Adaptability is key when it comes to marketing experiences to customers, said panellists at ITB Berlin 2025.

The panel, held this morning, was called ‘Beyond the Trip: Authentic Travel Experiences’ and focused on the different expectations, needs, and objectives of different age groups looking for experiences.

One of the questions posed was as to how the industry could better meet the expectations of Generation Z, which reportedly now has much more spending more than the generation above them—the millennials.

Panellist Luuc Elzinga, founder and president of Tigets, said that the industry was finding a way to adapt to these challenges.

He said: “What I see at home is that my kids will often get a present that is not goods. They will get, instead, an experience like a mountain-bike tour. In the data we’ve been seeing, there’s been this enormous bump in small and individual tours. That’s the sort of thing that makes sense if you’re going somewhere like the Louvre in Paris; people want that connection.”

He added: “Travellers also want to get that insight and to feel those goosebumps, and the only way you get that is to have a connection with a guide who can tell you everything about the experiences. We’re finding that to be an increasing segment, and the industry needs to look at how it gets more, good guides—that’s not something that you can do immediately!”

Sarah Diners, chief commercial officer at Viator, who was also speaking on the panel, agreed. She said that one of the most-prominent features about being human is our ability to adapt.

She added: “That adaptability shines through when it comes to entrepreneurship. As the new generation begins to seek out new things and experiences, it will be the entrepreneurs who are going to respond to that. We are always seeing new experiences and things that Generation Z want to do come into the marketplace. If you’re in this business for a long time, it’s always about discovery!”