Beverage trends are shifting rapidly across wine, beer, spirits, and craft cider, changing how visitors want to taste, sip, and explore. Political and economic changes, along with the rise of the sober curious and wellness movements, are influencing expectations—and we’re seeing it firsthand wine trails, destinations and craft beverage clients. Today’s travelers want more than traditional tastings—they seek immersive opportunities that connect them with local culture, craftsmanship, and the story behind each sip, reflecting the ongoing trend of experiential travel. 

Here are just a few ways to seize these opportunities through creative marketing and itinerary design: 

• Collaborate across producers: Design multi-stop tours that showcase non-alcoholic options and immersive experiences, like vineyard or orchard tours, behind-the-scenes production access, or Q&A sessions with artisanal makers. 

• Tell the local story: Highlight multi-generational makers, crossover producers (like a winemaker exploring cider), or recent national recognition for your region. Sharing these stories builds connection and credibility with visitors. 

• Integrate wellness and seasonal experiences: Offer themed tasting trails like “Mindful Sips,” to include wellness stops, or partnerships with local spas, farms and artisanal food producers. 

• Host interactive workshops: Mixology, wine blending, cider pressing, or food-pairing classes where visitors participate hands-on, creating a personal connection to the product. 

• Create limited-time or pop-up events: Seasonal festivals, harvest celebrations, or immersive tasting nights where guests explore multiple beverages through storytelling, sensory activities, and hands-on participation, generating urgency and shareable experiences. 

A growing trend is shining a light on the dark—noctourism.

Activities after dark—stargazing, night safaris, celestial events—are becoming major draws, with travelers seeking destinations with low light pollution and creative nighttime programming.

For years, we’ve seen leisure travelers lean into the art of slowing down—choosing immersive experiences over jam-packed itineraries, and savoring the journey as much as the destination. Now, that same slow-travel mindset is taking root in business travel too.

More companies are approaching travel with greater intentionality—not just in how trips are planned, but in what they’re designed to accomplish. This shift is opening the door to richer storytelling opportunities, especially for destinations and partners who serve both leisure and business segments. As Ann mentions in the article linked above, it's not a one-size fits all approach. For some, the priority is taking a late flight so they can get home to their kids sooner. For others, it's skipping the late nights/early mornings so they can arrive rested.

We've seen this already with travel PR and influencer marketing. Writers visiting for a story want more time in their itinerary to linger, find story angles, and take a breath. They're also requesting their preference on seats, boarding group, and add-ons. Something to keep in mind as we build our media budgets.

This slower pace fosters better relationships, deeper stories, and more meaningful ROI for both the traveler and your community. When you give people more time in your place, you give them more reasons to come back.