The Global Experiences Opportunity

Key Trends & Outlook for Tours, Activities, Attractions
& Events

Contact us about becoming a sponsor: sales@phocuswright.com

A Joint Special Project from Phocuswright and Arival

Sponsor pivotal research to fuel data-driven strategies that win more customers

Experiences are travel’s fastest-growing and most influential segment — shaping where people go and how brands build enduring emotional connection. To help global travel brands understand this new reality and develop strategies to capture the opportunity, Phocuswright, the global research authority on travel, and Arival, the global authority on travel experiences, have joined forces to develop a landmark study of the sector.

A new look at travel’s third-largest marketplace

Fastest-Growing: Outpacing the rest of travel, fueled by Gen Z and younger travelers who value doing over having.
Emotional Core: The heart of travel — where brands create meaning, memories, and true differentiation amid the never-ending battle against commodification
Platform Power: As the segments’ biggest OTAs achieve global scale and profitability (Viator, GetYourGuide, Klook, Fever, etc), the sector has proven itself and the business opportunity has never been greater.
Digital Takeoff & Market Maturity: This famously fragmented sector is finally online, unlocking data, reach, and – most importantly for the rest of travel – accessibility to participate in real, revenue-generating upside.

We’ll undertake three key project components:

Market Size & Outlook: Define the global Experiences market and regional growth trajectories.
Operator Landscape: Benchmark operator performance, technology, and distribution trends.
Traveler Demand: Reveal traveler motivations, behaviors, and purchase patterns.

Our combined team of travel analysts and experiences experts will synthesize market data, operator insights, and traveler research into a cohesive, data-driven narrative that helps you see the full picture — and act on it.

⬇️ Scroll to see Research Objectives, Key Questions to be Addressed and the benefits of sponsoring like getting the data.

Research objectives and how your brand will benefit

This project will reveal how travel’s third-largest sector is transforming trip planning and creating new opportunities for brands to connect, differentiate and drive customer loyalty.

1. Quantify the Global Opportunity

Define the size and growth trajectory of the global
Experiences market.
Segment the opportunity by region, category (tours, activities, attractions) and traveler type.

2. Benchmark Recovery & Future Growth

Assess how the sector has recovered post-pandemic and where growth is accelerating.
Identify macro-trends and leading indicators shaping demand through 2030.

3. Understand the Operator Landscape

Analyze business performance, technology adoption and distribution strategies among operators.
Identify structural barriers and innovation opportunities within the supply side.

4. Decode the Traveler Mindset

Explore traveler motivations, behaviors and expectations around experiences.
Understand how discovery, booking and satisfaction differ by generation and market.

5. Map the Digital & AI Transformation

Examine how digital platforms and emerging AI technologies are reshaping discovery, personalization and sales.
Evaluate where brands can leverage tech to create competitive advantage.

6. Identify Strategic Opportunities for Global Travel Brands

Provide a roadmap for airlines, hotels, DMOs and OTAs to integrate and monetize Experiences.
Highlight partnership, product and marketing strategies to capture share in the fast-growing experiences economy.

Eight key questions we’ll tackle

How big is the global Experiences opportunity — and where is it headed?
What is the state of sales, marketing, and distribution across the sector?
What does the Experiences inventory look like — and how is it evolving?
How are technology and AI reshaping operations, discovery and booking?
What kinds of activities do travelers seek — and what drives their choices?
Where, when, and how do travelers discover, research and book Experiences?
How can travel brands integrate, market and sell Experiences effectively to their customers?
How can they access supply, build partnerships and deliver Experiences at scale?

What you'll gain from this study

Market Clarity: Know the size, structure and outlook of the global Experiences sector.
Opportunity Mapping: Pinpoint the fastest-growing regions, segments and traveler types.
Competitive Insight: Benchmark performance, technology use and distribution trends.
Traveler Understanding: See what drives discovery, choice and booking behavior.
AI & Tech Advantage: Learn how innovation is reshaping discovery and delivery.
Supply Access: Understand how to source, integrate and scale Experiences content.
Partnership Playbook: Identify collaboration and cross-sell opportunities across travel.
Actionable Framework: Turn data and insight into clear strategy and measurable growth.

Methodology

Traveler Survey

Quantitative online survey of 5 travel markets with 800 respondents from the U.S. and 400 respondents from four countries in Europe. Additional markets and custom questions and research for specific segments available on request for an additional fee.

5 Country markets: U.S., UK, Germany, France, Spain

To qualify for the study, respondents must meet the following criteria:

Adults 18+ years of age
Traveled at least 100 KM from home and stayed overnight
Participated in a qualifying tour, activity or attractions in past 12 months (whether paid or unpaid)
Played a role in the travel planning process

B2B Experiences Global Operators Survey

Quantitative online survey with over 5,000 operators of tours, activities attractions and experiences fielded through Arival’s global database and industry partners.

Operate qualified activity within the Experiences taxonomy as defined by Arival.

Go inside the mind of the global experiences traveler

In this unique global survey of travelers who book experiences, we’ll delve deeply into:

Who they are – traveler profiles, motivations & trip types
What they want – experiences sought, emerging values & preferences
How they choose – what drives selection: reviews, uniqueness, price, trust
How they plan – when & how experiences fit into trip planning
What they book – top experience types, timing & booking channels
The role of tech – from OTAs to AI, the digital trends shaping traveler habits
The role of experiences – how activities inspire destinations & trip choices
Why it matters – how experiences drive travel decisions & brand engagement

Qualified tours, activities, attractions, events

Tours	Activities	Attractions	Events
Tours of all types, incl. Modes of transportation - Bus - Boat - Bike - Car, - Air (plane, helicopter) - Walking Themes and content: - Adventure, - Art and culture - Food and drink - Ghost - History - Sightseeing	Cultural classes	Amusement parks	Performing arts
	Escape rooms	Museums	Sporting events
	Land-based activity or rental	Zoos & aquariums	Concerts
	Flying activities	Cultural sites and monuments	Festivals
	Spa & wellness	Natural attractions
	Theater, show or entertainment	Observation decks
	Water-based activities & rentals	Ticketed experiences (e.g. pop-ups, immersive exhibits)

Market sizing

Combining Arival’s deep expertise in the Experiences sector with Phocuswright’s global travel market data and analysis, this study will quantify the total market opportunity across:

Global gross bookings from 2019-2029

Segmentation: 
Regional geography: North America, LATAM, EMEA, and APAC,
Categories: tours, activities, attractions
(Note: sizing will not include events)

Booking channels: 
Online direct (operator websites)
Online indirect (OTAs)
Offline direct (walk-up, ticket office, phone)
Offline indirect (travel agency, wholesaler, tour operator, etc.)

Note: Booking channel and category segmentation at global level only

Experiences operators survey core topics

Segmentation by: 

Size (number of guests served)
Categories: tours, activities, or attractions (additional subcategories may be available based on sample sizes)
Region (North America, LATAM, EMEA, APAC (additional countries may be available based on sample sizes)

Click here for full sponsor benefits. Or contact us at sales@phocuswright.com

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Contact our team today: +1 860 350-4084 x501
Email us: sales@phocuswright.com

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