Where escapism makes way for enrichment and meaning-making beats out sightseeing, you’ll find the wanderlusters who travel with purpose. DON’T STOP READING if you market a luxury oceanfront resort or getaway-from-it-all destination! There are ways for you to capture these travelers — we’ll get into the details surrounding that — but, first, it’s important to understand their motivations.
Ghost tours. Haunted hotels. Prisons widely known for intense paranormal activity. Besides the obvious, otherworldly connections, they all have one thing in common. They are powerful economic and cultural assets for destinations. It’s true. Now more than ever, travelers are intrigued by these mysterious brushes with the unknown and the numbers aren’t afraid to show it. In fact, haunted tourism, also known as dark tourism, has become a multi-billion-dollar global business.
Data suggests that U.S. travelers are making one thing loud and clear. They’re ready to distance themselves from getaways fueled by hustle and bustle, sensory-heavy attractions, jam-packed tours and rushed itineraries. Instead, they’re seeking escapes focused on mindfulness, nature, a break from overly techy activities, and, yes, even cell phones — gasp! As predicted, the quietcation travel trend is silently making itself known — and perking up the ears of savvy destinations everywhere.
ICYMI, texts are the preferred means of communication for … just about everyone. With consumers of all generations glued to their phones, brands have a vast audience within easy reach through the latest SMS marketing trends. Let’s get straight into it.
In travel and tourism, timing and relevance are everything. It’s all about sending the right message at the right time. Utilizing automated email marketing is one of the ways to help make this happen. Also known as trigger emails, these highly personalized motivators bridge the gap between a dream vacation and a booked one.
Originally launched in August 2020, Instagram Reels was Meta’s answer to TikTok. Ever since, the video platform-within-a-platform has grown explosively. In 2024, Reels accounted for 37% of the time spent on Instagram. Then that number jumped to 46% in 2025. As the app’s audience goes, so go the marketers — more than half of Instagram’s ads in 2025 were Reels.
This blog is heavy with science-fiction-sounding phrases — but they all represent our reality in the not-so-distant future. To help keep your website findable today and years from now, we’re breaking down everything you need to know about quantum search, which is being hailed as the next generation of SEO. Don’t worry, we’re writing this straight-talking overview for marketers, not developers.
Event tourism refers to travel motivated by planned events—whether cultural, sporting, entertainment or business-driven— that draws visitors beyond their everyday environment. From international festivals to global sports competitions like FIFA World Cup 26™, these events don’t just fill seats. They influence where people go, how long they stay and how they experience a destination.
At this point, everyone has a relationship with AI. Even if you’ve never tapped into ChatGPT or Gemini, you’ve been served AI results in a regular Google search. With the tech moving faster than the speed of sound, we thought this would be a good time to define some of the acronyms and language being tossed around as well as uncover opportunities AI presents for destinations.
From picking the perfect pumpkin to farm-to-table dining and raising a glass to local vintages on a guided vineyard tour, agritourism is captivating travelers who crave connection, authenticity and a taste of something real.