Qiddiya City Partner Content

As consumer preferences shift toward more experiential travel, destinations that embrace entertainment, sports, and cultural tourism will be better positioned to attract both regional visitors and international travelers.

As the experience economy evolves the travel industry, brands are under pressure to meet rising expectations for activity-led bookings. In a fireside chat at Skift Global Forum East, Ross McAuley, MD advisor and director general of Play Qiddiya City DMMO, pulled back the curtain on how play serves as a bridge between destinations and travelers in this new reality.

Play is essential to human well-being, and travelers, especially younger ones, are increasingly likely to plan trips around sports, music, and other entertainment and cultural events. As a result, providing opportunities for play is becoming essential for travel companies and destinations as the centerpiece of their growth, development, and marketing strategies.

More and more travelers are seeking play activities as a means for self-fulfillment, looking inward as a source of travel inspiration. Destinations that embrace entertainment, sports, and cultural tourism will be better positioned to attract both regional visitors and international travelers.