Wheel of Ages: Building a New Category of Immersive Transformational Tourism
At the World Woman Forum 2026, held during Global Business Week in Davos, Inga Malakmadze, Founder of Calypso Travel and Event and Co-Founder of Wheel of Ages, introduced an innovative vision for the future of tourism and experiential learning through her presentation, "Wheel of Ages: Building a New Category of Immersive Transformational Tourism."
Drawing on more than 22 years of experience in travel, events, and adventure design, she argued that the future of tourism is no longer about simply visiting destinations—it is about creating experiences that transform people. As she explained, people rarely remember places only for what they saw; they remember who they became during the journey.
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An Immersive Storyworld Destination
The presentation introduced Wheel of Ages as a new concept of an Immersive Storyworld Destination, where authentic history, nature, storytelling, interactive experiences, hospitality, technology, and cultural heritage are combined into one living world. Developed around Georgia's historic Drisi Fortress and its surrounding canyon, the project transforms cultural heritage from a passive attraction into an active experience in which every visitor becomes part of the story.
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical artifacts and intangible attributes of a group or society that are inherited from past generations, maintained in the present, and bestowed for the benefit of future generations.
Designed for both individual travellers and corporate groups, the model combines tourism, leadership development, education, team building, and cultural preservation within one integrated ecosystem. Its four-level journey encourages visitors to return repeatedly, creating long-term emotional engagement rather than one-time tourism.
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Wider Economic and Social Impact
Beyond tourism, Inga Malakmadze highlighted the project's wider impact. The model has the potential to stimulate regional economic development, support local communities, preserve traditional crafts, create new jobs, strengthen cultural identity, and build international partnerships between tourism, business, education, and the creative industries.
Creative industries refers to a range of economic activities which are concerned with the generation or exploitation of knowledge and information, including art, design, and media.
Concluding her presentation, she shared a simple but powerful message:
"People do not remember places only for what they saw. They remember who they became there. Heritage should not be preserved only behind glass—it should come alive through participation, meaning, and belonging. Every nation has stories waiting to be lived."
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Her presentation demonstrated that the future of tourism lies not only in attracting visitors, but in creating meaningful experiences that inspire personal transformation while preserving cultural heritage for future generations.
For her outstanding contributions and achievements in the development of event tourism, Inga was honoured with the international Boss Award and featured on the cover of the prestigious business magazine Boss.
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TOP 100 Women in Business will meet at the World Woman Forum 2026 in Davos, 9-12 July