Could a hockey romance inspire your next travel destination?
TravelArticleJuly 21, 2026
What the Off Campus phenomenon tells us about the future of travel – and the risks that come with it
For years, "set-jetting" has encouraged people to follow fictional worlds. Fans of The Lord of the Rings flocked to New Zealand, while locations featured in Bridgerton, Emily in Paris and The White Lotus have all seen boosts in tourism. In fact, nearly two-thirds of travelers say that film and television have influenced their travel choices.
But a new variation is emerging. Rather than inspiring travel to a place, series such as the hugely popular Off Campus – a romance centered around college ice hockey players – are introducing audiences to sports and fan cultures they never before followed. And, in turn, to new reasons to travel.
People are planning trips around the things they love, rather than the places they want to see. A hockey romance may begin on the page or screen, but for some fans it sparks an interest in the sport itself, the atmosphere of a live game or the experience of being part of a fan community.
Not every Off Campus fan is about to crisscross across North America to watch hockey games – but that’s not really the point. Fandom is helping fuel the rise of sports tourism, one of the fastest-growing segments of the travel industry. Social media has transformed local sporting events into global attractions, while women's sport is attracting record audiences and investment. In 2025, women’s elite sport generated USD 2.4 billion in annual revenues, driven by surging fan engagement, sponsorship and attendance.
Entertainment is influencing not just where we travel, but why we travel. For many, the ultimate bucket-list experience is no longer a landmark – the Pyramids of Giza, the Statue of Liberty – but a moment: a World Cup match, a Formula 1 race, a Grand Slam final.
While traveling for a sporting event may look like any other leisure trip on the surface, it can come with a few extra twists. Here are three things fans should keep in mind before they go.
1. Game day can change the whole city
Traveling for a sporting event is not quite the same as booking a normal weekend away. A city hosting a final, a tournament or race weekend can feel like a completely different place once fans arrive. Flights get more expensive. Hotels fill up. Public transport gets busier. Restaurants that usually take walk-ins suddenly require booking weeks in advance.
That does not mean fans should not go – far from it. It just means the trip may need a bit more planning than the average city break. When thousands of people are heading to the same place for the same reason, flexibility can disappear surprisingly quickly.
2. Sell-outs attract scams
The more popular the event, the harder it can be to get tickets, rooms or last-minute travel deals. The scarcity that can make the experience feel special can also create opportunities for scammers.
Counterfeit tickets, fake resale sites, cloned accommodation listings and social media “deals” can all look convincing when demand is high – and even experienced travelers can become less cautious than usual.
A few extra checks – buying through official channels, verifying accommodation bookings – can help avoid turning a dream trip into an expensive disappointment.
3. The weather doesn’t care who is playing
A delayed flight is annoying. A delayed flight on the day of the game is something else.
Sporting events bring together large crowds, tight schedules and, increasingly, weather-related disruption. Whether it’s storms grounding flights, train delays or extreme heat affecting outdoor events, fans often have less flexibility to adapt plans than the average traveler.
Building some contingency into travel plans – whether that means arriving earlier, allowing more connection time or understanding what support may be available if plans go awry – can make the whole experience feel less stressful.
Traveling for a sporting event is often about experiencing something you can’t recreate elsewhere: a final, a heated rivalry, a once-in-a-lifetime atmosphere. But when fandom is the reason for traveling, a little preparation can help ensure the memories come from the event itself – not the scramble to get there.
