By Hugo Marcos, Secretary-General of CIFFT (International Committee of Tourism Film Festivals)

Seasonality and centralization are probably tourism's two most persistent problems. Too much demand concentrated in too few months and too few places; the rest of the year and the rest of the territory left in silence. We usually address them through capacity management, pricing or regulation. I propose adding a tool that almost never appears in that conversation: audiovisual storytelling.

It is worth looking at the data, because the ground is already shifting. A Lighthouse analysis shows that in Barcelona, Istanbul, London, Paris and Rome, July and August have become weaker than May-June and September-October. And according to a Skyscanner survey, 34% of travelers are actively seeking quieter destinations and 31% plan to visit major destinations in the shoulder season. The traveler already wants to spread out; what is missing is our ability to tell them how.

Here is the key: the intangible has no season. The beach does; the gastronomy, the culture, the wellbeing and the human landscape of a place do not. When a destination is narrated through experience rather than climate, it gains the ability to sell itself in May, in October or in February. Audiovisual storytelling is precisely the instrument that gives value to what does not depend on the calendar.

The same applies to centralization. Experience allows a secondary area to compete without having the star monument: it does not need the cathedral if it has an authentic story and real hospitality to show. A well-made piece can pull the traveler's gaze from the saturated center to the neighboring village. A well-built story redistributes demand.

Menorca, where the Terres CHECK-IN festival takes place, is a good example of this strategy. A Biosphere Reserve, it has made authenticity and sustainability its identity, precisely to set itself apart from the seasonality and concentration affecting other destinations nearby. And major events help: the total solar eclipse crossing Spain on 12 August 2026 is a reminder of how a unique experience can move travelers outside their usual patterns.

For a destination manager, the conclusion is practical. Audiovisual content should not be used only to fill the high season, but to build desire where and when it is needed most: in the quiet months and in the lesser-known territories. It is communication, yes, but it is also management.

Put another way: the best tourism video does not just decide how many people visit a destination. It decides when and where they do it. And that is, today, one of the most strategic decisions a destination can make.

Sources

• Lighthouse, travel and hospitality trends 2026, December 2025.
• Skyscanner, consumer survey on tourism overcrowding, 2025.
• Travel and Tour World, events and experience tourism 2026 (12 August 2026 eclipse), January 2026.