North-American ecotourists features and expectations

Europe, and especially the Mediterranean, ranks highly among the preferred long-haul destinations for North America travelers. In 2015 alone, 12 million US visitors spent US$43 million in the region. But the North American... [ view full abstract ]

Europe, and especially the Mediterranean, ranks highly among the preferred long-haul destinations for North America travelers. In 2015 alone, 12 million US visitors spent US$43 million in the region. But the North American traveller profile is evolving rapidly as ecotourism becomes mainstream. Experienced tourists are traveling deeper in search of more authentic experiences, and millennials are gaining in spending power, leveraging their travel budgets to engage with local people and places in a meaningful fashion.

Even with these shifts, North Americans continue to demand high levels of service, quality, comfort, and social responsibility. Utilizing information, insight, and inspiration from successful outbound US tour operators specializing in ecotourism such as GreenSpot Travel, we'll review the best ways to engage with this market and meet expectations throughout the customer journey, from up-front storytelling to meeting their needs in the sales cycle, to delivering on expectations while on the ground. We'll also explore how the lessons learned apply to the MEET product line as it prepares to go to market.