Where there is travel, and travel experiences, there will always be caveats and nuances that are carved out, and these can be referred to under the umbrella term of ‘niche tourism’.
Niche markets are specialized segments within the travel industry that offer products and services designed to cater to specific interests, demographics and travel styles.
Niche markets, and thereby niche travelers, can provide a steady stream of revenue compared to a ‘one size fits all’ approach to the products and services you’re offering to customers.
By identifying a niche, a market, and what products and services would most satisfy this demand, this allows your business to benefit in several ways:
- Better competitive positioning in the market
- A clear USP to capitalize on
- A proven audience to cater for
- Increased brand awareness
How can Niche Tourism be Defined?
Niche tourism is similar to the experience industry in that niche tourists are constantly looking for engaging and unique experiences that match their interests, and want to do so in-destination when on their trips.
Macro and Micro Niches
Niche tourism can – most of the time – be divided into both macro and micro niches. Now, of course as with anything that is dependent on traveler behaviors, interests, preferences and the wider travel industry, definitions and expectations are flexible and must be agile in order to keep up with customer and industry changes.
However, what is most prevalent is that both macro and micro niches are a complete shift away from traditional ‘mass model tourism’, where travelers book a ‘sun and beach’ trip from an agent in a store, and that’s that.
Usually, the four macro niches are large market sectors within the niche tourism industry, and some examples include: environmental, cultural, urban, and emerging niche themes. Within this, you then have micro niches which function most often as unique traveler motivation and inspiration for booking their trip. So, for example, within sports tourism, a micro niche could be a particular sport or event. In environmental tourism, you could have eco diving - more on that later!
So, let’s look at six niche tourism trends for today’s traveler! Bear in mind, there are many niche tourism types – this is just an exploration of some of the growing and existing trends for today’s traveler.
Halal Tourism
According to recent reports, arrivals into international destinations from Muslim travelers grew from around 108 million in 2013, to 160 million in 2019. Of course, the global pandemic halted the progression of this segment for a few years, but many countries are looking to attract this high-value segment as their spending power grows.
Many younger travelers are more exposed to the world and may not want to continue the more expected traditions of visiting destinations that have remained popular with the Muslim traveler such as Saudi Arabia. However, these younger travelers want to see more of the world without compromising their religious values.
This is where what would become known as ‘halal tourism’ came in:
- All-inclusive offerings – from offering appropriate segmentation between male and female bathing areas in destinations that may otherwise not offer distinguished areas, to ensuring dietary requirements are catered for, all-inclusive resorts are increasingly accommodating to Muslim audiences.
- A focus on culture – Uzbekistan, for example, has curated what it calls ‘Ziyarah Tourism’ which facilitates and champions tours to holy sites in Uzbekistan and their connection to Muslim culture and religion, especially in places like Samarkand and Saint Horezm.
- Halal gastronomy – one of the most popular motivators and common denominators in this audience, halal gastronomy particularly appeals to younger, social-media savvy Muslim tourists. Some destinations leading the way for this Halal Gastronomy landscape include Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan.
As with any demographic, it’s vital that you’re offering recommendations that align with personal values and beliefs for a bespoke experience that satisfies your clients’ needs. Ensuring that you can offer hyper-personalized recommendations is a sure-fire way to boost your bookings!
Eco-Tourism
Authenticity and immersion are key for today's traveler. Gone are the days when travelers were happy to settle for a superficial look at their destination of choice; travelers want to get under the skin of wherever they go, to understand the culture, the environment, and the people there.
Eco-tourism can be understood as travel that ‘responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment, sustains the well-being of the local people, and involves interpretation and education.’
Of course, this can be understood in many ways, but any business that is involved in the promotion, organization or curation of eco-tourism should adhere to these key principles.
An achievable way to start accommodating this niche is to consider more micro ways that eco-tourism might come into play for your clients, or potential clients you want to target. How might this manifest as something tangible that can be offered?
For example, eco-diving is a prime example of a sub-trend within the ecotourism niche and is gaining high popularity within the last few years.
