Ep. 42: Creating Emotional Connection: Insights from Black Tomato's Approach

In this episode of the Alosant Innovator Series, April sits down with Tom Marchant, Co-Founder of Black Tomato, to explore his journey in redefining travel and hospitality.

Black Tomato was born from a desire to offer travelers more than just a destination—it’s about delivering experiences and evoking feelings. Tom explains how the company’s approach emerged from a market gap: while travelers may not always know where they want to go, they often know how they want to feel.

The company thrives by challenging antiquated travel industry conventions. Tom underscores the value of fostering a culture of curiosity and innovation and approaching everything with an unconventional mindset. He describes the concept of "adjacent opportunities," where you explore alternative approaches just beyond conventional methods.

We also dive deep into the topic of feeling, with Tom explaining how their company is driven to craft experiences rooted in how people want to feel. April draws parallels between Tom’s insights and the homebuilding and placemaking industries, emphasizing how marketing homes could focus not just on features like square footage but on the emotions and experiences they offer. They explore ways to help prospective buyers connect how they want to feel with how a home can provide that feeling.

This conversation challenges listeners to move beyond commodification and traditional industry approaches, fostering a mindset of innovation, curiosity, and deeper connections to how people want to feel.

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About Tom:

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Tom Marchant is co-founder of tailormade luxury tour operator Black Tomato, launched in 2005 with the aim to inspire and foster emotional connectivity through the power of remarkable travel experiences. Described by Harper’s Bazaar as “having a finger on the pulse of travel that is incomparable,” his experience shaping the business globally has enabled a deep understanding of different markets. Tom’s innovative mindset has been lauded across the luxury travel sector, including the past six years as a Conde Nast Traveler Top Travel Specialist in addition to holding a number of influential board positions at prestigious brands targeting UHNWs/HNWs including Six Senses and Kerzner International.

With an entrepreneurial spirit and a passion for travel instilled from a young age, Tom has been leading Black Tomato’s business development, marketing and creative strategies for the past 20 years, working alongside his fellow co-founder James Merrett on driving the company’s successful growth. A creative ethos and obsession with innovation has led to Tom and the brand being consistently named best in class, including Inc’s Best in Business 2024 list, Conde Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards 2024, Travel + Leisure World’s Best Tour Operator 2024, and Robb Report Travel Masters Awards 2024 as Master of Luxury, Travel. He also frequently speaks at global conferences and academic institutions such as Harvard Business School, sharing his expertise on travel innovation and trends, and is regularly featured in podcasts, broadcast segments, and key publications, including The New York Times, Vogue, Bloomberg, Condé Nast Traveler, and the Financial Times. 

Connect with Tom:
LinkedIn
Black Tomato​​

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