However, the attention economy has shifted the discourse on the value of these metrics. Attention may get people through the door, but forging connections through authentic shared experience is what makes destinations stand out, making people stay longer and return again. Happiness, belonging, and community are no longer abstract outcomes; they are central design principles shaping how places are imagined and built. Experience design is no longer a layer added at the end of strategy. The future of experience design isn’t about capturing attention.