Tomorrows Tourist:Fluid and Simple Identity

1. Tomorrows Tourist:
Fluid and Simple Identity
Dr. Ian Yeoman
School of
Management
1

2. Proposition
Increased wealth creates an identity that
pushes the desire for travel and new
experiences whereas decreased wealth
returns us to basics and reflections on
what is important to us, thus the terms
fluid and simple identity
.
2

3. Fluid identity
3

4. Source: Expedia/nVision | Base: 7,083 online respondents in 20 countries aged 16+, 2014
The ideal vacation, the ideal experience :
beach holidays and romantic breaks appeal the most
“If you could take only one holiday, what kind of holiday would you prefer?”
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Sweden
Italy
France
Spain
Germany
Norway
Netherlands
UK
Ireland
Denmark
Other
Gambling
Food/wine tour
Theme park
Outdoor with
exercise
City
Romantic
Beach

5. Trend 1: Future of Affluence
Rising income has been
the driving agent of
modern society and is
responsible for
creating the
demanding,
sophisticated and
well-informed
consumer we
recognise today.
Wealth is the core
driver for the propensity
to travel in all markets
5

6. INSERT IMAGE
INSERT IMAGE
Why did Picasso’s Women of Algiers
sell for 22,611,770,350 LKR recently?

7. Trend 2: Accumulation of Social
Capital
For many 21st century global consumers, parading one’s material
wealth has long since been surpassed in importance by the
display of our experiences, skills, achievements - and
anything else which contributes to the sense of personal
improvement

8. Trend 2: Accumulation of Social
Capital
For many 21st century global consumers, parading one’s material wealth has long since been
surpassed in importance by the display of our experiences, skills, achievements - and anything
else which contributes to the sense of personal improvement. Consumers in the West
are moving away from ostentatious consumption as a way to
acquire or affirm social status. In turn, quietly expressed
savoir-vivre is becoming the default setting

9. Top 3 topics European consumers enjoy talking about
with others
Source: nVision Research | Base: 800-4,000 online respondents per country aged 16-64 (*China is 16-54), 2013
1 2 3
Czech Rep Holidays Family Food
Denmark Holidays Books Food
France Holidays Family Books
Germany Holidays Books Food
Hungary Family Holidays Food
Ireland Holidays Books TV shows
Italy Holidays Books Food
Netherlands Holidays Food Books
Poland Holidays Books
Products bought at
good price
Russia Holidays Technology Books
Spain Holidays Books Family
Sweden Holidays Food Books

10. Top 3 topics global consumers enjoy talking about with
others
Source: nVision Research | Base: 800-4,000 online respondents per country aged 16-64 (*China is 16-54), 2013
1 2 3
Argentina Holidays Family Books
Australia Holidays Family Food
Brazil Food TV shows
Products bought at
good price
China Technology Books Food
India Holidays Family Technology
Japan Food Holidays TV shows
South Korea
Products bought at good
price
TV shows Holidays
USA TV shows Food Family

11. Trend 3: Changing Meaning of Luxury
Luxury is no longer accessible only to a wealthy few. Under the
weight of many social trends, its purpose and meaning have
evolved to create a new generation of service opportunities -
while emerging markets are creating hot demand for Western
goods.

12. Source: nVision Research | Base: 1,000-5,000 online respondents per country aged 16-64, Sep 2014
Best definition
of luxury
First Choice Second Choice Third Choice
GB
Going on expensive
holidays
Living in a nice area
Eating good quality
food
Germany
Going on expensive
holidays
Living in a nice area
Driving an expensive
car
France
Going on expensive
holidays
Living in a nice area
Driving an expensive
car
Spain Living in a nice area
Having time on my
own
Going on expensive
holidays
Italy
Going on expensive
holidays
Living in a nice area
Driving an expensive
car
Ireland
Going on expensive
holidays
Eating good quality
food
Living in a nice area
Netherlands
Having time just to
relax
Having time on my
own
Going on expensive
holidays
Sweden Having time on my own
Eating good quality
food
Having time just to
relax
Denmark
Having time just to
relax
Eating good quality
food
Living in a nice area

13. Source: nVision Research | Base: 1,000-5,000 online respondents per country aged 16-64, Sep 2014
Best definition
of luxury
First Choice Second Choice Third Choice
China
Wearing designer
clothes
Driving an expensive
car
Going on expensive
holidays
India Living in a nice area
Driving an expensive
car
Going on expensive
holidays
South Korea
Wearing designer
clothes
Driving an expensive
car
Going on expensive
holidays
Japan
Going on expensive
holidays
Eating good quality
food
Having time just to
relax
Australia
Going on expensive
holidays
Living in a nice area
Having time just to
relax
USA
Going on expensive
holidays
Living in a nice area
Having time just to
relax
Brazil
Going on expensive
holidays
Driving an expensive
car
Living in a nice area
Argentina
Going on expensive
holidays
Living in a nice area
Driving an expensive
car
Mexico Living in a nice area
Going on expensive
holidays
Driving an expensive
car

14. Trend 4: Immerse Me
The promise of an ever more personalised, immersive and magical media and
leisure experience. The era of inner space travel has now opened. The tools
of immersion-building are, however, daily being sharpened by relentless
technological innovation. New services - from VR headsets to holographic
interfaces - collectively hint at what might lie ahead : a future where real-life
experiences can be convincingly imitated in digital code; and where
storytelling brands can magically transport us into specially-crafted
spaces where the user can suspend her disbelief with such ease that she
genuinely believes she is actively present in the faux moment

15. Keyboard
Mouse
Touch
Body
Brain
The historical trend towards more human
interfaces

16. 16

17. Trend 5: Demographic Change
Source: Yeomaan (2008)

18. The Lifestage Delay
The general shift towards delaying traditional life events - marriage, childbirth,
homebuying, retirement - until later in life.

