At the Arabian Travel Market 2025, a session was held by MCN, in partnership with The Economist and McCann Truth Central, to explore the future of travel, tourism, and destination branding. The session revealed key insights, indicating that marketers should consider the concept of ‘live tourism,’ which refers to the impact of major live events on global tourism.

Research conducted by MCN suggests that in order to transform events into long-term value, destinations must move beyond just hosting moments and focus on building emotional connections, cultural identity, and brand legacies. Joe Nicolas, CEO – MENAT at UM Worldwide, stated that live events are a powerful catalyst for tourism growth in the Middle East, with each destination needing to tailor their event strategies to achieve their unique tourism objectives.

For instance, Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup attracted over 1.4 million international visitors, effectively showcasing Qatari culture, infrastructure, and hospitality on a global platform. The Blueprint for Transforming Moments into Tourism Legacies, created by MCN, highlights the importance of recurring signature events in sustaining visitation throughout the year and reinforcing a destination’s positioning. Nicolas added that by selecting the right event strategy, destinations can attract both first-time and repeat visitors from different market segments.

The report focuses on four key principles for transforming destination marketing. These include moving beyond demographics and understanding travelers’ emotional drivers, establishing recurring signature events to build destination identity, creating anticipation and emotional connection before booking, and fostering collaboration