What Boston and Iceland Learned From a Sold-Out Summer of Live Tourism

Photo Caption: Lindsay Milne Grant of Meet Boston and Arnar Már Ólafsson of the Icelandic Tourist Board at Skift Transatlantic Summit in Dublin October 15, 2026. Skift / Bryan Brophy Live tourism is a force in the travel industry, with one in five travelers saying they plan trips around live events and experiences. And often, when destinations and travel companies consider the benefits of hosting high-profile events, they think in terms of increased footfall. But when events happen in high season and tourism is already at peak levels, destinations must consider success from different angles. In the summer of 2026, Boston hosted seven FIFA World Cup matches, and quickly followed with celebrations for America 250 and the Tall Ships, all of which fell within the city’s busiest months of June and July. Iceland didn’t have ticketed events drawing visitors, but sat in the path of the total solar eclipse in mid-August — a similarly sold-out time for the country. “In terms of occupancy, we really didn't have an opportunity to boost numbers,” Lindsay Mil