Do Your Clients Want a Skillcation? Send Them to a Dude Ranch

When clients are seeking more fulfillment from their trip, it may be time to turn their vacation into a skillcation. 

About 47% of Americans are ready to take a skillcation, and 68% believe it could be a life-changing experience, according to a recent study by IHG Hotels & Resorts. These travelers want to unplug from technology, experience something new and meaningful, and gain confidence in a new skill, the report said. 

“The rise of skillcations reflects an evolution in how Americans travel. The most memorable trips are no longer defined by where people stayed, but by the skills and stories they can share afterward,” said Gemma Bull, IHG VP Global Storytelling. “That’s what makes skillcations so compelling—they combine the joy of travel with the satisfaction of learning something new.” 

Hilton’s recently released 2027 Trends Report also cited skillcations as an important trend in hospitality, with 42% of travelers saying travel has helped them discover new interests or passions.

This is why hotels and resorts are offering a range of different hands-on workshops. IHG and Hilton gave everything from cooking, cheesemaking, and pottery classes, to learning new languages, ukulele, or mahjong at their properties as examples. We found a slew of other options – guests can birdwatch at Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort. They can stargaze and learn astronomy at Serengeti Explore lodge. Other properties offer tennis, pickleball, and other sport/watersport lessons. The list goes on. 

Traveling to try out a new skill or hobby is nothing new, though. Traditionally, this has looked like learning to surf or scuba dive at a beach resort, taking ski lessons at a mountain resort – or horseback riding at a dude ranch. 

Travel Market Report spoke with travel advisors who sell dude ranch vacations to learn why these unique properties provide all the elements of a perfect skillcation – and what advisors selling any kind of skillcation can learn from dude ranches. 

Why Skillcations Have Taken Off 

From staying outdoors to eating farm-to-table at hotels, many travelers are seeking the new, the different, something they can’t necessarily find at home. Skillcations are just another iteration of that traveler’s desire. 

Learning a new skill also activates a creative part of the brain, and what better place than on vacation to experience that shift? More than just a physical souvenir, travelers bring home new abilities that they can continue to build upon for years to come after a skillcation. 

“Most of my clients walk away from a dude ranch vacation with new skills and more confidence in their abilities, which is where the real value of a skillcation comes into play,” Claibourne Jordan, travel advisor and owner of Saddle Sojourn Travel, told TMR. “When a client gains confidence, they feel a sense of accomplishment and often want to take those skills home to continue learning and improving.” 

Jordan sells trips at True Ranch Collection, which encompasses seven dude ranches across Arizona, Wyoming, and Montana. The properties specialize in teaching folks how to ride a horse, but also offer opportunities to learn other skills, such as fly fishing, cattle work, and archery.  

Skillcations also have a unique way of strengthening bonds – whether that’s between a couple, a family, or a group of friends. 

Take it from Sally Black, True Ranch Collection’s national business development manager (BDM), who is a great resource for all things dude ranches. Formerly a travel advisor herself for 25 years, she views her new role as that of an educator – teaching advisors about the ins and outs of selling dude ranch vacations. 

“You learn a lot about each other when you travel with people, but particularly when you’re traveling with people and doing a new skill, it enhances that relationship dynamic,” Black said. “Whenever you have a family, and the family is learning a new skill together, it levels the playing field. Mom and Dad are not the experts anymore, and the kids are not the experts anymore, either. So it opens up conversations, and it encourages people to encourage one another.” 

And for groups, Claire Herzog, an independent travel advisor with Fora, who sells stays at Brush Creek Ranch in Wyoming, adds that “there’s something really fun about being a beginner again as an adult.” 

Dude Ranches: Not Just for ‘Horse People’ 

“Don’t assume someone has to be a ‘horse person'” to sell them a dude ranch vacation, Herzog told TMR. 

“The best ranches offer enough variety that guests can discover what they love once they’re there,” including shooting and axe throwing – even line dancing. 

At a dude ranch, “learning is built into the experience,” Barry Richcreek, owner of Richcreek Vacation Center, also told TMR.  

Richcreek sells True Ranch Collection stays, where, beyond horseback riding, staff are eager to teach guests everything about ranch life. By staying on the property where it all happens, there is lots to learn all around. 

“Ranches provide an immersive environment that allows folks to focus on learning without the distractions of everyday life,” Richcreek said. “Unlike a one-hour lesson or workshop at home, folks spend several days engaging with working ranch hands, knowledgeable folks working the ranch in an authentic setting.” 

Non-horse lovers have plenty to do; however, even those who are apprehensive about riding a horse get the itch once they get there, Black told TMR. And true beginners are more than welcome. The ranches tailor the horseback riding lessons to every individual. Each guest gets their own horse, which is picked specifically for them based on height, weight, and riding capabilities. White Stallion Ranch, for examples, has more than 200 horses, and the ranchers know each one so well that they can choose each guest’s perfect horse.

“Guests love having their own horse for a week. It makes them feel special,” Black said. “Even if they don’t ride every day, they’ll go out and feed horse treats to the horses. It’s a big thing.” 

Black likens the atmosphere to summer camp, where you see the same people every day and are set to timed programming. When she takes advisors on FAM trips to the ranches, many are pleasantly surprised about how much they enjoy the experience. 

“I’ve had agents that have been like, ‘Oh, I wanted to come out and sell the ranches and see it, but I’m afraid of horses,’ or ‘I don’t want to get on a horse,'” Black said. “And then you see them out there, and they’re on the horse, and they’re loving life, and it’s such a wonderful thing to see.” 

More Advisor Selling Tips 

Disconnecting from screen-riddled daily life is a top reason for any traveler going on any type of vacation. For some, that could mean laying poolside. But increasingly, clients are realizing that “doing something is actually a more effective way to decompress than doing nothing,” Herzog said. 

“It’s a lot harder to think about your inbox when you’re doing a cattle drive on horseback, standing in a river learning to cast, or in the kitchen learning the art of cheesemaking, all of which you can do at Brush Creek Ranch.” 

But what is the “something” that the client wants to do? Like with any trip, travel advisors should first do their homework and, then, ask their clients specific questions about their personal interests and their objectives for the skillcation. 

“Not all ranches offer the same experience,” Richcreek said. “Advisors should educate themselves about the various ranches. Understanding the difference allows you to ask better questions and make stronger recommendations.” 

Finding a place, like True Ranch Collection or Brush Creek Ranch, that works closely with travel advisors can be key to getting that education. Jordan also urges advisors to “look beyond the ultra-luxe ranches.” There are resort-style ranches, and there are working cattle ranches. Both offer authentic western experiences, but it really depends on what the client wants out of their stay. 

“My biggest advice is to understand what your client is genuinely curious about,” Herzog said. “Ask what they’ve always wanted to try, what hobbies they’d like to get better at, or what they wish they had more time for at home. The best skill-cations feel personal, and the learning should enhance the vacation rather than make it feel like work.”