Hospitality companies expand offerings as “event-cations” become a hot travel trend

One week on a white-sand beach… snooze fest. Americans aren’t just settling for OG vacays these days. In this year’s travel boom, they’re prioritizing “event-cations” — vacations centered on a major event. Whether it’s road-tripping to a T. Swift show in Denver or jetting to Boston for a WWE brawl, folks are shelling out big bucks for action-packed getaways. 

• MGM Resorts International said that Formula One’s first-ever stop in Las Vegas is just as much a tourist attraction as its slot machines.

• WWE last week sold 90K+ tickets in one day for next year’s WrestleMania in Philly, piledriving a record before even announcing a single match for the April event. 

• Live Nation said it’s on pace for a record year as concert demand soars. Swift’s recent LA shows alone boosted the city’s GDP by $320M. Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour raised Sweden’s inflation (traveling Bey fans = skyrocketing Stockholm hotel prices). 

• Hilton said that this year it’s already seen double as many loyalty points redeemed for experiences than last year’s record. 

“GoT” tour in Dubrovnik… Tourist spending on experiences like amusement parks and nightclubs was up 65% in March from 2019. Travel companies are increasingly catering to experience-hungry consumers. MGM’s CEO said that while gambling revenues were relatively flat, dining experiences and shows (like: Cirque du Soleil) are driving growth. Airbnb has expanded its experiences offering (picture: pasta masterclass in Puglia) and recently said experiences get better reviews than rentals. 

• Hyatt rolled out an experience program featuring outings like foraging for truffles in Hungarian forests (#vibes). 

• Marriott has also doubled down on its experience offering to drive loyalty, and American Airlines started letting loyalty members rack up points on event purchases.