Madrid, 9 April 2024 – Madrid surprises and exceeds the expectations of international high-impact travelers, which represents an opportunity from the point of view of tourism promotion to increase the volume of these travelers, extend their stays and increase their willingness to spend.

This is one of the main findings of the report “Traveler Persona: Profiles of High Impact Tourism”, prepared by the tourism communications, marketing and CX consultancy KLEBER GROUP for the Madrid City Council as part of the market research and analysis of tourism supply and demand carried out by a high-impact tourism think tank developed for the city and region of Madrid.

The report, which was presented to industry representatives on Tuesday, April 9, analyzes the consumption trends of high-impact travelers in the Community and the city of Madrid, focusing on three priority markets: USA, Latin America and China.
The aim is to understand consumption habits, purchasing and booking behaviour and the specific characteristics of each market in order to optimize tourism promotion according to the main travel motivations.
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The focus of the report is on the qualitative analysis of this traveler segment, as it allows us to better define the strategies and tactics to attract and optimize the visits of high-impact travelers to the destination,” explains Julia Kleber, CEO of KLEBER GROUP during her presentation.

Curiosity, quality and time: the value of the high-impact traveller.  Contrary to the traditional definition of luxury tourism, which is exclusively linked to spending or purchasing power, the high-impact tourism segment is characterized by its approach to culture and authenticity, craftsmanship and local gastronomy, curiosity and artistic appreciation, as well as the search for entertainment and personalized, unique and unforgettable experiences.

“We are talking about a humanistic rather than hedonistic traveler, although the mode of discovery and enjoyment is diverse and offers different ways of creating experiences that reflect the authentic spirit of the destination,” said Marcos González de la Hoz, CEO of CX at KLEBER GROUP and head of the study, which is based on qualitative surveys that have been conducted since the beginning of the year and are updated quarterly From the analysis carried out, four key findings can be identified that define the profile of the high-impact traveler with the greatest potential for Madrid city and region:

• Exceeding expectations: An opportunity for promotion: American travelers indicate that their experience in Madrid exceeded their expectations by 45%, and in the case of Chinese travelers, the figure is 24% higher.
  Only in the case of Latin Americans are experience and expectations balanced.
  “This means that different narrative and media territories can be explored to increase the visibility of experiences that have the greatest impact on traveler satisfaction,” says González de la Hoz.
• High satisfaction scores as the key to customer loyalty: High satisfaction scores throughout the travel process, not just while at the destination, exponentially strengthen referrals and make promotion efforts in these key markets profitable.
  As the study leader points out, “better measurement and control of communication at origin, interaction at destination and the relationship between the time of departure and a return visit are essential factors in moving to the next level and enhancing our strengths against competing destinations.”
• The heritage, the differentiating offer of Madrid: five-star accommodation is most valued by Americans, followed by cultural offerings and gastronomy; while Chinese put cultural heritage first and gastronomy second, followed by shopping tourism.
  Finally, for Latin Americans, cultural ties and gastronomy are the main attractions of Madrid.
• Gastronomy, crafts and sport: products with great potential to diversify the high-impact offer.
  In addition to gastronomy, a characteristic that Madrid shares with the rest of Spain, sports and other forms of entertainment (concerts, musicals, festivals) also have great potential for high-impact tourism, both to increase sales and to extend the length of stay.”

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About FORWARD_by KLEBER GROUP: Forward_by KLEBER GROUP is an international project that aims to promote the relevance of luxury and high-impact tourism and bring together all public and private stakeholders involved to promote this segment and the development of a sustainable tourism model. It not only brings together professionals from travel agencies, hotels, investment funds, transportation companies and activities to share experiences and discuss the challenges of the luxury travel segment and their possible solutions, but also provides information and knowledge sharing with tourism organizations and other professionals through its Travel Trends Radar Observatory. Luxury tourism has a greater economic impact on destinations as it generates more income and tourists stay longer. As part of the KLEBER GROUP, Forward_ is launching a consultancy service that will help the luxury and lifestyle industry to define and implement strategies and design the right customer experience for their businesses and destinations.