For many travelers, the night before an early flight or after a late arrival is treated as dead time. Find the nearest chain hotel. Take the shuttle. Eat whatever is nearby. Get some sleep. But what happens when that logistical stop becomes part of the trip?

Every week, businesses make decisions that reveal where consumer expectations are headed. Often, those decisions have little to do with travel. But they have everything to do with how people discover places, form emotional connections and experience the journey. Here are three signals we’re watching and what they could mean for travel marketers.

Travelers are building trips like networks—connecting cities, events and experiences into one itinerary.