

How to Succeed with a Membership Model in Travel with Joan Roca
Jun 18, 2025
Joan Roca, CEO and founder of Essentialist, reveals how his membership-based travel company is redefining luxury travel. He shares insights on crafting unique itineraries by understanding individual member preferences, merging technology with personal touch. Roca discusses the shift towards meaningful, curated experiences that cater to affluent travelers and the growing importance of community ties. With an emphasis on authentic travel and the seamless blend of service and technology, he illustrates how Essentialist fosters deep connections between travelers and their destinations.
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Blending Tech with Personal Service
- Essentialist combines digital convenience with personal service to deeply understand members' travel preferences.
- This blend allows them to create highly personalized, curated itineraries with unique editorial insights.
Tech Enables Hyper-Personalization
- Technology automates backend tasks to free human advisors for creative, personalized travel planning.
- The goal is hyper-personalization, enabling millions of unique trip combinations for members.
Member Profile and Value Offering
- Essentialist members are culturally curious affluent travelers who seek authentic and exclusive experiences.
- The membership fee covers logistics, exclusive access, and deeply personalized travel inspired by editors' local insights.