Having emotional intelligence without cultural intelligence can be limiting. You will be attuned to your own emotions, but you will lack the ability to pick up on emotions from people from other cultural backgrounds. It will be like your emotion sensor is broken.

The most meaningful journeys aren’t measured in miles, but in moments of genuine connection and understanding between humans. Being a culturally curious traveler means going beyond checklists and photo ops—it’s about approaching every destination with humility, openness, and a desire to learn.

Exploring our travel preferences is key—not only for more meaningful travel, but for finding the right kind of travel experience for each individual person. If you’re going to sped your time and money on an international trip, you want to make sure you get what you’re looking for. 

As we look toward 2025, transformational travel is becoming an influential perspective impacting travel decisions. According to the latest report from Virtuoso Luxe, a luxury travel consortium, travelers are looking for more than a change of scenery or relaxation in their vacations—they want experiences that profoundly change them. These experiences are about personal growth and cultural immersion.