I had a chance to review the Skift Trend Report issued earlier this week: Airports as Destinations: The Rise of User Experience.

While the airport industry isn’t my area of expertise, the report does bring together some trends that most of us who travel often have probably noticed in recent years. And, after all, who among us aren’t interested in learning that airports, at least some of them, are becoming more functional, user-friendly and “experiential” in a good way?

“Once regarded as purely utilitarian infrastructure, airports are now becoming more integrated with their surroundings and hosting new experiences for passengers and non-passengers alike,” the report’s preface notes.

There are also a few good lessons to be garnered here by other segments of the travel industry. Some, such as the large, mass-market cruise lines, grasped these principles quite a while ago. Since I focus on small-ship and specialty tour marketing and PR, I’ll conclude with how these ideas can enhance the travel experience for passengers and guests of these operators, too.