Travelers in 2027 will lock away their phones, join trips full of strangers and plan whole holidays around a single game or experience, according to speakers at Arival 360 Spokane, taking place 12 to 15 October. The event marks ten years of Arival, the global community for tours, activities and attractions, and features its 1,000th speaker.
Ahead of the event, Arival asked its speakers to name what they think will be the breakout experience trend of 2027. Here are their top seven predictions.
- Phone-free experiences
“Phone-free experiences will be the breakout trend of 2027. Jack White has required concertgoers to lock their phones in pouches for years. Now Phoebe Bridgers is bringing the same rule to arena-sized audiences with her 2026-27 tour, and the experience has received stellar reviews. As unease about AI and constant screen time grows, audiences are nostalgic for a phone-free life they either never knew or now miss. In 2027, I predict this concert trend will bleed into travel, with travelers seeking the best views over the best photo spots.” Briana Klein, Associate Director of Digital
Marketing and Brand Strategy, BlackDog Advertising
“I think 2027 is the year operators start selling the absence of a screen as the product: small groups, a real host, and phones go in a pouch at the door. AI is about to make trip planning feel pretty interchangeable, so travelers will go looking for the part of the trip a chatbot can’t summarize for them.” Brennen Bliss, CEO, Propellic
- Traveling with strangers
“The loneliness epidemic is real, and millennials and Gen Z are tired of swiping, scrolling, and waiting for friends whose calendars never line up. In 2027, the breakout experience won’t be a destination or an activity. It’ll be the people you meet.” Dan Berger, General Manager, U.S., WeRoad
- The experience becomes the reason to go
“I’m a big believer in sports becoming an increasingly important driver of travel. Las Vegas teams have already helped lay the foundation, and this past year the World Cup dominated the conversation around sports tourism. In 2027, I think we’ll see more travelers choosing a destination specifically because of a team, a game, or a major sporting event, and then building several days of experiences around it.” Roie Zuk, VP Sales, Myticketpro
“I think we’re going to see more people travelling for an experience, rather than choosing a destination first and then figuring out what to do when they get there. Food is a great example of this, but it could be culture, nature, sport or something completely unique to a place. We’ve talked for years about experiences being an important part of the trip. I think in 2027 we’ll increasingly see the experience actually driving the decision to travel in the first place.” Martin Harlow, Chief of Product Innovation, Arival
- The underdog’s moment
“The breakout of 2027 will be the experience nobody has heard of yet. AI assistants are starting to plan entire trips, and they rank by data, not brand size or ad budget. That gives the family-run cooking class or the independent night kayak tour the same shot at the shelf as the biggest attraction in town. It also makes connectivity, with live availability and pricing via API, more important than ever for operators of all sizes. The winners will be properly connected operators with a truly unique offering, not the bigger players selling more of the same.” Ramon Vrieselaar, VP Sales and Partnerships, Prioticket
- The tour that comes with a taste
“The breakout trend of 2027 is the tour that comes with a taste. Among the experiences Walkway prices, the typical tour that adds a local drink, a dish, a show or something hands-on outperformed classic sightseeing this year. Travelers still want the highlights; they just want a little of how people actually live there while they see them.” Terry Donovan, VP, Product, Walkway
- Learning something new, off the beaten path
“2027 belongs to destinations that are even more off the beaten path and to experiences that teach you something. In Global Rescue’s 2026 traveler survey, 52% said they want lesser-known destinations with fewer crowds. On Groupon, U.S. sales of outdoor adventures like zip-lining, kayaking and boating grew 35% from January to September 2026, and hands-on classes grew 29%. People want to build a skill or learn something new: think pottery classes for date night, or flower arranging with girlfriends. I think 2027 will be less about sharing an Instagram photo, and we will see customers place more value on the real world experience.” Carrie Keplinger, VP and General Manager, Things To Do, Groupon
“I’d bet on hands-on, immersive, skill-building experiences, the kinds of activities where you come away having actually made, learned, or tried something new. We’ve watched this trend build for nearly a decade, starting with the rise of cooking classes and expanding into everything from photography and dance lessons to craft-making classes (Viator’s fastest-growing category this year). Famous things in famous places will always be popular, but travelers increasingly want experiences that connect them more deeply with local traditions, history and ways of life.” Kristin Dorsett, General Manager of Experiences, Viator
- Travel that gives back
“I think that for 2027 and beyond, the breakout trend will be a desire for more regenerative tourism experiences. Seasoned and young travelers alike seem to be wanting more than just a fun experience. If they can have fun AND also give back to the community or do some good in the process, they will have an even better time. The recent storms in Hawai’i were a heartwarming lesson… as so many visitors asked us to donate to flood relief victims… rather than get a refund!” Frank Among, Director of Sales and Marketing, Kualoa Ranch Hawai’i
