PULLMAN, Wash. – When it comes to getting people to want to go places, the future is ever more lovely than the past, according to a new Washington State University-led study in the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Research .
Led by Ruiying Cai, an assistant professor in the Carson College of Business, the study found that forestalgia-focused destination ads—those that emphasize an idealized future—are more effective at enticing travelers to click the purchase button for a vacation than ads based on fond recollections. The research also revealed that forestalgia advertising is particularly effective for getting people to book near-term trips, as imagining upcoming experiences makes travel plans feel more vivid and achievable.
Cai and her team conducted three experimental studies with 665 U.S. travelers, comparing the impact of nostalgia-focused and forestalgia-focused advertising messages on participants' intentions to visit a destination. Nostalgia-focused ads prompted participants to reflect on past travel memories, while forestalgia-focused ads encouraged them to envision future experiences. Across all three studies, participants were more inclined to choose destinations featured in forestalgia-focused ads.
"We were surprised by how consistent the results were," Cai said. "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."
While nostalgia has been widely studied and applied in destination marketing, forestalgia, a term introduced in a 2023 product marketing study, remains relatively underexplored, especially when compared to nostalgia. The study's findings suggest that this future-focused approach describing a yearning for an idealized future holds significant promise for tourism marketing.
One key reason is its simplicity. Nostalgia can evoke bittersweet emotions, as past experiences are often a mix of positive and negative memories. In contrast, forestalgia allows travelers to focus on the possibilities of what is ahead.
"People tend to idealize the future," Cai said. "It's not weighed down by the complexities of memory, which can include both joy and regret."
The study also explored how temporal distance—the perceived time until a trip— moderated the effectiveness of advertisements. Forestalgia-focused ads were most 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," said Cai. "They imagine booking flights, finding accommodations, and planning activities, making the trip feel more achievable and exciting."
The implications for destination marketers are significant. Tourism campaigns often rely on nostalgia to evoke a connection with potential travelers, but this research highlights the untapped potential of forestalgia. Marketers could design campaigns that vividly depict future experiences, emphasizing how a destination could fulfill travelers' dreams and aspirations. For trips planned in the near term, this strategy may be particularly persuasive.
"When people think about the future, they often idealize it," said Cai. "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."
