bored and simply wants more. It's a natural progression.

They want to learn more about the people that have tirelessly waited on them during their vacations. They want to learn how to make that delicious food that they'd been served over the years. They want to hike that mountain they've been looking at from the confines of their resort. They want to get out. They want more.

It's a beautiful thing. Traveling. No matter how you slice it, once you start traveling, the desire to travel more penetrates the heart and soul. We crave it. We search for the next new experience that will light up our eyes and fulfill our dreams just as our first trip to the all-inclusive resort did when we first took the leap to start traveling.

There is no wrong or right way to start traveling. The most important thing is that you start and keep an open mind. Enjoy the ride and get ready to feed your new addiction: travel.