Arival Report: Young Travelers Now Plan Their Trips Around Events, Not Destinations

Experience providers can build around emotional connection and loyalty

 

NEW YORK, NY, Nov. 19, 2025 – The latest report from [arival.travel]Arival – the leading authority for the tours, activities and experiences industry – reveals a major shift in how younger travelers plan and spend.  Events – from music festivals and cultural performances to live sports – are no longer add-ons; they’re the reason for the trip.

 

Arival’s Event-Driven Traveler report, which was based on an online survey of 2,400 US and European travelers (France, Germany, Spain, and the UK) was conducted in fall 2024.  Respondents qualified as “event travelers” if they had taken a leisure trip at least 100 miles from home in the past year, stayed overnight, and attended a performing arts or sporting event.  The study explored their behaviors, preferences, and attitudes around event attendance, trip planning, and spending.

 

Nearly half of US travelers aged 18-34 and two in five in Europe say a live event was a major factor in choosing their destination.  This trend is reshaping trip itineraries, boosting travel spend, and creating new opportunities for experience providers.

 

Among the key findings:

• 73% of US travelers and 60% of Europeans attended an event in 2024
• Young travelers (18-34) attended an average of 3.7 events per year in the US and 3.0 in Europe
• US travelers aged 35-54 spent nearly $400 per event – the highest of any group
• European travelers aged 18–34 spent €221 per event, topping all other age groups in the region
• Sports dominate event attendance, but performing arts remain strong among older travelers
• Most travelers book event tickets before their trip – 53% in both the US and Europe

 

Beyond the numbers, the report shows that events are shaping the entire travel journey. Sporting events are the most commonly attended, with football, basketball, and baseball leading in the US, while soccer and tennis dominate in Europe.  Concerts and cultural performances also rank highly, underscoring the breadth of experiences travelers are seeking.  Travelers are also highly intentional in their planning.  Most secure tickets before departure, often weeks in advance, to guarantee access and avoid sell-outs.  Yet many still research close to the event date, highlighting the importance of maintaining visibility for last-minute planners.

 

“Events are becoming a key driver of travel planning, especially for younger generations,” said Douglas Quinby, CEO and Co-founder of Arival. “We’re seeing a fundamental shift in the travel decision-making process.  For many travelers, the concert or match isn’t just part of the itinerary – it’s the reason they’re going.  This has profound implications for how destinations, operators, and marketers think about product design.  “The event-driven traveler is highly intentional. They’re researching across social platforms, booking early to avoid sellouts, and spending significantly – especially in the US and UK.  The opportunity for experience companies to build around these behaviors is enormous.  Operators who can connect the dots between events, local experiences, and seamless booking will be best positioned to capture this growing market.”

 

These findings will be a central theme at Arival 360 Valencia, taking place from April 27th-29th 2026.  Under the theme, The Tomorrow Operator, the event will explore how tours, activities, and attractions can adapt to this new reality.  Industry leaders will deep dive into:

 

• The future consumer and market outlooks – understanding generational shifts in travel behavior
• Crowds, attractions and the future of access – managing demand around high-profile events
• AI for experience creators – leveraging tech to personalize and optimize event-driven experiences

 

Learn more and register at arival.travel.

  

About Arival

Arival produces conferences, insights and community for tours, activities and attractions and is the global research authority for in-destination experiences. Arival research offers exclusive, primary quantitative and qualitative research to help tour, activity, and attraction industry professionals understand key market trends, identify new opportunities, set their strategies, track their competitors and understand their customers. Learn more at Arival.Travel.