As hotels become immersive, will there be a collision of worlds? Between theatre and hotels? Between community and hotels? Between sport and hotels?

Is it such a radical idea to consider the worlds of theatre and hospitality to align more closely as the whole concept of immersive experiences becomes increasingly popular? It seems a logical extension. The same is true in relation to sport and there are many examples of this already well documented.

As guests seek more immersive experiences, then there is a logic for resorts to create events which engage both the guest and the local audience. Hotels have become increasingly aware of their ability to play that central role for both the visitor and in representing the community and of course, this creates a potentially stronger revenue model for the resort. It builds a sense of community in the resort and develops the resort as a destination. It all seems so logical and yet, so often in the past, a resort would sit divided from a community. It is a sign of the real changes taking place that it is all coming together so much more effectively.

It is a fair question to pose – should tourism and local communities have had such a strong divide in the past? The pandemic has shown that the desire is for safe integration, and cultures should be brought together to learn from one another. Altogether it creates a special mission for the resort.

Of course, some refer to this change as a move towards a “millennial mind-set” but it is more a reflection of how the world is evolving and changing. However, it is fair to say that the guest has changed, is seeking stronger experiences, and is even more adventurous. It raises the bar in expectation and on service which in turn forces the hotelier to constantly seek improvements.

In a recent conversation with an European resort Director, it was noted that they are bringing theatre into the resort with the enactment of local folk and cultural stories which give an insight, to guests, in to the cultural heritage of the region. Understandably the shows had proven to be a great success with guests who have wanted to remain longer on-site but still feel close to the culture of the locality. It also brought in local families who would not normally have visited the resort.

Pre-pandemic, it was been natural for many resorts to develop bespoke insight experiences with local crafts and artisans, local heritage sites, and the like. One can understand that during and post pandemic this may have changed to a need to bring the locality onto the site but in a safe, controlled way. If guests were more reluctant to interact with the locality, then the obvious extension was to bring the locality to a resort.

It opens the door to a world of possibility. There is a school of thought that suggests that resorts in the future will almost divide into their own sub-brands:

· The learning resort where the guests visits in order to learn something new

· The sports resort where the guest can try and experience different sports in one location

· The cultural resort which will offer a variety of immersive experiences from the local culture and history.

It can be an exciting new era which will see new services and offers evolve.