Travel and Storied Experiences with Samantha Hardcastle

It used to be the case that you learned about a travel location through the pamphlets on racks by the hotel door. Samantha Hardcastle is on a mission to change that by linking local community and culture into storied experiences. She has the family legacy to help her achieve this goal. Growing up in the travel industry due to her travel agent mother, she has been part of hospitality experiences her entire life. She takes that legacy to the next level by working with clients to craft micro-experiences that connect tourists with local culture. We talk about her approach and client examples of what it looks like to succeed. We also discuss our cultural relationship with vacation, and how we need more chances to just check out. Finally, she describes how she found her way into experience design, and the way in which she pulls from many different areas to create storied experiences.