The global live streaming market is now worth $100 billion, growing at 23% a year. In 2025 alone, people watched 36.4 billion hours of live content worldwide. That is not a trend. That is a permanent behaviour shift.
And yet most tourism and hospitality brands still treat live streaming as something to revisit when things slow down. That is a mistake, and an increasingly expensive one.
Here is everything worth knowing about live streaming in 2026: the platforms that matter, when to use them, and how to build a case for them inside an experience-led brand.
tldr; everything you need to know
The platforms that matter in 2026
When live streaming became mainstream, it lived on one or two platforms. In 2026, the landscape is broader, more segmented, and more commercially mature. Here is where your attention should be.
YouTube Live
YouTube is the most widely used live streaming platform globally, reaching 52% of live stream viewers according to eMarketer. It is where major media outlets, destination campaigns, and global conferences land. Audiences skew 18 to 34 and expect quality.
For tourism and hospitality brands, YouTube Live suits property reveals, destination storytelling, and event coverage. The key advantage is longevity: streams are saved and searchable, meaning content keeps working long after you switch off.
💡 YouTube Live: 52% of live stream viewers globally
Source: eMarketer, 2025
Facebook Live
Despite years of commentary about Facebook declining, its live product remains dominant with the 35 to 54 age bracket. That is your premium leisure traveller and family holiday decision-maker. Facebook Live suits community-building, property tours, local events, and anything designed to drive direct bookings from a warm audience.
Facebook Live reaches 42.6% of US live stream viewers and is particularly strong among users aged 35 to 54, making it one of the most commercially valuable platforms for hospitality brands.
Instagram Live
Instagram Live is best used for brand moment amplification: a collaboration reveal, a chef takeover, a behind-the-scenes property tour. The audience expects immediacy and personality, not production polish.
The co-hosting feature allows two accounts to appear simultaneously, which makes it ideal for influencer partnerships and cross-brand activations. Go live with a local guide, a winemaker, or a visiting chef and bring both audiences into the same room.
LinkedIn Live
The most underused platform on this list for experience brands, and that is a positioning opportunity.
LinkedIn Live generates 7 times more reactions and 24 times more comments than standard video posts on the platform. If you are a destination, an operator, or an agency trying to reach corporate travel buyers, government stakeholders, or event organisers, this is where you build credibility. Educational formats outperform everything else here.
💡 LinkedIn Live: 7x more reactions and 24x more comments than standard video
Source: LinkedIn, 2025
TikTok Live
In 2025, TikTok Live overtook Twitch in total global hours watched when including its Asian audience base. Its core demographic is under 35 and deeply engaged with experience content: travel inspiration, food-led storytelling, destination discovery.
TikTok Live works best for personality-driven content: a day in the life of your property, a local guide takeover, a Q&A ahead of booking season. The platform’s gifting and live shopping features are beginning to gain traction outside Asia. Brands that move into this space early will carry a significant first-mover advantage.
Kick
Worth watching, even if it is not a priority for most experience brands yet. Kick is a newer live platform paying creators 95% of subscription revenue, which has pulled a fast-growing audience away from Twitch. For brands exploring sponsorship and influencer partnerships in the lifestyle and entertainment space, it is worth having on your radar.
What about X (formerly Twitter)?
Twitter’s Periscope shut down years ago. X’s successor live products have not replaced it meaningfully. The platform is better used as a promotional channel for your streams than as a destination to host them. Announce your stream on X; broadcast it somewhere else.
When to go live
Go live when your audience is active on the platform you are using. That sounds obvious. Most brands ignore it. General timing benchmarks:
- Facebook and Instagram: evenings and weekends perform strongest for leisure audiences
- LinkedIn Live: Tuesday to Thursday, mid-morning is the established peak window
- TikTok Live: evenings and weekends, particularly for under-35 audiences
Beyond timing, think about the context that earns an audience:
- Seasonal moments: A pre-summer property reveal, a harvest event, a festival countdown. Tie your stream to something people are already thinking about.
- Decision triggers: A Q&A session timed to peak booking intent, when people are in the planning phase and have questions.
- Community building: Recurring formats like a weekly behind-the-scenes or monthly local guide series build habit and loyalty over time.
Most platforms let you save and republish streams. Use it. A single live session can become a short-form cut, a YouTube upload, a blog embed, and a repurposed email asset. Build the repurposing plan before you press go live.
Why live streaming belongs in your strategy
It builds trust faster than anything else you publish
82% of consumers say they trust a brand more after watching a live video. Live content generates 3 times more engagement than pre-recorded content and holds viewers 27% longer minute by minute.
In an industry built on experience, authenticity is the currency. A polished editorial grid has its place. A live stream of your chef preparing tonight’s special, or your ranger explaining this season’s migration pattern, lands differently.
💡 Live video gets 3x more engagement than pre-recorded content
Source: DemandSage / DigiExe, 2026
It moves inventory
Live commerce is the most commercially significant development in the live streaming space right now. The US live shopping market is projected to reach $55 billion by 2026 according to Coresight Research. Tourism and hospitality are well positioned to use live streams to drive bookings, upsell experiences, and create urgency around limited availability.
A live stream with a time-limited booking offer, a visible countdown, and a direct link is a conversion format, not just a content format. 73% of consumers are more likely to buy after watching a live shopping event (Firework, 2025).
It gives your community a voice
90% of consumers say they want more live video from the brands they follow. Live streaming lets them ask questions, influence what they see next, and feel part of your brand’s story. That kind of participation is what turns followers into advocates and advocates into repeat guests.
Live streams generate 10 times more comments than pre-recorded content. That is not just engagement data. It is a signal of intent and affinity.
💡 90% of consumers want more live video from the brands they follow
Source: Firework / Livestream Survey, 2025
It is increasingly expected
80% of consumers say they would rather watch a brand go live than read a blog post. 63% of marketers are planning to increase their investment in live video in 2026. The question is no longer whether to do this. It is whether you are ahead of your competitors or catching up.
How to approach live streaming as an experience brand
Before you schedule your first stream, work through these five questions:
- Platform first. Where is your audience right now? Match the platform to the audience segment you are targeting, not to personal preference.
- Format clarity. Is this a destination showcase, a product launch, a Q&A, a takeover, or a live commerce event? Know the format before you write a single word.
- Repurposing plan. Map out exactly what happens with the content after it ends. Short-form cuts, highlights, embeds. Build the post-stream plan before you go live.
- Promotion. Your audience will not show up because you scheduled it. Tease it, count it down, use the pre-event tools each platform offers.
- Quality floor. Viewers will abandon a poor-quality stream within 90 seconds. Stable internet, decent audio, and decent lighting are non-negotiable. You do not need a production team. You need to not be shooting into a window.
Live streaming is not a broadcast channel. It is a conversation. Brands that approach it with that mindset, particularly in tourism and hospitality where the sale begins with imagination and trust, will get the most from it.
The bottom line
In 2026, live streaming is a $100 billion industry growing at 23% a year. 36.4 billion hours were watched in 2025. Your audience is there. The platforms are mature. The commercial case is proven.
