New WSU-Led Study Finds Future-Focused Travel Ads More Effective Than Nostalgia

A recent study led by Washington State University has found that future-focused travel ads inspire more bookings than those relying on nostalgic memories.

A recent study led by Washington State University (WSU) has revealed that travelers are more motivated by future-focused advertising than by nostalgic memories when planning their trips. This research, published in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research, was led by Ruiying Cai, an assistant professor in the Carson College of Business at WSU.

The study introduced an innovative concept called “forestalgia,” which centers on promoting an idealized future. The researchers found that forestalgia-focused destination ads, which encourage travelers to imagine future experiences, were significantly more effective at driving vacation bookings compared to ads rooted in nostalgia.

This approach is particularly compelling for near-term trips, as it helps make future plans feel more vivid and attainable.

“We were surprised by how consistent the results were,” Cai said in a news release. “Even when we carefully reviewed the data, it was clear that travelers responded more favorably to future-focused messages. Forestalgia taps into a natural human tendency to idealize what’s ahead.”

Conducted through three experimental studies with 665 U.S. travelers, the research compared the impact of nostalgia-focused and forestalgia-focused advertising on travel intentions. Nostalgia-driven ads aim to evoke fond recollections, while forestalgia ads push travelers to dream about upcoming adventures.

Across all studies, the participants were more inclined to select destinations depicted in forestalgia-focused ads.

Cai’s team discovered that nostalgia, although commonly used in tourism marketing, evokes mixed emotions because it involves both positive and negative memories. Forestalgia, on the other hand, sidesteps the complexity of past experiences and zeroes in on the idealized future.

“People tend to idealize the future,” Cai added. “It’s not weighed down by the complexities of memory, which can include both joy and regret.”

The study highlighted that the temporal distance, or the perceived time until a trip, plays a crucial role in the effectiveness of advertisements. Forestalgia-focused ads were observed to be particularly impactful when promoting trips within the next year.

“When people think about a trip happening soon, they’re more likely to engage in concrete planning,” added Cai. “They imagine booking flights, finding accommodations and planning activities, making the trip feel more achievable and exciting.”

The implications for destination marketers are profound. While traditional tourism campaigns have relied heavily on nostalgic connections, this research underscores the untapped potential of forestalgia. By designing campaigns that vividly depict future experiences and emphasize how a destination can fulfill travelers’ dreams and aspirations, marketers can forge a stronger connection with their audience.

“When people think about the future, they often idealize it,” Cai concluded. “It’s about imagining the adventures and memories waiting to be made. That sense of excitement and possibility is something we can all connect with, especially when dreaming about our next trip.”