Over the past decade, travellers have increasingly sought deeper cultural engagement from their trips. According to a recent Oxford Economics report presented at HBX Group's MarketHub Asia event, 72% of travellers prefer spending money on local activities over traditional sightseeing.

This trend is particularly strong among Millennials and Gen Z travellers, who increasingly value meaningful connections, authentic experiences and personal enrichment over conventional tourism.

For travel agents, this shift presents an opportunity to create more personalised itineraries that go beyond accommodation and transport, helping clients experience destinations through local culture, food, neighbourhoods and community-led activities.

Authentic Travel: Why is this travel trend on the rise?

The rise of the experience economy continues to reshape how people travel. Increasingly, travel is no longer about seeing a destination, but participating in it.

As highlighted in our recent Travel Trend Report, the global experiences market, covering tours, activities and attractions, is projected to reach $372.93 billion by 2034, reflecting sustained demand for more immersive travel. At the same time, nearly 90% of Europeans want more travel experiences than in previous years, demonstrating that in-destination engagement has become a key booking driver.

For travel advisors this means experiences are no longer simply ancillary products. They are becoming a core part of the holiday decision-making process.

You can also download our travel trend report for additional insights into the travel behaviours shaping 2026 and beyond.

The Demand for Authenticity and Participation

Today's travellers increasingly want their trips to feel personal and meaningful. Whether that involves trying regional cuisine, joining a local workshop, exploring neighbourhood markets or connecting with local communities, participation is becoming more important than observation.

Oxford Economics data shows that 50% of travellers are more interested in trying local food and drink than they were two years ago, underlining the importance of culture-led experiences.

Social platforms such as TikTok and Instagram continue to accelerate this trend. Travellers are constantly exposed to authentic moments: cooking classes in Bangkok, artisan workshops in Kyoto, neighbourhood food tours in Mexico City or local festivals in small European towns. These experiences often inspire travel decisions long before flights or hotels are booked.

For travel agents, this creates opportunities to build itineraries around specific interests, including:

• Food and drink experiences
• Local culture and heritage
• Wellness and wellbeing
• Creative workshops
• Nature and outdoor activities

Clients increasingly value experts who can help them access experiences they may not discover on their own.

International Travel Growth Is Driving Demand for Local Experiences

Forecasts indicate that global inbound tourism will reach 2.1 billion visits by 2030, representing a 39% increase compared with current volumes, while visitor expenditure is expected to reach approximately $2.6 trillion.

Booking patterns also suggest travellers are staying longer. According to Oxford Economics, international trips involving paid accommodation were 7% longer in 2025 than pre-pandemic averages.

Longer stays create greater demand for:

• Accommodation in culturally rich neighbourhoods
• Guided local tours
• Culinary experiences
• Community-led activities
• Everyday cultural experiences that help travellers feel part of a destination

This trend aligns closely with the growing demand for what many now describe as 'living like a local.'

A strong example is Japan's retailer Don Quijote ("Donki"), which has evolved into a destination experience in its own right. Its distinctive atmosphere, neighbourhood-specific merchandising and strong localisation strategy have made its stores popular attractions for international visitors seeking authentic day-to-day Japanese culture.

The company's ability to transform ordinary local experiences into tourism moments demonstrates the growing appetite for everyday authenticity. Its 2024 campaign featuring Bruno Mars generated approximately 20 million views, further highlighting global interest in these kinds of experiences.

For travel agents, this reinforces an important message: travellers increasingly want recommendations that help them understand how locals actually live, shop, eat and socialise.

Cultural Festivals and Niche Events Are Powerful Travel Motivators

While global events such as Japan's Hanami season and Thailand's Songkran continue to attract millions of visitors, travellers are increasingly planning trips around smaller, local and regional events.

Industry data shows that 60% of international travellers planned trips around events in 2025. Among younger travellers, the figure rises to 56%.

The appetite extends across multiple sectors:

• Around 40% of sports fans have travelled internationally for an event.
• Nearly 20% of ticket buyers have travelled abroad for music festivals, according to AEG Global Partnerships data.

For travel agents, these moments provide valuable opportunities to build purpose-driven itineraries that combine accommodation, transfers and experiences around a specific event.

Rather than focusing solely on the headline attraction, travellers can be encouraged to explore surrounding neighbourhoods, local food scenes, cultural districts and lesser-known attractions before and after the event. 

