Photo Credit (Pixabay)
The current political atmosphere and depressing news reports appear to indicate that people around the world are becoming more inward-looking, with boundaries growing and minds becoming more restricted. However, as more people live and work abroad and are exposed to other cultural influences, many of us are yearning for a globalized, interconnected society.
Sixty percent of Americans and British citizens believe that influences from other cultures have influenced their perspective on life, according to a recent Culture Trip survey on cultural mentality. As a society, we want to learn from other cultures as much as we want to explore and experience them. One of the many advantageous consequences of globalization is this. At the same time, younger generations are more interested in accumulating experiences than material belongings due to a shift in values brought about by the economic climate of the past ten years.
Travelers’ money has a significant influence, whether it is spent on experiences or goods.
Globalization and the experience economy have collided to create a new travel ethos that is centered on cultural curiosity. The “new culture economy” is this. In addition to offering a fantastic business opportunity, the phenomenon is significantly altering how people engage and define cultural exploration.
People are the primary force behind globalization, even though it is typically discussed in terms of the exchange of capital and trade between nations. The more significant societal repercussions of globalization include education, travel, exposure to different cultures and regions, and the resulting cultural fusion. People are increasingly living or working in countries other than their birthplaces; according to the cultural mindset study, 78% of respondents have friends or family of different nationalities and ethnicities, and 53% of respondents have friends living abroad. This leads to increased interaction with cultures around the world.
In addition, the constraints of student loan debt and the cost of housing have caused a change in spending habits, leading to the emergence of a new set of values where experiences are valued above possessions. Most people’s lives revolve around travel; in fact, almost half of all respondents (43%) cut back on their everyday spending in order to save more money for travel. No matter how costly a trip or experience is, it is still less expensive than a home, especially when it comes to “generation rent.”
The reason we travel
People’s cultural openmindedness is shaped by their personal and societal circumstances. The growth of social media also affects how people interact with their immediate environment, including other people, communities, and shared cultural norms. In addition to introducing people to online influencers, social networks allow them to stay in touch with friends and relatives who live abroad, giving them a more intimate “way in” to different cultures.
Four cultural mindsets, represented on a spectrum of cultural curiosity, have been identified thanks to the special mix of these cultural, social, and personal drivers:
- Culturally aware: This group’s desire to travel stems from enjoyment. They choose places that are familiar to them or that are representative of their culture. They wish to explore other cultures from a detached distance and have a shallow interest in them.
- Culturally curious: People who have this attitude travel to experience new things and break their daily routines. They desire to explore boundaries while simultaneously seeking some familiarity. They want to “collect” experiences and nations; thus, quantity is crucial. Their desire to be perceived as culturally interested is frequently shown through the use of eye-catching buildings and famous locations.
- Culturally immersive: adventure and personal development are the main goals of travel for this group. Their passion is travel; they are trailblazers and trendsetters who wish to go areas that others haven’t. They want to be perceived as “explorers” and highly cultured; they enjoy celebrating failures since they believe that this is a necessary component of creating memories. As they look for variations from their familiar world back home, they journey all over the world, frequently taking detours.
- Culturally fluid: Being accustomed to traveling has influenced this group’s identity; they are innate nomads with a passion for travel. They have embraced a mixed cultural identity and feel at home wherever. incredibly eager to investigate, evaluate, and fully engage with more complex cultural conventions. Rather than locations or activities, memories are frequently linked to interactions with individuals who embody the culture they are visiting.