Airbnb has unveiled a brand campaign titled "Imperfectly Perfect Travel" ahead of the summer vacation season. The campaign proposes travel where people linger at their own pace, rather than trips packed with tight itineraries.
Airbnb said Monday it had released a campaign video narrated by broadcaster Choi Hwa-jung. The campaign carries a message encouraging travelers to break free from the pressure of spending even their rest efficiently, and instead focus on time spent at accommodations and moments outside the plan.
According to a survey on "travel styles and perceptions of travel" conducted among domestic travelers by market research firm Embrain at Airbnb's request, 97% of respondents said they make plans before traveling. Nearly half of respondents said they organize restaurants, cafes and tourist attractions in advance, or build itineraries around places verified through blogs and social media (SNS).
The tendency to make meticulous plans before travel also led to fatigue. Forty percent of respondents said they "had an experience of returning home more tired, even though it was a trip taken to rest." The response that "if there is a day during travel when I did nothing, I feel it is a waste of time or money" exceeded half at 55%. The response that one "ends up evaluating how fully they enjoyed the trip" afterward was 48%.
The moments travelers remember longest were not the schedules that went as planned. About 60% of respondents cited moments outside the plan, such as "a place or experience discovered by chance that was not planned" or "the fun in unexpected, sudden situations," as their most memorable travel experiences. By contrast, only 20% cited "a perfect itinerary that went exactly as planned." Eighty-two percent of respondents agreed with the statement, "travel that becomes an even better memory precisely because it did not go as planned."
The way people rest at travel destinations is also shifting from being centered on external schedules to being centered on accommodations. Fifty-three percent of respondents cited spending time inside the accommodation as their preferred way to rest properly at a destination. Resting with companions without worrying about others' eyes, shopping at local marts and markets to cook, and spending time together at accommodations with living rooms and kitchens were cited as major responses.
Through this campaign, Airbnb proposes time spent at accommodations that reflect the atmosphere and character of a region as an important travel experience. It is a way of clearing the schedule in independent spaces such as spacious living rooms, kitchens and yards, and slowly experiencing local daily life.
The campaign video captures scenes of travel where people rest as their hearts desire, instead of a flawless schedule. Through her narration, Choi Hwa-jung delivers messages such as, "There's no need to live a 'godsaeng' even when you come on a trip," and "Perhaps the most perfect day is a day spent doing nothing with all your might."
The video will be released through TV advertising. Choi Hwa-jung will also appear on the YouTube channel "Bibo TV" on the 17th to talk about travel concerns and her own way of traveling alongside Song Eun-i, Kim Sook and director Jang Hang-jun.
Suh Ga-yeon, Airbnb Korea country manager, said, "We planned this campaign to propose, to Korean travelers who carry the burden of having to make even their travel perfect, a rest that fills the empty space of planning with the joy of lingering." She added, "I hope you experience the value of 'imperfectly perfect travel' this summer by lingering at your own pace in Airbnb's diverse spaces."