Opportunities for Travel Agents

• Build itineraries around local calendars: (festivals, food fairs, cultural seasons) are high‑intent moments to package these ’local living’ itineraries.
• City breaks can be reframed as neighbourhood‑centric cultural stays: highlighting markets, galleries, venues, micro‑neighbourhood tours, rather than ‘checklist’ weekends.
• Package accommodation, transfers and activities together to increase value and convenience.
• Use local events as anchors for broader destination exploration.

With Bedsonline's global accommodation portfolio, transfers network and extensive activities inventory, agents can easily create tailored journeys around these high-intent travel moments.

Register your travel agency and start curating exceptional experiences today!

Why the Local Living Travel Trend Matters

Several powerful forces are converging to drive this trend:

Personalisation

Around 70% of younger travellers want trips tailored specifically to their interests.

The World Travel Market Travel Trends Report also highlights that 50% of global travellers used OTAs when planning or booking their last international trip, while gross bookings increased by approximately 50% between 2019 and 2025.

The expectation for personalisation is becoming universal. Travellers increasingly expect relevant recommendations, reviews, flexible booking journeys and mobile-first experiences.

Value and Meaning

While 81% of travellers say price influences destination choice, more than 50% view luxury as high-quality, personalised and authentic experiences rather than premium pricing alone.

This shift creates opportunities for travel agents to differentiate through expertise and curation rather than competing solely on cost.

Travellers increasingly value increasingly relevant recommendations, exclusive experiences which are rooted firmly in local culture, personalised itineraries and the opportunity to create meaningful memories.

Create Exceptional Trips with The Luxury Collection

For clients seeking premium travel experiences, the Luxury Collection offers seamless access to a curated portfolio of 11,000+ luxury hotels and resorts worldwide.

The collection includes:

• Exceptional hotel stays
• Complementary concierge services
• Private transfers
• Exclusive experiences
• VIP amenities to enhance every guests' stay

All available through a single booking experience: use the 'Luxury Collection' filter within our powerful Booking Engine to quickly identify properties suited to travellers looking for elevated, experience-led journeys.

By combining luxury accommodation with local tours, cultural experiences and private transportation, agents can create itineraries that reflect today's definition of luxury: personal, meaningful and effortless.

Access the Luxury Collection by becoming a Bedsonline partner today or logging in to your Bedsonline account!

The Rise of Off-the-Beaten-Path Destinations

Alongside growing interest in local experiences, travellers are actively looking beyond traditional tourism hotspots. Around 56% of travellers are interested in discovering new destinations, particularly those offering cultural immersion and fewer crowds.

This trend closely aligns with the rise of detour destinations, where travellers seek alternative locations that deliver authenticity, value and richer connections with local culture.

Travel advisors can take advantage by:

• Recommending secondary cities instead of primary gateways.
• Building shoulder-season itineraries.
• Highlighting regional festivals and lesser-known events.
• Offering alternatives to overcrowded destinations, to create more sustainable ways of travel that avoid overtourism.

These recommendations often deliver stronger client satisfaction while helping travellers discover more meaningful experiences.

Bringing Local Experiences to Life with Bedsonline

Helping clients 'live like a local' requires access to the right products and services. Through Bedsonline, travel agents can access:

Global Accommodation Options

A portfolio of more than 300,000 properties across cities, cultural districts, beach destinations and rural locations, helping clients stay closer to the experiences they want.

Experiences and Activities

More than 23,000 experiences, including: cultural tours, local workshops to learn about local culture and specialities, food and dining experiences to sample local cuisine, artisan-led experiences for true immersion, and off-the-beaten path destinations to fuel that exploratory mindset.

These products make it easier to build immersive itineraries that align with changing traveller expectations.

The Future of Travel Is Local, Authentic and Immersive

The desire to live like a local is no longer a niche preference. It has become one of the defining characteristics of modern travel.

Supported by changing traveller expectations, a rapidly growing experiences sector and the influence of social media, this trend is expected to shape travel behaviour well beyond 2026.

Key Opportunities for Travel Agents

• Embrace hyper-local and immersive experiences.
• Use local events and cultural moments to inspire travel.
• Incorporate festivals, neighbourhoods and alternative destinations into itineraries.
• Create highly personalised travel recommendations.
• Package accommodation, transfers and experiences together for greater value.
• Leverage Bedsonline's global portfolio to deliver seamless, experience-led journeys.

As travellers increasingly seek meaning, connection and authenticity, travel agents are uniquely positioned to help them discover the people, places and experiences that make every trip feel truly local.

Create, manage and package memorable travel experiences for today's traveller by registering your agency with Bedsonline today or log in to your Bedsonline account and explore an expansive global portfolio of travel products, and intuitive advisor tools to maximise the value of every trip!