The ‘wow factor’ of experiential tourism

Since 2024, the United States has been still recovering from the post-pandemic crisis, with an estimated -6.5% of arrivals comparing to 2019. In 2025, the US reported -1.6% of international arrivals, reaching a total of about 15 million visitors.

Experiential and authentic tourism stands out among the most innovative and sought-after offers, involving different commercial sectors which may or not be closely related and intense Corporate and Retail marketing efforts.

The so-called ‘wow factor’ is among the most compelling reasons for choosing travel and leisure: these days visitors are looking for entertainment opportunities which can evoke emotion, surprise and wonder.

The emotional aspect, related to the preference for a particular offer, is closely influenced by product’s authenticity and ‘wow factor’ that is, its ‘grandiose uniqueness’, but also by the variety of tourism proposals.

Nowadays, new tourism trends not only involve popular destinations and tourism attractiveness but also authentic experiences and uniqueness, filled with emotion, adventure, or discovery.

For instance, Las Vegas is the ‘Sin City’ where more and more original and impressive new attractions are reinvented to substitute or complement older ones, to arouse greater interest or a ‘wow factor’.

Despite this, even this glittering ‘city that never sleeps’ estimated -7.6% of total arrivals comparing to 2024, reporting a total of 33 million arrivals in 2025.

Las Vegas aims to counteract the current economic slowdown: the popular ‘Cirque du Soleil’ in some of the most outstanding and luxury ‘themed hotels’, including some of the largest hotels in the world, immersive 4D effects, and AI.

Besides, at the end of November the ‘Formula 1’ raced again among these opulent hotels, making this leisure experience unforgettable.