Nand world of travel, there is a wind of change that He is completely redesigning the expectations and habits of those who pack his suitcase. We forget the classic definitions of “family with children” or “romantic couple”: today, for those who work in hospitality, The real identikit of the new tourist is composed by observing how. Between notifications that ring 24 hours a day, “live” requests and curious claims, the tourism sector is faced with an increasingly hybrid clientele, where digital mixes with unsuspected “analog” behaviors.
On the hunt for discounts and mysteries: the identikit of the new tourist
To reveal these new profiles, often with irony, are the operators of the sector, receptionist and hosts that every day tell about R/Tales from the front deskthe famous Sumddit, The most absurd, but real, dynamics of their work. Stories from which the types of contemporary travelers emerge, in which we could even recognize ourselves.
The counterfeitor: the price is always negotiable
The first identikit is the counterfeitora type of traveler for which each price is a starting point for a negotiation. It matters little if the booking was made online: Upon arrival, he will try to tear a discount anywayperhaps complaining about a late arrival or asking for a halved price if the departure is anticipated. “I arrive at 3 in the morning, should I pay anyway?»It is one of the typical phrases that resonate at the reception, a sign of a mentality that sees the cost of the stay as something always modifiable.
From the desire to feel “local” to requests for H24 services, today’s new tourist’s behavior is a mix of analog and digital (Getty)
The conspiracy theorist: the hotel is always guilty
To follow there is The profile of the conspiracy theorist: for him/her, every small inconvenience on vacation is the result of a premeditated plan of the hotel to ruin his stay. An alarm that sounds? Birds that chirp out of the window? It is not the reality, it is the hotel that “wanted them there” and must turn them off, complete with detailed explanations. The holiday must be perfect e Any imperfection is attributable to a hotel conspiracy.
Nostalgic: technology does not exist
On the other side of the spectrum we find nostalgic, A traveler who beautifully ignores the weather and Google Maps apps. To find out whether to put the sweater or if there is traffic on the Brenner, its favorite source always remains the human opinion, as if nothing of the steps of technology had conquered it. “Is it very cold outside this morning?” Or “Do you know if there is traffic and tail on the Brenner?, are questions on the agenda. A vintage touch in a hyperconnex world.
Between perfectionists and luxury lovers in the room
The list continues with the fussy, that skepets every single detail of the description of the online structure, but then asks for confirmation also of the most trivial things. He read everything, but he doesn’t trust anything. “The covered swimming pool … is it really to the blanket?”, Do you feel asking, with an air of suspicion that would make even the force of gravity doubt. Trust earns on the field, word after wordeven if already written and rewritten.
The radical chic: authenticity, provided that it is instagrammable
It certainly cannot be missing the Radical Chic, a real esthet of the journey. He wants to feel “local”, but only if the experience is treated in detail and, above all, “instagrammable”. Look for authenticity, yes, but without the chaos of real life. “I would like a pub hamburger, but I don’t want to go to a pub”, or “a rustic place, but with a nice light for the photos”, are requesting that put the fantasy of the operators to the test. The important thing is that reality adapts to its social aesthetic.
The king (or the queen) of the Chamber: the service at hand
In the end, There is the king (or queen) of the Chamberthe traveler who on vacation expects to be served in all respects, without having to move a finger. Will never go down to the reception And he won’t deign to read the hotel website. He prefers that everything is brought to his room, but always with the utmost courtesy. “Hi, I lost the remote control in my room. Could kindly bring a new one so can I turn off the TV?», It is a clear example of his residence philosophy.
New tourist, the ia at the service of hospitality
In short, the 2025 traveler has changed and, even if it is not necessarily “more difficult”, It is certainly more used to fast digital standards And he expects a fluid, immediate and personalized experience that I am harmoniously mixed with a physical and virtual world. For the hospitality sector, as explained by Luca Rodella, CEO of Smartnessan Italian company that has revolutionized the sector with its Dynamic Pricing algorithm, the challenge is not to try to satisfy every single claim, but to structure itself in a balanced way, automating the possible e keeping intact the precious human part precisely where it is most necessary: in the heart of welcome.
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