Trending: Transformative Travel

Interesting. Rather than just going to a place and looking around, tourists spend a day, or part of a day, "working" for no pay other than the experience, as a contrast to the regular grind of their real jobs. Playing like you have run away from home and gotten a job in Podunk.

I saw this a few years ago in Italy, where they offered to let you work a day on the farm at an "agritourismo", a working farm that's also a vacation rental. Spend a day picking grapes.
So say you offer a package where city folk can come to your town and spend the day, or part of the day, working at the local museum or wherever. We've talked about this before, having a guest spend some time repainting a room or something. They actually enjoy it. Therapeutic.
http://www.littlehotelier.com/r/trends/distribution-trends/will-transformative-travel-dominant-2017-trend/

Sounds like a great idea, Arks! You want to come help us in our remodeling of a guest room?!? (I hear you like that type of stuff…)

I know an innkeeper who did this - successfully.

A retired innkeeper here passed away last month. Even after she closed certain guests came back each year to do 'their chores'.

It is happening in Hawaii. Our area is primed for this. There are a couple of things in the works that are pushing agritourism and it WILL become a big part of what is happening here. We are the more relaxed experiential segment, but that makes a great hub for those that want to get their hands dirty pruning coffee trees or pinching tea leaves.
Perhaps this could work in rural america if there was a way to tap into the nearest like-minded big city.

happykeeper said:

It is happening in Hawaii. Our area is primed for this. There are a couple of things in the works that are pushing agritourism and it WILL become a big part of what is happening here. We are the more relaxed experiential segment, but that makes a great hub for those that want to get their hands dirty pruning coffee trees or pinching tea leaves.
Perhaps this could work in rural america if there was a way to tap into the nearest like-minded big city..

Click to expand...

happykeeper said:

Perhaps this could work in rural america if there was a way to tap into the nearest like-minded big city.

Click to expand...

And a way to overcome what always shuts efforts like this down: liability

Arks said:

happykeeper said:

It is happening in Hawaii. Our area is primed for this. There are a couple of things in the works that are pushing agritourism and it WILL become a big part of what is happening here. We are the more relaxed experiential segment, but that makes a great hub for those that want to get their hands dirty pruning coffee trees or pinching tea leaves.
Perhaps this could work in rural america if there was a way to tap into the nearest like-minded big city..

Click to expand...

happykeeper said:

Perhaps this could work in rural america if there was a way to tap into the nearest like-minded big city.

Click to expand...

And a way to overcome what always shuts efforts like this down: liability
.

Click to expand...

My understanding is that it would be similar to our liability insurance as long as the business owner is honest and accurate about the activities. We have massage in house and that is noted on our insurance disclosure, but because it's provided by an outside contractor, our risk is limited, so it costs us less to insure the risk.

I could 'work' at being a wine taster or a chocolate taster ... or a sun catcher ... something like that.

seashanty said:

I could 'work' at being a wine taster or a chocolate taster ... or a sun catcher ... something like that.

.

Click to expand...

I would be happy to pay to spend a day working as a groundskeeper at Wrigley Field.

seashanty said:

I could 'work' at being a wine taster or a chocolate taster ... or a sun catcher ... something like that.

.

Click to expand...

seashanty said:

I could 'work' at being a wine taster or a chocolate taster ... or a sun catcher ... something like that.

Click to expand...

Cadbury's is looking for chocolate tasters! 7 hours/week I think it was.

Hey, brilliant idea - let's combine this transformative thing and the Nor'Easter I've been digging out from under into a vacation package! Luckily, last night's storm was light powdery snow. But the wet stuff from the other day is still underneath. And more on the way.