Travel has changed, so have priorities. What people desire from their…
2025
Travel has changed, so have priorities. What people desire from their vacations is no longer confined to guided tours. There is a yearning to go beyond having a good time and delve deeper to feel the pulse of the place. People now seek deeper, more meaningful experiences that connect them with a destination’s culture, history and people. This shift, known as experiential travel, has become widely popular.
Experiential travel is not just about visiting places; it is about feeling them. Many travellers find joy in kind strangers, quiet moments and the wisdom in old faces. These experiences help create a sense of belonging and deeper connections to the world.
Since the pandemic, people have started prioritising themselves, realizing how short life can be. A report reveals that 86% of millennials now prefer immersive travel experiences over traditional tourism. Instead of simply checking places off a list, they want to live their journey—joining local festivals, exploring hidden culinary gems, and embracing cultural traditions authentically.
Experiential travel fosters a lasting appreciation for places and their people. Travellers immerse themselves in local traditions, engage in community activities and learn from those they meet. Whether it is exploring nature, understanding regional customs or connecting with locals, these moments create lasting memories.
Experiential travel is not just about fun; it is a way to learn, grow and truly become a part of a place, even if only for a short time.
Identify the tone of the passage.
- A.
Casual and humorous
- B.
Cautious and objective
- C.
Informative and reflective
- D.
Critical and analytical
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Concept
The tone of a passage is the author’s implied attitude and register, conveyed through word choice, sentence rhythm, and stated purpose — not the topic itself. To identify tone, ask what attitude the language reveals: is it joking, guarded and neutral, purely reporting facts, evaluating merits and flaws, or reflecting on meaning?
Application
The passage opens by reporting a real shift in behaviour and cites a statistic (“A report reveals that 86% of millennials now prefer immersive travel experiences over traditional tourism”) — this is informative: it presents a trend as established fact.
Alongside this reporting, the passage repeatedly turns contemplative — “a yearning to go beyond having a good time and delve deeper to feel the pulse of the place,” “the wisdom in old faces,” and “a way to learn, grow and truly become a part of a place” — these lines dwell on meaning and personal growth rather than merely stating what happens.
No line uses informal wit or joking asides, so a light, humorous register is absent throughout.
The language also carries clear evaluative warmth (“joy,” “yearning,” “lasting appreciation”) rather than staying hedged or strictly neutral, so it goes beyond bare, detached reporting.
No paragraph weighs competing viewpoints or lists drawbacks against merits, so the passage is not built around evaluation of pros and cons.
Combining the fact-driven reporting above with the contemplative, meaning-focused commentary above gives a tone that is both informative and reflective.
Cross-check
Casual and humorous would need informal diction or lighthearted asides aimed at amusing the reader — the passage’s diction stays measured and earnest throughout, so this pairing does not fit.
Cautious and objective would need hedged, non-evaluative, strictly fact-confined phrasing — the passage’s evaluative warmth (“wisdom in old faces,” “a yearning to… feel the pulse”) goes beyond bare objectivity.
Critical and analytical would need the passage to weigh merits and drawbacks or examine competing positions — it only describes and reflects, it never critiques or analyses a debate.
Informative and reflective matches both the data-driven reporting and the contemplative commentary that runs through every paragraph, so it is the fitting description.