Sports and music: powerhouses of travel
The rise of “gig-tripping”—traveling specifically for concerts and sports events—is particularly strong among younger generations. Large-scale events are increasingly influencing global travel patterns.
– Questions Pro underlined that Taylor Swift’s tour generated an estimated €5 billion in economic impact, with her Paris concerts alone attractied 13% of ticket buyers from the U.S, (based on data from AEG France).
– ibis’ “Go get it” Trends Report noted sports tourism was valued at $564.7 billion in 2023, and travel linked to sporting events is expected to rise by 12% next year.
Major music events draw a wide range of international visitors, increasing hotel room demand and generating significant economic benefits. According to data from MKG Consulting, during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, the RevPAR reached €210.7, even higher than the €191.0 RevPAR during The Eras Tour concert of Taylor Swift in May 2024 in Paris. The Olympic Games period saw a 59% increase in RevPAR compared to 2022, while the Taylor Swift concert had a more significant impact on hotel occupancy, attracting a larger number of visitors. This highlights the growing importance of music events in driving tourism and supporting the hospitality industry, showing how music tourism can be a key contributor to economic growth in cities.
“When Taylor Swift performed in Australia, she held four shows at Accor Stadium, and the impact was remarkable. “Our hotels were fully booked, and we saw record-breaking performance, even beyond the Sydney Olympics. It’s a powerful example of gig-tripping in action: one artist, one event, driving thousands to travel, stay, and spend.”
– Mehdi Hemici, Chief Loyalty & Ecommerce Officer at Accor
In an effort to capitalize on this growing trend, Accor’s booking platform and loyalty program, ALL offers special access to activities designed to enhance fans & family stays. An extensive variety encompasses everything from major sports events such as football matches, tennis tournaments, and sailing competitions (at Accor Arena in France, Allianz Parque in Brazil or Accor Stadium in Australia…) to cultural and entertainment options (concerts, Candelight, musical events, visits… ) at recognized landmarks like the Louvre Museum, Sydney Opera House, Empire State Building and Morumbi Stadium Sao Paulo. This is all in addition to resort-based activities like diving, golf, surfing, and other outdoor pursuits which altogether provide a truly enriching stay.
” Today, travelers are choosing destinations for the experiences, not just the place. . ALL has led the way with iconic partnerships like Paris Saint-Germain, we’re turning passions into journeys. When members unlock these moments with their points, it’s loyalty brought to life.” – adds Mehdi Hemici, Chief Loyalty & Ecommerce Officer at Accor
Accor brands, such as Novotel, are also enhancing travel experiences through partnerships: La Suite Novotel by ALL.com at Parc des Princes, home of the Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) football club, allows fans to stay overnight in the iconic venue.
Beyond the events themselves, these trips encourage travelers to explore local culture, cuisine, and history, thereby transforming a concert or sports match into a broader adventure.
Recognizing this demand, hotel brands focus on experience-driven travel to strengthen their connection with guests by offering unique travel incentives: ibis RockCorps, for example, offers an initiative called Encouraging community engagement through music. It
promotes community involvement through music, bringing people together to contribute to local projects. For the 2024 edition, participants who dedicated four hours to a civic initiative, received a ticket to attend the RockCorps France concert, which featured performances by well-known rap artists. A total of 13,000 volunteers contributed to 215 projects before celebrating at the Accor Arena. The movement continues in 2025, with new concerts and projects launched on March.
Set-Jetting: Traveling through the screen
Another powerful trend shaping 2025 travel is “set-jetting”—visiting filming locations — including staying at hotels which were used as sets — from popular movies and TV series. This enables travellers to re-live scenes from their favorite films or simply get up close and personal with the actual filming locations. Fans want to immerse themselves in the fictional worlds they’ve seen on screen, from the neon-lit streets of Seoul inspired by Squid Game to The Plaza Hotel in New York in Mission Impossible or Home alone 2: Lost in New York .
In fact,a British Airways report noted that 78% of travelers wanted to visit a place after seeing it in a movie or TV show, highlighting the growing influence of pop culture on travel decisions.
The Norway Assignment which, according to Pelorus, is inspired by Mission: Impossible, invites travelers to explore Norway’s dramatic landscapes like a real-life Ethan Hunt.
One of the most strategic ways in which Accor maintains its position on the leading edge of hospitality, is by paying close attention to market and societal trends to identify evolving consumer behaviors and expectations. Accor’s award-winning From Change To Opportunity content series delves deeper into these emerging shifts impacting hospitality and identifies ways to leverage these transformations into opportunities for business growth. Its most recent trend report, ‘The New Quality of Time: How the World’s New Tempo is Impacting Hospitality’, highlights key insights related to travelers’ increasing desire to pursue passions and engage in cultural pursuits.
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