Why? In 2022, UK marine biology charity The Reef-World Foundation found that around 95% of diverse struggled to book with sustainable operators, despite high demand for eco-friendly diving. In response, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) launched its Eco Center accreditation (on World Earth Day 2023, no less), in collaboration with the United Nations Environment Program, and Reef-World itself. Now, there are 100 accredited Eco Centers worldwide, and PADI has set a goal to reach 660 by 2030.
Eco-conscious travelers made it clear that there was demand, and the industry raced to cater for it – and it’s been a massive success!
So, with this example in mind, consider where you see opportunities within a broad-ranging niche like eco-tourism, should this be your chosen focus, in order to curate a range of products and services that fill the gap in your target audience.
Discover how Bedsonline help travel advisors promote sustainable tourism here!
Sports Tourism
From the internationalization of new and existing sports leagues and teams thanks to TV and streaming, to the rise of experience tourism as a major trend following the resurgence of global after the world’s borders reopened, live experiences and sports events are at the top of many travelers’ lists when it comes to travel making decisions within this niche.
In fact, in 2023 sports tourism was valued at around $564 billion and is expected to double in value to £1.3 trillion by 2032, as found in a recent report conducted by Collision International.
- Around 4 in 5 (84%) of sports and music fans in the US have traveled to a new city or country to watch their favorite teams or artists, with 31% saying they have, or would, go back.
- Sports tourists are one of the biggest spenders in-destination with studies putting the average spend of 51% US sports tourists at $500 per person per trip while 17% of study respondents in Asia would spend more than $2000
- Travelers between 25-34 spend the most overall, with 33% of sports tourists and 31% music tourists spending around $1000 per trip.
Did you know that the Women’s World Cup drew 95,446 unique international visitors in 2023? Or a total of 3.1 million tourist arrivals were recorded during the Olympic fortnight in Paris 2024? This is a massive and very in-market audience seeking experiences before and after their time in their stadium of choice.
Sports tourism offers key opportunities not only for local communities and economies in host destinations, but also for travel providers and bookers savvy enough to jump on this burgeoning trend!
Gastro-Tourism
Gastro-tourism is one of the most popular motivations for travel – given that around 34% of global travelers suggest that they visit a country solely because of its cuisines.
Food is a big part of culture, and exploring local food tourism trends helps understand different cultures deeply, which is especially important to today’s traveler and the increasing prioritization of authentic cultural experiences. Food allows travelers to connect with different people, ways of life, and food traditions, and as the demand for experience-based tourism grows, so too must the shape of gastronomy tourism.
- Luxury culinary tourism is taking over! Travelers are seeking more involved, bespoke gastronomy experiences as the meaning of ‘luxury’ is evolving.
- Train stations as the new hubspots – in an effort to create dynamic visitors experiences, and destinations to stay in rather than just pass through, train stations are becoming the new foodie attractions. Prime examples include Moynihan Train Hall in New York, Platform 1 in Glasgow Central Station, the revamp of 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, and Toronto’s Union Station.
- Farm-to-table initiatives and ethical dining have seen a vast increase in popularity as travelers want to eat healthier, or at establishments that align with their values.
- Social media – food-related content is popular among Gen Z and Millennial audiences, and platforms like TikTok are swarmed with ‘hidden gem’ cafes, bars, restaurants and culinary experiences.
- TV gastronomy – while cookery TV shows have been ever-popular, with the recent surge in screen tourism the desirability of on-screen destinations, during food tours or food competition shows for example, is only growing!
- Sustainability and wellness – food tourism is finding itself at the intersection of sustainability and wellbeing. With growing interest in regional ingredients and sustainable practices, sustainable food tourism is a growing food tourism trend.
- Food tours – from immersive brewery experiences, week-long cooking classes, or experiences that connect travelers with local chefs, to food sourcing tours, today’s traveler wants to go deeper into the how and where of food.
Space tourism
A micro niche, or narrow niche, focusing on travel experiences and travel products that cater to the needs and demands of tech enthusiast and adventurous sorts, space tourism is a burgeoning trend firmly linked to the development of the virtual world, and its encroachment into ‘physical’ reality. Some travelers want to go a step further, and head into the ‘next frontier’ - space!
