The Covid-19 pandemic may have temporarily paused the global ‘experience economy’, but it has in turn created a whole new market for virtual at-home experiences, dubbed the ‘insperience economy’.

During the first global lockdown, many brands in the luxury travel, and wider hospitality, lifestyle and retail sectors, adapted quickly to offer digital content and experiences for their customers. Among the first was Belmond, which launched the Belmond Invitations Series of experiences for people to enjoy at home, from soothing make-at-home spa recipes and games to entertain, to uplifting cocktails and transportive music, to help its customers ‘live well’.

Accor quickly followed suit, rolling out its ALLatHome campaign via social media to bring digital experiences and content to Accor Live Limitless (ALL) loyalty members and guests, from rigorous fitness trainer-led workouts, exclusive DJ sets playing lively beats, and masterclass cooking tutorials presented by world-leading chefs.

Other luxury brands getting in on the action included Mandarin Oriental and Oetker Collection, with the latter offering a boost of happiness therapy through energising and healthy recipes, happy playlists, spa treatments you can easily do at home and rejuvenating yoga practices.

These at home experiences have been hugely popular with consumers. “The content was really well received, and it meant that at the same time as connecting with our regular guests, we could reach out to people who don’t normally have access to Belmond,” says Samantha Strawford, former brand communications director, global at Belmond, who recently moved on to set up her own PR company but continues to work with the brand.

Research from Barclaycard in the UK after the first lockdown revealed that almost nine in ten (88%) of retailers saw increased demand for in-home experiences and nearly two thirds (63%) of UK adults either tried one or planned to do so, with virtual gym classes (30%), virtual pub quizzes (28%) and DIY meal kits (20%) the most popular.

Wellness in the spotlight

Given the challenging times, many of these at home experiences have focused on health and wellbeing, both physical and mental. With few activities available (eating out, meeting friends and family, holidays), it’s not surprising we are more focused on ourselves. Indeed, over 30% of consumers globally state that they are focusing on personal development to better manage their mental health during the crisis according to Kantar’s COVID-19 Barometer.

“From an existential standpoint, I believe that today, after having lived through a global pandemic that has compromised many aspects of people’s wellness, we are more exposed than ever to asking ourselves what wellness really is? We have been led to ask ourselves how important it is to stop, reflect, reset and consider the health of our family and that of our community on a proactive basis,” says Erica D’Angelo, wellbeing director at Borgo Egnazia, a five-star resort based in Puglia, Italy.

“I profoundly believe this is a pivotal moment for the wellness industry, which is being called to a greater mission today. A shock of this magnitude will change businesses, society and generations to come. And that's why people are increasingly more sensitive to wellness.”

Sarah Mayo, co-founder at POINT3 Wellbeing, believes that the increased availability of at home wellbeing experiences as a result of Covid is definitely a positive thing. “Technology has been such an enabler since the beginning of the pandemic, enabling us to continue to do so much from the comfort and safety of our own homes. We, for example, have been able to continue to deliver our wellbeing training and experiences virtually, and can now also deliver across borders, globally too. The virtual opportunity is exciting, as well as effective,” she says.

Is there a future for insperiences?

While many brands turned to digital content and virtual wellbeing experiences out of necessity during lockdown, it looks as though they are here to stay even when we are able to start living and travelling again.

The Barclaycard research revealed that over a third (35 per cent) of UK consumers will continue to invest in at home experiences post-lockdown. The top reasons given include that they are fun (27%) and they help consumers manage their time more efficiently (31%). More than a third (39%) now intend to work out at home more even after gyms have reopened, and over a quarter said they will continue having digital drinks (28%) once bars reopen.

Strawford believes that there will still be a place for virtual content and experiences from travel brands: “We are definitely going to keep the Good Living and Belmond Invitations content going online, even when we move back to some sort of normality. It’s a great way to help people stay connected to the brand and provide some inspiration and connectivity.”

But how will these at home experiences work alongside real travel and wellness experiences, and what does this mean for luxury incentives and events and workplace wellbeing?

When it comes to experiences, there is no substitute for the real thing. Experiences rely on being shared with others, because sharing an activity intensifies the experience.  Sharing a yoga class or a meal over a screen, will never be the same as sharing it with friends or family in person.

“If this pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we crave in-person experiences not only because we like them, but because we also have an innate need for them. Whilst technology is a good alternative, it will never replace the live, in-person experience entirely,” says Mayo.

“In the future, I think people will have to consider whether something should be done in-person or whether it should be done virtually, in all areas of our lives - from work to home life. And this decision won’t be a given and will depend on many factors, including objectives, and more holistic (business) needs and responsibilities, such as environmental and CSR factors.”

She also adds that we need to consider the impact of technology on our wellbeing. “From first thing in the morning to last thing at night - we are connected to screens - our laptops, our phones, our TVs - we work, we workout and we even relax via technology. We do need to consciously consider how connected we are and bear in mind that this constant stimulation does build residual stress and tension in our minds and bodies. This will inevitably have an impact on our overall wellbeing, if we don’t give ourselves proper time to disconnect, step away and reconnect to ourselves.”

Transformative travel

The merging of virtual with in-person experiences could accelerate the growing demand for transformative travel, both on the leisure and corporate incentive side. More adventurous travellers no longer just want to go on a trip, they want the experience to be life-changing.

From a wellbeing perspective, we have already started to see the emergence of ‘wellness journeys’ that combine virtual and in person experiences.

“One of our biggest opportunities relies in facilitating clients to undertake wellness programmes aimed at improving quality of life. This means working with a purpose in mind, considering all circumstantial conditions such as limitations in travelling,” says D’Angelo. “Having at heart our client’s wellbeing leads us to dedicate a lot of time and effort in understanding how we can support our guests and the community to take good care of themselves as part of their daily routines and not just connected to their travel time.”

When Borgo Egnazia reopened last summer, the hotel extended its popular Happiness Break with new personalised digital workshops and live sessions designed to be experienced at home prior to guests’ arrival in Puglia.

“This allows us to both amplify the beneficial effects of the programme but also, to support immune-supportive preparation from the very first moment of purchase. It increases engagement, motivation and excitement to consume a purchased trip, after some time,” explains D’Angelo. “Furthermore, this has longer lasting benefits as guests have already learned how to change their habits inside their homes and will not struggle continuing with the good habits acquired once they return.”

This hybrid approach to experiences could become a key trend once travel resumes post Covid. “There are some really creative ways that you can extend the experience and journey beyond the live one through the virtual platform so that there is a legacy and ongoing relationship being built with the traveller,” says Mayo.

“For example, what if the traveller receives a "sunset" to watch virtually in the evenings after their trip? Reminding them of the real view they have been watching in the real location, and capturing to some extent the mindful, relaxing qualities of said sunset.

“And, if it’s a special relationship that the business is looking to build, perhaps on the traveller’s birthday or a special occasion, they receive a food hamper of goodies and a video recipe exclusively recorded by the hotel’s chef to bring back memories of the hotel’s kitchen and delicious menu? There are numerous ways to get creative and to bring to life the experience long after the trip itself.”

Find out more about POINT3 Wellbeing’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Training in the workplace here.