Are Mystery Tours More Fun For Travel Agents than Travellers?
Given we live in a world where people will pay for the experience of being kidnapped ("designer abduction" was pioneered in New York in 2002, and reemerged in France in 2010), it's not terribly surprising that "mystery tours" are now one of the hottest travel trends. Mystery tours have been commercially available since as early as 2005, but it took a recent World Travel Market Global Trends Report (PDF), and the entrance of American Express into the market, to make them truly de rigueur.
Nextpedition is American Express' attempt to corner the mystery tour market. Traveller's visit nextpedition.com and take an online quiz, which assigns them a badge that tells them their "travel sign". A travel agent then builds a trip itinerary based on activities that match that travel sign. The itinerary is kept a secret until departure, and unveiled day by day via a smartphone that is sent to the customer.
The concept is interesting, and I definitely had fun taking the quiz, but aren't surprises often more fun for the person planning the surprise? A friend of mine is taking his dad on a surprise trip to Augusta, Georgia next year to see the Masters. Guaranteed the anticipation leading up to telling his dad they're going to the Masters will be one of the funnest parts of the trip for my friend. It's just plain great to be able to give someone an exciting, unexpected experience. That's why I wonder if, in a sense, American Express' Nextpeditions are more fun for the travel agents than the travellers.
The added adventure of a mystery tour obviously appeals to many travellers, but what fun is there in a surprise if no one in your party gets to yell "surprise"?