I have always believed that the most meaningful travel experiences are the ones that change you in ways you do not expect.
The global travel industry is enormous, touching millions of people every day and generating vast economic activity worldwide. According to data, international tourist arrivals climbed back to 1,468 million in 2024, matching the pre-pandemic record from 2019 almost exactly. Tourism has continued to grow, with more than 1.1 billion tourists traveling internationally in the first nine months of 2025 alone, putting the industry on track to exceed previous records.
Yet even as travel demand expands, many experiences within the industry remain surprisingly standardized, with large tour groups and tightly scheduled itineraries shaping how many people explore the world.
There is nothing inherently wrong with that model. For many travelers, those trips serve an important purpose. A first visit to a new country can feel overwhelming, and structured tours can provide reassurance and efficiency. Plenty of people genuinely enjoy seeing major landmarks, learning key facts from guides, and moving quickly from one famous destination to another.
But I believe there is also a gap in the market, one that reflects how many people increasingly want to travel today.
Too often, tourism turns destinations into backdrops rather than living places. Travelers move quickly through cities, photographing monuments and landmarks but rarely engaging deeply with the culture, the community, or even with themselves. The result can feel strangely detached, as though travel becomes more about documenting where we have been than about understanding what we have experienced.
This is why I believe intentional travel matters. Intentional travel slows the pace. Instead of trying to see everything, it focuses on experiencing something fully. It creates space for curiosity, learning, and participation rather than observation alone.
In my own life, I have always found that the most memorable experiences happen when I become a participant rather than a spectator. When people actively engage in a place, whether through cultural exchange, outdoor exploration, or hands-on experiences, the impact can be profound. Research on experiential learning supports this idea. A study found that experiential learning significantly improved both retention and performance, suggesting that people tend to remember and understand ideas more deeply when they learn through direct participation rather than passive observation.
Travel can work the same way. Think about the difference between driving past a historic site and spending time with local historians who share stories about the people who lived there. Or the difference between eating at a restaurant recommended by a tour guide and learning to cook a traditional dish alongside a local family. Those moments create connections that last far longer than photographs.
For me, one experience stands out above many others. I once traveled with a group of friends to southern Africa. Among the many activities planned for the trip was something I initially dreaded: spending the night sleeping outdoors in a remote salt pan under the stars. The journey there involved hours in a rough vehicle, and the idea of leaving a comfortable bed behind did not sound appealing.
Yet that night became one of the most extraordinary travel experiences of my life.
The sky was so clear that the Milky Way seemed almost close enough to touch. Shooting stars streaked across the darkness again and again, until I lost count. There was no noise, no light pollution, no distractions, only the vast quiet of the landscape.
In that moment, the world felt both enormous and deeply connected. Experiences like that are difficult to describe, but they change the way you see things. They remind you that travel is not only about places. It is also about perspective.
In fact, some of the most powerful moments in travel happen when expectations are challenged. During that same journey, I spent time in communities where people had far fewer material resources than many of us are accustomed to. Yet the sense of joy, community, and connection I witnessed there was remarkable. By the end of the trip, I realized I had learned far more from those experiences than from any guidebook.
That is what intentional travel can offer. It creates opportunities for reflection and discovery that extend far beyond the duration of the trip itself. Travelers return home with new insights, different perspectives, and often a deeper appreciation for cultures and communities around the world.
At the same time, I do not believe intentional travel should replace traditional tourism models. The industry is large enough to support many different types of experiences. Organized tours, student travel programs, and guided sightseeing trips all play valuable roles. In fact, for many young people, a school trip may be the first opportunity they ever have to leave their hometown or even their state. That experience alone can open doors and reshape how someone sees the world.
What I hope to see is simply greater diversity within the travel landscape. There is room for tours that move quickly and efficiently through famous destinations, and there is also room for journeys that move more slowly, focusing on meaningful engagement with people and places.
As travelers become more curious about culture, sustainability, and authentic experiences, the demand for those deeper forms of travel may continue to grow. According to an analysis, many travelers are increasingly prioritizing experiences over material purchases, suggesting that meaningful travel experiences may become an even more important part of the global tourism economy in the years ahead.
For me, that shift represents an opportunity, not to replace existing models, but to complement them. Travel has always been one of the most powerful ways to expand our understanding of the world. When done thoughtfully, it allows us to step outside our daily routines, encounter new ideas, and connect with people whose lives may look very different from our own.
And sometimes, the experiences we expect the least turn out to matter the most. Because the most meaningful travel experiences are the ones that change you in ways you never expected.
About the Author:
Mary Howerton is the owner of La Belle Route Custom Tours, a travel company dedicated to designing intentional, experience-driven journeys that immerse travelers in culture, learning, and meaningful connection. Based in Virginia, she draws on decades of personal travel and entrepreneurial experience to curate small, interest-based trips that emphasize participation, intent, cultural engagement, and deeper exploration beyond traditional tourism for both student and adult groups.
