Cultural content drives global travel bookings

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Chateau de la Messardiere in HBO's White lotus

Films, television series and music tours are increasingly shaping where travellers go and what they book, with cultural content now directly influencing bookings, according to Spain-based tours and activities platform Civitatis.

The company’s latest data shows a shift from inspiration to transaction, with measurable spikes in activity sales linked to streaming content, film franchises and live events.

Music tourism is emerging as a key short term driver, with demand closely tracking tour schedules. Coldplay concerts triggered a 65% increase in activity bookings in Budapest, alongside year-on-year gains of 119% in Munich and 106% in Athens during event periods.

Other major tours show a similar pattern. Ed Sheeran concerts in Madrid generated a 23% increase in bookings compared to the same period in 2024, while Bad Bunny performances in Puerto Rico drove a 234% rise in bookings in 2025, with continued growth into early 2026.

The rise of set-jetting, travel driven by film and television, is also gaining commercial weight. Long running franchises continue to deliver sustained demand, with Gladiator still driving visits to the Colosseum more than 20 years after its release.

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Andrés Spitzer, CEO of Civitatis, said: “We are seeing a clear evolution from inspiration to conversion. Cultural trends have become one of the most powerful drivers of travel demand.”

South Korea offers one of the clearest examples of this shift. Ahead of a Korean boy band BTS’ comeback concert, accommodation bookings by foreign visitors in Seoul rose 103% week-on-week, while overseas bookings increased 63.3% year on year, according to booking platform AllMyTour.

The country also recorded 2.06 million foreign visitors in March 2026, an all time high, with the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism attributing the surge in part to the global reach of K-pop and Korean streaming content.

Television-led tourism is showing similar momentum. Activity bookings in Scotland rose 43% in 2025, supported by demand linked to Outlander, while destinations such as Dubrovnik and Belfast continue to benefit from Game of Thrones.

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Franchise-driven demand remains strong. Bookings for the Warner Bros Studio Tour London increased nearly 15% in 2025, with further growth expected ahead of the brand’s 25th anniversary and a new series launch.

Recent data from Minor International shows a 104% year on year increase in website traffic across its Anantara properties in Thailand following the release of HBO’s The White Lotus. This translated into a 41% rise in direct bookings, with room night bookings increasing by 53% and up to 180% following early episode releases.

Demand for Thailand overall rose 44% after the show aired, with Phuket recording a 66% increase in interest and Bangkok up 61%. Koh Samui, a key filming location, reported a 40% increase in bookings, with some properties reaching full occupancy, according to data from booking platform Opodo.

Expedia Group’s 2025 Traveller Value Index also indicates that younger travellers, particularly Gen Z and millennials, are increasingly planning trips around cultural content and experiences, extending travel beyond headline attractions into food, wellness and local discovery.

For more information, visit www.civitatis.com