A concert ticket can now come before the flight. A sporting fixture can decide the city. For a growing part of the travel market, the question is no longer simply where to go, but what is worth travelling for. That shift is changing the business of selling holidays, and the organisations a travel platform needs to work with. Speaking to Breaking Travel News at the WTTC Global Summit 2026 in Malta, Edison Chen, Vice President, Global Destination Marketing at Trip.com Group, describes an industry having to rethink both how it attracts travellers and what it offers them once they arrive.
The travel market is shifting focus from destination to experiences, where events like concerts and sports drive travel decisions.
Edison Chen emphasizes that events are becoming primary motivators for travel, influencing where people choose to go.
Travel platforms must adapt by partnering with event organizers and enhancing their offerings around experiences rather than just locations.
Sales strategies are evolving to prioritize event-related travel, making experiences the focal point of holiday planning.