Special interest and event travel has a strong foundation, appealing to both a person’s individual passions and the widespread desire to travel. As such, one industry estimate has projected the global event tourism market to reach over $2tn by 2032, with travel for sports and concerts driving much of that revenue.
This momentum requires that travel brands and DMOs to cater to these travelers, both as vacationers and as devotees to their particular interest. These fans trust brands that speak authentically to their interests, but can also feel betrayed when they don’t. Brands can partner with prominent entities within fandoms and immerse themselves in fan communities to not only add authenticity, but become more informed as to what a particular community wants when they travel as fans.
However, as enthusiastic as fans are, economic factors may make special interest and event travel challenging. Government policies, economic conditions and consumer sentiment can lead to reduced spending. In this case, even consumers intending to travel will be looking for ways to save. Brands must be ready to respond to this behavior; for example, combining a concert or restaurant experience with a vacation, can be an effective value-based message.
This report looks at the following areas:
- The value and growth trajectory of event travel
- Economic conditions that will influence that trajectory
- The motivations for engaging in special interest and event travel
- How event travelers plan and budget around events they travel for
- The emotional reaction to events and brand communications around them
- Examples of how brands engage with different areas of special interest and event travel
Traveling for special events and in pursuit of hobbies has been a growing area of travel. It’s now a centerpiece in how consumers plan and go on their vacations.
Mike Gallinari, Senior Travel & Leisure Analyst
Market Definitions
Event traveler: internet users aged 18+ who has taken a leisure trip with an overnight stay in the last 12 months based on their interests, (including attending an event based on their interests) or would in the future
Events and interests surveyed for this Report include:
- Food
- TV series
- Movie franchises
- Sports
- Live music
- Theater/plays/musicals
- Dance
- Anime/graphic novels/comics
- Culture (eg learning about your own roots or exploring different cultures)
- History
- Nature/natural phenomena
Setjetting: Event travel aimed at visiting the filming locations for movies and TV shows
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- What you need to know
- Market predictions
- What consumers want & why
- Opportunities
- Special interest and event opportunities
- Opportunities for travel providers
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market context
- Market drivers
- Event travel may thrive as a value proposition among travelers feeling the financial squeeze
- Traveling for events can highlight value, encouraging hesitant consumers to pack a suitcase
- Graph 1: consumer sentiment index, 2022-25
- Trump administration policies have deleterious effects on tourism
- Strong-willed travelers may look to events as a value-add
- Graph 2: top three most important budget priorities in 2025 – any rank, 2025
- Market size and forecast
- The global event tourism market anticipates solid long-term growth
- Growth in sporting events and concerts underpin the upward trajectory of event travel
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CONSUMER INSIGHTS
- Consumer fast facts
- Event traveler profiles
- Events are becoming more of a central focus in vacation planning
- Event travelers are demographically positioned to weather downturn, competition
- Graph 3: special interest/event travel participation and intent, by select demographics, 2025
- To attract fans, travel brands have to speak as fans
- Graph 4: self-described fandom levels, event travelers vs all, 2025
- Entry-level activities at tentpole events can develop fandom
- Reasons for event travel
- Recurring subjects provide the most opportunity for event travel
- Graph 5: interests of special interest/event travelers, 2025
- Regional restaurants’ everyday menus are unique to someone – highlight and celebrate the differences
- Graph 6: regional cuisine consumption (share) and index difference from average^, by region, 2024
- Colorado Tourism partners to highlight local cuisine
- Celebrate immigrant history through food
- Focused event travel provides a wealth of opportunity among older travelers
- Don’t limit convention activities to the convention center
- Older travelers display a greater range of interests which may drive travel choices
- Graph 7: interests of special interest/event travelers, by generation, 2025
- Crystal taps into subject expertise to allow golf fans to extend their Ryder Cup experience
- Motivations
- Event travel is a great motivator for taking frequent trips
- Graph 8: reasons for past and future special interest/event travel, 2025
- Standout event trips provide a deeper experience with the traveler’s interest
- Graph 9: motivations for taking a special interest/event trip, 2025
- Brand partnerships power Airbnb F1 offer
- Consider life stage when deciding on the depth of the experience and language
- Graph 10: motivations for taking a special interest/event trip, by generation, 2025
- Give higher-HHI travelers a good time so they’ll come back
- Graph 11: motivations for taking a special interest/event trip, by HHI, 2025
- Dollar Flight Club facilitates socialization, luxury with giveaway
- Emotional response to event travel
- Address the right emotion for different event trips
- Graph 12: emotional reactions, by special interest/event trips, 2025
- Gen Z are looking for bragging rights
- Graph 13: emotional reactions to special interest/event trips – pride, by generation, 2025
- Highlight how “awe”some nature is
- Promoting event travel
- Loyalty programs can boost relevance by offering immersive event-related rewards
- Graph 14: factors that can encourage special interest/event travel, by event travelers vs all, 2025
- Travel providers should use partnerships for more successful targeting
- Gen Z looks for depth in their experiences
- Graph 15: factors that can encourage special interest/event travel, by generation, 2025
- Novelty and immersion can breathe life into theatrical events
- Graph 16: factors that can encourage special interest/event travel, by fandom, 2025
- Lyric Opera of Chicago looks to zero in on nostalgic Gen Xers
- Attitudes toward planning and budgeting event travel
- Events may be the new focus of premiumization
- Gen Z and Millennials are focused on planning around travel events
- Graph 17: attitudes toward planning and budgeting special interest/event travel – strongly agree, by generation, 2025
- Due to events’ increasing centrality, booking lead times may increase
- Graph 18: attitudes toward planning special interest/event travel – any agree, by generation, 2025
- Attitudes toward vacation activities
- Event travelers are especially open to themed vacations
- Graph 19: attitudes toward special interest/event travel activities – any agree, 2025
- Visitors can have an insight into community needs through event travel purchases
- Millennials are there for the event, the destination and everything in between
- Graph 20: attitudes toward special interest/event travel activities – any agree, by generation, 2025
- Attitudes toward fan communities
- Community plays an important role for event travelers
- Royal Caribbean attracts a legion of gamers for a specialty cruise
- Specialized knowledge is important for the brand’s reputation
- Graph 21: attitudes toward fan communities – any agree, by generation, 2025
- Toronto hotel enters its Swift era
- NHL could have brought in well-known fans to augment museum marketing
- Coastal event travelers have trust in brands to speak their language
- Graph 22: attitudes toward fan communities – any agree, by region, 2025
- Fans look to each other for inspiration and vetting
- Graph 23: attitudes toward fan communities – any agree, by fandom, 2025
- Food influencer partnership helps regional targets choose to visit Milwaukee
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING STRATEGIES
- Launch activity and innovation
- Sports tourism: Netflix’s strategy lets brands jump quickly on inspiration
- Live concerts: the story is to lean into nostalgia’s glory
- Live arts performance: take a lesson from ESPN’s Beyond the Rose
- Special interest cross-over: TUI gives city dwellers reason to explore their backyard
- Marketing and advertising
- Chase Sapphire shows how to use loyalty programs to augment event travel
- Marriott facilitates event travel to Bonvoy members
- Aligning vacation activities with local happenings pays off
- Travel brands can translate even casual interest in seeing natural phenomena into action by offering education and partnered promotions
- Go RVing shines with shady offer
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APPENDIX
- Definition
- Consumer research questions
- Consumer research methodology
- TURF methodology
- Generations
- Abbreviations and terms
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