Historic and cultural appeal is the second most frequently cited reason for choosing an international holiday destination, according to findings published in the WTM Global Travel Report 2026.
Produced in association with Tourism Economics, part of Oxford Economics and specialising in tourism forecasting and research, the report was released at World Travel Market London on 3 November. It found that 27% of travellers cited historic or cultural appeal when choosing their last international destination, behind relaxation at 37% but ahead of good weather at 25%.
Events and local experiences
The report found that 58% of international travellers had taken a trip abroad to attend an event during the previous two years, rising to 80% among 18–34-year-olds.
Music events were the most popular, attracting 37% of international travellers, followed by sporting events at 24% and cultural events at 22%.
Beyond events, 61% expressed interest in sampling local food and drink, while 46% were interested in meeting local people or learning about local culture. A further 57% were very interested in visiting natural environments.
What might this mean for destination marketers and screen tourism?
The prominence of historic and cultural appeal among travellers’ reasons for choosing a destination is particularly interesting for tourism boards and the wider tourism sector. Film and television can contribute to a destination’s cultural identity through its film heritage, recognisable filming locations and the portrayal of local culture on screen.
VisitBritain research found that around half of recent UK visitors surveyed said film or television programmes featuring the country had strongly influenced their decision to visit, while 53% had participated in at least one screen-related activity during their trip.
Internationally, Expedia Group’s Unpack ’27 report, based on a survey of 26,000 adults across 16 countries, found that nearly one in five travellers had booked a trip after seeing a destination featured in a film or television programme.
The findings on event-related travel offer another interesting perspective, particularly the popularity of music, sporting and cultural events. Film festivals, exhibitions, fan conventions and other screen-related activities also fall within the wider events sector, offering destinations additional opportunities to attract visitors.
Although the WTM report does not specifically examine screen tourism, the findings offer useful considerations for film offices and destination marketers. Film heritage, filming locations and screen-related events can all contribute to a destination’s visitor offering, particularly where there are strong associations with particular productions.
Iconic destinations and new discoveries
The report also examined travellers’ interest in iconic destinations compared with discovering new places.
- 39% were very interested in both iconic and new destinations.
- 22% were very interested in new destinations only.
- 12% were very interested in iconic destinations only.
The findings suggest that an interest in iconic destinations does not come at the expense of discovering new places. For destination marketers, this raises questions about how established attractions can be promoted alongside lesser-known destinations, rather than treating the two as competing priorities.
Luxury experiences and value for money
The proportion of travellers reporting spending on luxury experiences rose from 41% in 2025 to 49% in 2026. Meanwhile, 56% expressed interest in both budget and premium experiences, compared with 20% interested only in budget experiences and 16% only in premium experiences.
The report also found that half of those who spent on luxury experiences limited their overall travel spending. Alongside the 16% who cited value for money when choosing a destination, the findings point to travellers making selective choices about where to economise and where to spend more, rather than necessarily seeking an entirely luxury holiday.
Taken together, the findings suggest that travellers’ preferences are rarely confined to a single category. Cultural appeal, events, discovery and spending choices all have a role to play in what people want from their trips, offering opportunities for destinations to broaden their marketing beyond established attractions and highlight more of their visitor and cultural experiences.
Source: WTM Global Travel Report 2026 Highlights, produced with Tourism Economics.
