Cultural immersion emerged in most 2026 trend reports with travelers expressing their wish to learn about and make meaningful connections with the destinations they visit. A Reader’s Digest 2026 travel trends report revealed that people are craving deeper, more customized experiences that go beyond surface-level sightseeing. Whether it's a local music or culinary festival, set-jetting to see filming locations for their favorite show, or a deep-dive into the architecture and history of a place, the travel advisors who know the most about a destination's year-round offerings are the ones who will come out ahead.
Travelers are focusing on memorable experiences rather than traditional luxury, seeking itineraries that engage them in culture and storytelling. In Why Travel?, Trip.com Group's recent joint report with Google, researchers discovered the travel experience economy is driven by people seeking connection and emotional moments, with travelers planning entire trips around their favorite musicians.
Here's how advisors can leverage the opportunity to win new business by becoming trusted experts in experiential travel.
Expertise gives advisors an edge
Diane Cook, founder and principal travel designer for 7Seas2SeeTravel, says it's important to become an expert in a destination’s cultural offerings so you can ask clients the right questions and plan an extraordinary trip for them.
"When you understand they're foodies or there’s a point in history that fascinates them, then you can narrow in on what would thrill them and work with local suppliers and tour guides to put together a very personalized experience," she explains.
Cook's clients ask about cultural and sporting events all the time, and she says advisors need to be aware of what's going on year-round in various destinations.
"F1 racing has become huge with a massive following, so if I know they’re going to be somewhere where there's a race, I’ll ask, 'Is anybody a fan? There's an F1 race that weekend'," she says.
"I’ve also planned trips around the FIFA World Cup, the Masters — people are traveling the world to combine sports with their adventures. Then there are the Swifties traveling the world, which made an economic impact in every city where a Taylor Swift concert was playing."
When suggesting pre- and post-cruise excursions, advisors have a chance to extend client trips by recommending cultural or culinary events near departure or arrival ports. While many river cruise lines already offer pre- and post-options, Cook says her more independent clients often choose another route.
"You have to think outside of the box for what would make them consider staying longer. I suggest clients take time to really soak in that area's culture," says Cook. "It takes some work and research on your part to look at what's going on there and what you can present. You have to really know the destination, your clients and what interests them."
Source: New Orleans & Company
Destinations are keen to help advisors sell travel packages
Rachel Funel, senior account executive with New Orleans & Company, wants to give advisors the right tools so their clients have the best travel experience.
"We want visitors to see and do authentic New Orleans activities: a riverboat cruise, a cooking class, going to Mardi Gras World and touring the National World War II Museum. Becoming a New Orleans expert through our certification courses, for example, gives you the tools to sell our city better," says Funel.
"New Orleans is truly one of a kind, a city with more than 300 years of history that continues to evolve in exciting ways. There’s always something to celebrate, with over 130 festivals year-round, from the Congo Square Rhythms Festival to New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, along with food-focused favorites like the Fried Chicken Festival and the Creole Tomato Festival, so I always suggest to plan their visit around a festival if they can. At the same time, the city is constantly introducing new experiences, from JAMNOLA in its new Frenchmen Street location to immersive attractions like Vue Orleans, along with improved accessibility through the new Amtrak Mardi Gras Service, making it easier than ever to experience everything New Orleans has to offer."
International insight goes a long way
"Travel is constantly evolving and over the past 30 years that I've been in the industry, I’ve seen how it has shifted to people looking for off-the-beaten-track experiences and customization," says Channa Jayasinghe, senior Europe destination specialist with Goway Travel.
"There are more travel-savvy customers, and people are more adventurous, so advisors have to stay abreast and be well-informed, rather than just offering what’s on the shelf. We should guide customers and put together the experience they're looking for."
Jayasinghe sees many travelers asking about incorporating food, music and cultural festivals into their itineraries. And with so many events to choose from throughout the year, advisors need to know which ones to recommend and which to avoid.
Visitors heading to Germany, for example, won't want to miss Munich's Oktoberfest, the world's largest beer festival, but might not know about Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart, which is considered a more authentic alternative. Here, travelers can also learn about the region's storied automotive innovation history and visit two immersive museums: the Mercedes Museum and the Porsche Museum.
"And not far from Stuttgart is a small town called Ludwigsburg with a very interesting local pumpkin festival where you can see how local Germans celebrate," he adds.
Advisors can also recommend Frankfurt's Green Sauce Festival in May, which showcases the local green sauce culinary tradition or Berlin's Carnival of Cultures, a multi-cultural street festival held in June.
"I've seen some people wanting to follow their icons and then build a program around it. Others want to experience local European music. Not far from Hamburg is a town called Wacken that hosts Open Air, a heavy metal music festival that's very popular in Germany and we definitely market those kinds of events," says Jayasinghe.
The right resources are key to selling experience-driven travel
While there's an overwhelming amount of information available online, Cook prefers getting what she needs directly from the destination.
"The ones that are really good are so worthwhile, and it’s more than just learning about a place; you also then have the connection with the tourism board, and depending if you’re thinking of taking a group down, or you want to go experience for yourself, being able to have those experiences is truly essential," she says.
"Then, building on those connections, you could send an email: 'I did the training, but I have a client who wants this and I need some direction,' or 'I need the name of a guide that would specialize in this specifically.'"
Cooke suggests travel advisors educate themselves so they can make the right suggestions, especially where year-round travel is concerned.
"If a client says, 'My budget is this,' and that’s not realistic for July, a good advisor will come back and say, 'If you’re willing to look at November, we can possibly work with that'," she says.
"Because if you're just order-taking, that’s your loss. But if you're thinking to the next opportunity, how can we turn that around, what can I add on to that, you’re setting yourself and your clients up for success."