While I, like most travelers who can admit their material leanings, derive great joy from snagging a coveted vintage designer bag or handcrafted ceramic vase, the best souvenirs aren’t always bits and bobs. A growing number of globetrotters are keen to pick up something less tangible and more enduring than a snow globe or even a limited-run Birkin: a new skill.
Enter the “skillcation,” a rising trend that trades downtime for immersive, hands-on learning. Hilton reports that experiences are a huge driver of demand, with 72 percent of travelers wanting to take time off to explore passions, hobbies, and skills. “Learn-by-doing” ranks among the fastest-growing segments in experiential travel, so hotels around the world are ramping up edu-travel programming designed to ensure guests leave not just with fond memories but with new experiential abilities linked to the trip—whether it’s discovering the Japanese art of kintsugi in Kyoto or getting PADI certified in the Maldives.
For many urbanites, the natural foil for concrete and skyscrapers is fresh air and open space. Guests staying at Quercus, an all-inclusive working ranch in the foothills of Georgia, can master the fundamentals of fly fishing (how to cast with precision, select the right flies, read the water, and understand fish behavior) through guided lessons along Georgia’s Flint River, the best in the region for field sports.
Over the past couple of years, cowboycations—basically, city folks coming to the country to saddle up and yeehaw for a few days—have become all the rage. Beyond dressing the part in wide-brim hats and boots, the draw of this kind of trip is communing with nature and getting your hands dirty. The Ranch at Rock Creek in Montana lets would-be ranchers try a slate of western-tinged activities, including horseback riding and stockmanship (aka cattle handling). Similarly, Four Seasons Resort Jackson Hole has a cowboy-for-the-day package. But for even more adventurous types, the chance to track bison (summer) or wolves (winter) in Yellowstone National Park is the wilder ticket.
Avid divers descend on remote corners of the globe to explore azure reefs and haunting shipwrecks. But what about the aqua-curious who don’t yet have many dives under their belt—or even own a wetsuit? At Six Senses Laamu in the Maldives, travelers have the opportunity to earn their PADI certification, making it the perfect place to take the plunge into the underwater world. Nekajui Peninsula Papagayo, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve partners with SurfX. Trained instructors take novices and seasoned boarders out to the nearby beaches for tutorials in ocean safety, wave reading, paddling techniques, and surfing fundamentals. Other coastal destinations where waves are part of the destination identity, such as Regent Santa Monica Beach, set on the Pacific coastline, also offer surf lessons.
Nature meets culinary education at Wildflower Farms, Auberge Collection in the Hudson Valley, just 90 minutes outside of New York City, where honey harvesting, seeding on the farm, baking biscuits and churning butter, and botanical mixology are all on the activity menu. Turtle Island Fiji has long been a pioneer in teaching guests to catch their own food using techniques rooted in Fijian culture and heritage. The all-inclusive, adults-only, eco-oriented resort invites visitors on after-dark crab-hunting excursions with a local guide; the culinary team prepares the fresh catch the following day. At Grand Hotel Fasano in Italy’s Lake Garda, guests can embark on a culinary journey to the village of Tresnico, where Chef Fabio Tabarelli welcomes participants into his home for a day of preparing traditional regional recipes, including gnocchi and ravioli, paired with Garda-style spritz aperitifs, homemade lemon verbena liqueur, and local wine. Cannuá, an eco-lodge in the mountains outside Medellín, hosts a Colombian coffee experience spotlighting beans sourced from nearby Finca Cocondo, the region’s first internationally certified organic coffee farm. During the two-hour workshop, guests learn about the history of Colombian coffee and explore different brewing and serving methods. Sure, you may not leave with barista-level skills, but a deeper appreciation for your daily cup of coffee is guaranteed.
While wandering through museums and galleries or browsing the shelves of artisan shops are wonderful ways to spend a few days, there’s no faster means to connect with local creative traditions than by making something with your own hands. Octant Vila Monte, tucked away in a corner of the Algarve, features creative Portuguese pursuits such as tile painting and palm weaving. Japan’s ancient imperial capital, Kyoto, remains a stronghold of the country’s cultural and artistic traditions. Hotel The Mitsui Kyoto, a Luxury Collection Hotel & Spa brings guests together with Daisuke Shimizu, a master of Kiyomizu ceramics. Under his guidance, participants learn the art of kintsugi, the centuries-old practice of repairing broken pottery with gold. Guests staying at Six Senses Kyoto get to go beyond the sand and rock as Sone Zoen, the custodian of many of the city’s most important temple gardens, shares his knowledge of Japanese Zen culture, guiding visitors through a mindful hands-on tutorial to create their own dry landscape. Those in the market for a special and meaningful keepsake can double down on skill-building by learning to craft fragrant incense pouches.
For travelers who either wish to have a more active lifestyle or already do, but haven’t yet taken up pastimes like golf and padel, sports clinics on holiday are a great way to flex some muscles and return home with a new athletic activity to pursue. The Arnold Palmer-designed Ocean Course at Peninsula Papagayo, an upscale resort community 45 minutes from Liberia Airport, attracts fairway fans from near and far, many of whom choose to stay at Four Seasons Costa Rica at Peninsula Papagayo for easy access to the greens. For those looking to sharpen their swing and strategy, the resort offers 18-hole playing lessons with a pro. The Quail, in California’s Carmel Valley, boasts a Golf Academy as well as pickleball and tennis courts for private instruction by USPTA-certified professionals. Cali Mykonos recently debuted two outdoor padel courts. If you’ve never played or don’t have gear packed, not to worry. Equipment rentals and coaching sessions are available.