19. nVitro
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Once Is Not Enough
Tracking the human consequences of
multiple experience peaks and, from lifestage
to lifestage, the death of only once and never
again.

20. Perfection of the Body

21. “Please say which of the following things would be the best description of ‘luxury’ in your life.”
% who selected a materialistic, experiential or time option (see notes for definitions).
Source: nVision Research | Base: 5,000 online respondents aged 16+, GB, 2011
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Total
Male
Female
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
AB
C1
C2
DE
Materialistic Experiential Time
Differences in the meaning of luxury for different ages

22. “Please say which of the following things would be the best description of ‘luxury’ in your life.”
% who selected a materialistic, experiential or time option (see notes for definitions).
Source: nVision Research | Base: 5,000 online respondents aged 16+, GB, 2011
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Total
Male
Female
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
AB
C1
C2
DE
Materialistic Experiential Time
Differences in the meaning of luxury for different ages

23. “Please say which of the following things would be the best description of ‘luxury’ in your life.”
% who selected a materialistic, experiential or time option (see notes for definitions).
Source: nVision Research | Base: 5,000 online respondents aged 16+, GB, 2011
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Total
Male
Female
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
AB
C1
C2
DE
Materialistic Experiential Time
Differences in the meaning of luxury for different ages

24. “Please say which of the following things would be the best description of ‘luxury’ in your life.”
% who selected a materialistic, experiential or time option (see notes for definitions).
Source: nVision Research | Base: 5,000 online respondents aged 16+, GB, 2011
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Total
Male
Female
16-24
25-34
35-44
45-54
55-64
65+
AB
C1
C2
DE
Materialistic Experiential Time
Differences in the meaning of luxury for different ages

25. Trend 6: Have-It-All Society
Although some worry aloud about the stresses it can
bring, the notion that all of us - but women
especially - should lead lives full of success,
contentment and ambition is one which continues to
earn considerable support.

26. Underpinned by rising affluence, the drive to fulfil
consumption desires that stretch beyond those of
pure necessity and encompass something more
meaningful is a force of modern consumerism.
Trend 7: Experience Economy

27. The average UK consumer changes there hairstyle every 18 months
(Yeoman 2008)

28. Trend 8: Liberalism
Socially liberal attitudes have become embedded throughout much of our global society,
seriously influencing both inter-personal and corporate communications. But tolerance of
human difference is far from universal and dissenting voices continue to resist liberalisation
in all its forms.
28

29. Consumer appetite for empowering, time-saving services and
devices in the context of a time-sensitive cultural landscape.
Trend 9: Culture of Immediacy
29

30. Simple Identity
Research by the Trajectory Group (Flatters
& Wilmott 2009) highlights that affluent
consumers have revealed mounting
dissatisfaction with excessive
consumption. Many desire a wholesome
and less wasteful life. As such, there is a
desire to get back to nature, something
that is tranquil, basic, rooted, human
and simple (Yeoman 2008). As a
consequence, the desire for more
authentic and simple luxury experiences
accelerates.
Paul Flatters –
Trajectory Group
31

31. 32
Trend 10: Living Without the Boom
$0
$20
$40
$60
$80
$100
$120
$140
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
100
120
140
160
180
200
220
240
260
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Oil price
starts to fallJune 2014
Petrol price warsOctober 2013
UK food
prices fallingAugust 205
Global food
prices fallApril 2015
Price of oil, $/barrel
Global food price index

32. 333333
Trend 11: Authenti-seeking
Modern consumers aspire to collect authentic products
and experiences and are learning to view suspiciously
all that is artificial, generic and mass-produced.

33. In praise of slowness
34

34. Trend 12: Story Ingredients
Swiss Netgrannies
35

35. 373737
Trend 13: Local Preference
Concerns about the environment and Globalisation - as well as
the inherent fondness which many feel for the place they call
home - swell together to stimulate enduring support for all things
produced, sourced or distributed locally.

36. The rise of consumers who are confident, expectant and ever more willing
to desert once favoured companies when even the slightest bit
disappointed (by service, value, quality, experience…).
Trend 14: Demanding Consumers

37. Trend 15: The Rise of Mercurial Consumption
40

38. 41
Trend 16: The Decline of Extreme
Experience Seeking

39. • Slowdown, halting and
reserving of an identity
• Experiences that are tranquil,
basic, rooted, human and
simple
• Thrift, mercurial consumption
and functionality
• Advice, networks and
predictive behaviour
• Role of authority and
governance
• Dissatisfaction with
excessiveness and frivolous
Conclusion: Is it a simple identity?
42

40. Contact details:
Dr Ian Yeoman
Email: ian.yeoman@vuw.ac.nz
Web: www.tomorrowstourist.com
Data:
Future Foundation
www.futurefoundation.net
References:
Yeoman, I (2008) Tomorrows
Tourist, Elsevier, Amsterdam
Yeoman, I (2012) 2050:
Tomorrows Tourism.
Channelview, Bristol
Flatters, P & Wilmot, M (2009)
Understanding the Post
Recession Consumer. Harvard
Business Review. Aug, pp106-
112
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