Of course, given its price tag, this is a niche tourism trend for the ultra-wealthy. Given that a journey to the International Space Station (ISS) is now estimated to cost anything between $20 to $25 million; NASA also recently suggested that companies like SpaceX and Space Adventures are offering a journey around the moon for around $70-100 million!
Attracting tech enthusiasts and adventure seekers-alike, space tourism, right at this moment, is a narrow niche featuring products and experiences accessible to a small percentage of the market.
However, at our parent company’s recent signature event, MarketHub USA in June, we got a chance to speak to Astronaut José Hernández about the future of space tourism, alongside Stephen Attenborough, one of the founding members of Virgin Galactic. And while it’s clear that the accessibility of space tourism right now is limited, both of these experts were optimistic about ‘democratization’ of space tourism and its vast potential as technology advances, and increasing competition brings down the price range of these experiences.
However, for travelers keen on experiencing the thrill of space right now, and for whom a lofty price tag is unattainable, wellness-centred hotels and spas are creating spaces for guests to gaze upwards into the sky in what’s called astro-tourism. Visitors can while away their trip watching for comets, identifying constellations and patterns in the wide, glittering expanse of the sky.
Ancestry tourism
Ancestry tourism attracts those seeking to discover history, and their place in it. Some travelers may be more interested in discovering their own personal history, and strengthening their connection to a personal past. This niche’s unique products and experiences can be tailored to individual needs, but each focuses on unlocking and accessing the stories associated with personal history.
This niche overlaps with the industry-wide preoccupation with authenticity, travel that aligns with personal values, and the visible trend within younger travelers of travel as a way to express their identity or indeed reconnect with the self.
In fact, ancestry tourism is skyrocketing in popularity! In 2018, Airbnb did a study to reveal that the number of tourists who decided to travel to their roots had increased by 500% since 2014. Since then, the ancestry market has reached an estimated $556 billion in 2021!
This niche manifests in certain ways:
- Traveling to places where ancestors lived – these destinations are either located via personal research or unlocked through genealogical associations.
- Archival visits – personal records are usually stored in physical locations around the world which require in-person access.
- Heritage tourism – this can include traveling with a professional genealogist to explore ancestral homelands or locations of personal interest.
How can you begin to Successfully Capture Niches?
Recognized across the industry, niche tourism offers the opportunity for any company to set themselves apart in the hypercompetitive travel industry. Doing so requires that you:
- Identify a specific target audience
- Perform in-depth market research to understand, thoroughly, the needs of this market
- Curate or source products and services that meet (and exceed) these needs
And of course, to help you out with the curation of stays and experiences that meet the needs of your niche market, you can work with a global travel partner!
Using Bedsonline to accommodate for niche tourism:
Having access to a global portfolio of accommodation and experiences in-destination can help you find your clients the trip they were looking for. There are many options out there, and sometimes travelers can find it hard to know where to look, even for specialized experiences.
Plus, an expansive portfolio allows you to widen out the scope of your clients’ experiences, using their niche interest as the gateway to a new destination or region. Encourage them to stay longer after an event or specific experience! This way, travelers can maximize the time spent in-destination and you can maximize your sales.
With our Booking Engine, our partners can:
- Choose from 250,000+ hotels and resorts in must-visit global destinations.
- Access over 23,000 tours, activities and experiences in 170+ countries worldwide.
- Benefit from our network of 3,500 tour operators.
- This doesn’t include our global transfer route coverage, which is an essential factor for travelers getting from A to B!
- Quickly and easily refine searches with a handy filtering system - it's easier than ever to accommodate for your clients’ specific needs!
Specialization can help distinguish you from other advisors, whether you want to focus on destination weddings and honeymoons, a favorite region of the world, adventure travel, wellness vacations or any other niche.
Regardless of what segment of the market you choose, you'll need to make sure you’re equipped to offer your clients the trip that most aligns with their needs and interests.
Discover our Booking Engine and how this powerful booking platform allows you to do just that!