Marco van Leeuwen

Marco is our expert on two of our break-even travel principles: an even distribution of people and an even distribution of knowledge.

Marco van Leeuwen – Expert on travel innovations and tourism developments

Marco van Leeuwen is a lecturer at Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUas). He also manages a team in its Tourism & Travel department. Before joining BUas in 2008, Marco worked at several Dutch travel organizations. He is the co-founder of Tourism Impact Lab, in which fourth-year students work together with prominent industry partners on tourism business cases with a positive impact. The self-proclaimed ‘travel trailblazer’ is at his best when he’s able to identify trends and build bridges between the theoretical and the professional field.

Marco’s thoughts on the future of travel

Our desire for travel hasn’t been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. On the contrary, a recent report by the European Travel Commission* stated that 70 per cent of Dutch travel consumers want to resume their travels in 2021. These travelers will either reboot (restart) or reinvent their travel needs.

We are entering a new phase in which travelers will reboot their travel needs. Concerned travelers will once again opt for a staycation in their own country while unconcerned travelers will satisfy their travel needs by going on a ‘drive-thru roadtrip’ in countries that they would normally only pass through to get to their holiday destination. Roadtrips are perfect examples of slow travel. Slow travel, however, can also be stimulated by new forms of accommodation, such as ‘dark sky’ glamping.

Some travelers realize that things must be done differently and will therefore radically reinvent their travel behavior. These people will partake in volunteering and ‘purpose projects’. Meaningful travel doesn’t necessarily involve far-away destinations. Micro-adventures are mini breaks that contain the same ingredients as big adventures: they’re challenging, exciting, educational and fun. 

Quality will be chosen over quantity in both scenarios. We will take time to go on extended holidays with an emphasis on alternative modes of transport – and we will reflect on our travel behavior. 

*Monitoring Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel, a report by the European Travel Commission (ETC), 1/2021.

Ask Marco about: travel innovations / tourism developments / meaningful travel