Insights Driven By Data: Almost Anything Can Be Turned Into A Demand Generator

A few years ago, my friends and I were hanging out on an evening like many others: nice weather, good music, and many laughs. But one thing was different. As we were relaxing in a hot tub and gazing at the black sky lit only by the glowing moon and the faint twinkle of countless stars, we noticed a moving celestial body. And then another. And then even more. We stayed there for hours, each one of us with our eyes fixed to the sky, waiting to call out the next shooting star we could spot. Even today, after we all went off to separate colleges, my friend group cites this night as one of our favorite memories together.

We didn’t know about it then, but what we witnessed was the annual Perseids Meteor Shower that typically peaks in the middle of August and is most visible in the Northern Hemisphere. I was astonished to learn of the existence of this phenomenon — especially because I would have traveled many miles and spent many dollars to experience that night with my friends again.

The point I am trying to make is not that meteor showers are the next big boom for New York State tourism (although astrotourism certainly has its moments). Rather, I believe there are two factors that destinations and other tourism organizations must control in order to turn any event into a sustained driver of travel: scarcity — or the perception of scarcity — and a sense of community.

We are about a month removed from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which saw millions of international travelers converge on the United States to celebrate the most popular sport in the world with friends and family. Because it hosted several matches including the final at MetLife Stadium, the New York City metropolitan area in particular experienced an influx of visitors. Airlines, lodging companies, destinations, attractions, restaurants, and the entirety of the travel, tourism, and hospitality industry came together to welcome these fans. Beyond just the soccer games themselves, people who traveled to new states and new counties for the tournament got to experience the culture and the attractions of the places they were in. 

The only other time that the USA has hosted the World Cup was in 1994, and it’s not yet known when the next time will be (hence the scarcity). In a similar vein, this year’s America 250 celebrations have also been a special travel demand generator.

Now is a very critical time that will determine whether this summer was a one-off win for the tourism industry, or a replicable strategy that will pay dividends long into the future. 

Travel Alliance Partnership (TAP) recently published an article discussing exactly what I am getting at: how to transform unique occurrences into must-attend events that benefit everyone in the industry (DMOs, hotels, restaurants, etc.). TAP stresses the following guiding principles in this effort:

1. The event is usually temporary and thus scarce: sports tournaments, natural phenomena, important anniversaries, cultural celebrations, museum exhibitions, and anything else that can be presented as a limited-time experience.
2. Destinations must plan long in advance in order to establish cohesive messaging and collaboration with attractions and other tourism entities.
3. Through prolonged effort, destinations can reap year-round benefits from these moments, as demonstrated by this case study of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

The lessons from this summer can be applied to upcoming events like the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the 2031 FIFA Women's World Cup, the 2031 Rugby World Cup and the 2034 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, which are all being hosted by America.

But until then, destinations should look for moments that can be marketed as essential travel experiences. They may not be as flashy, but people are already excited for them — or can be convinced to be excited. 

After all, it’s not always the event itself that satisfies people: It’s the feelings they experience in that moment, paired with the people they are surrounded by. If my own experience is any indication, we’re all just looking for that perfect night with our friends or family in which we witness something that we cannot see every day.