Merch Tourism
The Cult Souvenir Trend
The most coveted keepsakes are no longer the most expensive. They’re the ones you have to travel for. Trendy establishments are becoming unusual souvenir destinations, where travellers hunt down everything from cult grocery totes to luxury hotel caps.
Travel for shopping
insights
What are travellers proudest to buy?
say a branded robe or cap from a historic luxury hotel they stayed at
Shakaila Forbes-Bell
Fashion Psychologist
Merch Tourism is the new version of “pics, or it didn’t happen”
Year-on-year increase in video views of Trader Joe’s tote content
Ola Quadrio
“A once cheap, everyday Trader Joe’s tote became a globally recognised status symbol”
Travellers are eyeing location-exclusive merch they can’t buy online
“A once cheap, everyday Trader Joe’s tote became a globally recognised status symbol”
“Merch Tourism is where culture, commerce and community collide on TikTok. We’re seeing consumers turn brand and destination merchandise into status objects and, increasingly, into reasons to travel.
A once cheap, everyday Trader Joe’s tote became a globally recognised status symbol, after going viral on TikTok and breaking into mainstream news. Ritz Paris merchandise followed a similar path. Demand and cultural heat grew to the point that Frame collaborated with Ritz Paris on a collection, while TikTok videos now guide people on where to find the famous Ritz Paris bears in real life.
With over 435K videos posted year-to-date using #TraderJoesTote, #RitzParis and #Merch, the Merch Tourism trend shows how TikTok acts as both a discovery and a demand engine, turning products into destinations, and destinations into must-have brands.”
Ola Quadrio
Head of Travel, Client Solutions
Fashion Psychologist
“A community-driven aspect is key to creating a coveted merch tourism item”
The birth of the merch tourism trend has coincided with a rise in what I’m calling ‘sensation seeking shoppers’. Sensation seekers have an intense desire for novel, varied, and thrilling experiences, and it’s suddenly no longer enough to get a souvenir at the airport or post on Instagram; you now need to track down a specific symbol to add legitimacy to your getaway. That way, it’s no longer simply a holiday – the trip has now transformed into a mission to be completed. Essentially, merch tourism is the new version of “pics, or it didn’t happen”.
Many people think that shopping provides a dopamine hit because owning new things makes us happy, but research shows that dopamine levels are highest in the lead-up to the purchase. Anticipation is, therefore, the strongest source of joy. Merch tourism is not something you can easily come by. You can’t just pop into any store; there’s planning, sourcing and scheduling involved, and this effort provides the strongest hit of those feel-good hormones, which makes these items even more appealing.
Fashion brands have been leaning into this trend by providing more sensation-seeking style experiences from mystery bags to pop-ups, all of which you have to be “tapped in” to know about. This community-driven aspect is key to creating a coveted merch tourism item. When a bag, a tote, or a mug becomes sought after, it’s often positioned as something only a “real traveller” would know about. This positioning taps into our ingrained desire to belong and fear of being othered, which ultimately heightens the item’s desirability.”
