Experience Reshapes Travel as Consumers Prioritize Their Passions

Every January, enthusiastic epicureans descend upon the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, for a weekend with the world’s most renowned chefs. Wearing their white coats with Bermuda shorts, Eric Ripert, José Andrés and Daniel Boulud mingle with hotel guests on pristine beaches creating a culinary experience that goes far beyond traditional Michelin star dining. Andrés leads interactive cooking demonstrations and guests sip Champagne while taking selfies with culinary icons like Emeril Lagasse as his fresh seafood sizzles on beachfront grills.

This signature event sponsored by Marriott Bonvoy has become one of the most treasured food celebrations globally.  It also exemplifies a fundamental shift in consumer behavior: the growing preference for exceptional experiences over material possessions.

“People aren’t just booking hotel rooms anymore — they’re booking memories,” explains Peggy Roe, executive vice president and chief customer officer at Marriott International, in an interview with WWD. “The post-pandemic traveler is seeking authentic connections through experiences that align with their passions.”

Marriott International has identified food, along with music, sports, outdoor activities and fashion, as “key passion points” that are transforming the travel industry. For the company, understanding and catering to these evolving consumer priorities has become central to their business strategy.

Roe, the first chief customer officer in Marriott International’s history, oversees development and execution of all aspects of the company’s global consumer strategy across a portfolio of over 30 hotel brands, spanning nearly 9,500 properties in 150 countries and territories plus the Marriott Bonvoy loyalty program. Her role relies heavily on watching data, which has revealed a substantial rebalancing of Marriott’s portfolio — leisure travel now accounts for 60 percent of their business, up from 40 percent pre-pandemic. “We were much more of a business traveler’s brand and hotel company prior to the pandemic,” said Roe.

The move toward leisure was happening, she said, but COVID-19 accelerated it. “The trend around people shifting their investments from tangible things to experiences began before 2020, but it just accelerated after COVID, because of the pent-up demand,” Roe said. “As we saw this leisure demand come, it was very important for us to understand what the travel patterns are that people are adopting because life has changed.”

Food Drives Travel Decisions

Responding to this demand, Marriott International is strategically building partnerships and experiences to meet evolving consumer demands. Cayman Cookout has become a testament to how destination dining has dramatically shifted. The company will host over 150 culinary-focused events this year. Ripert, whose Michelin star restaurant, Blue, is an anchor at the Ritz Carlton in Grand Cayman, has curated the cookout to be a celebration of connection, culture, and culinary artistry. The traditional white-tablecloth Michelin experience transforms into an immersive journey where guests can swim with stingrays, dance under the stars, and engage directly with world-renowned chefs. “Luxury doesn’t mean stiff anymore,” Ripert explains. “It’s about being in a beautiful place with people from different backgrounds and experiencing something that makes you happy.”

Ripert admits what truly sets it apart is the unprecedented access guests have to culinary talent. “Here, you have access to the chefs, and you’re going to have fun with them,” he notes. “The chefs want to meet guests, discuss and have fun as well.”

Roe shared that eco-conscious eating is also a big trend shaping travel in 2025 and consumers “are putting their money where their mouth is.”  She added, “Guests are more mindful than ever about the impact of their food choices and will actively go the extra mile to ensure their impact is minimal.” Within Marriott International’s portfolio, properties like JW Marriott Orlando Grande Lakes, with its 7,000 square feet Whisper Creek Farm fruit and vegetable garden, and Michelin-recommended restaurants, like Primo by Melissa Kelly, feature onsite organic gardens, composting, sustainable protein sourcing, and seasonal crop rotations catering to this demand.

Traveling to the Beat

“Music remains an undeniable passion for our guests, drawing them from all corners of the world to experience their favorite artists live and fueling their travel,” said Roe. Last month Marriott Bonvoy launched its most ambitious celebrity partnership of 2025, becoming the official hotel partner for Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour. “The Cowboy Carter Tour is more than a concert — it’s a cultural moment, and we’re thrilled to give our members and Beyoncé’s fans exclusive access to be part of it,” said Roe.

In each tour city, Marriott’s loyalty program members can bid points on a VIP Cowboy Carter tour experience, which includes a two-night hotel stay, arrival dinner, pre-concert glam session, transportation, breakfast and two tickets to the concert.

Sports and fashion have also been very popular with customers, says Roe. From offering Marriott Bonvoy members front row access at designer LaQuan Smith’s show and after party at New York Fashion Week to exclusive experiences like spending the night in a suite at the Super Bowl, strategic partnerships have created opportunities to offer transformative experiences to customers. “Experiences like that are highly anticipated and are bid on within moments of their release,” said Roe.

Marriott Bonvoy also signed on as the official hotel and loyalty partner for the inaugural season of The Snow League, the first professional league dedicated to snowboarding and skiing launched by Olympian Shaun White.

As the travel sector continues evolving, brands that cater to consumers’ passion points will likely outperform competitors. The data suggests this isn’t a fleeting trend but rather a fundamental restructuring of consumer priorities. Roe notes that increased mobility and flexibility in the post-pandemic work landscape has “freed people’s minds up on where they could be.” This shift has prompted Marriott to diversify its accommodation offerings, now providing nearly 200,000 homes and villas in addition to traditional hotel rooms. “What we see is that blend of work and life, where people are thinking, ‘I can live and work in different places around the world.’”

For brands across sectors, facilitating meaningful moments centered around these shifts is proving to be a successful formula to capture the hearts — and wallets — of tomorrow’s travelers.