Italy Emerges as Top Choice for U.S. Travelers; Canada Second; Porter Adds a Dozen Flights at New Montreal Airport

Italy has emerged as the top foreign destination for U.S. travelers, with Canada in second place.

IMG (International Medical Group) has released the results of its 6th annual Travel Outlook Survey, which gathered 1,000+ responses from U.S.-based IMG customers about their 2026 travel plans.

International and Domestic Travel Plans

 

This year’s results show continued demand for travel in 2026, with high interest in both international and domestic trips.

• 93% of respondents plan to travel internationally • 38% of international travelers plan to take three or more trips
• 88% of respondents plan to travel domestically – a 3% increase from last year’s survey • 53% of domestic travelers plan to take three or more trips

Top Destinations

 

The most popular destinations respondents plan to travel to next in 2026 include:

1. Italy – 1st time being ranked #1
2. Canada
3. Mexico
4. France
5. Spain

 

Trending Travel Types: Cruises and Multigenerational

 

Travelers are showing renewed enthusiasm for cruising in 2026, as 30% of respondents say they plan to take a cruise, an 11% increase from last year’s survey.

Multigenerational travel remains a popular way to travel in 2026. Results show that 33% of families have a domestic or international trip planned with multiple generations (children, parents, and grandparents, etc.).

Travel Spending Continues to Grow

 

With many travelers planning multiple trips, 34% of respondents say they expect to spend more on travel in 2026 than they did in 2025, and 53% of respondents say they plan to spend roughly the same amount.

PORTER BETS BIG ON NEW SOUTH SHORE MONTREAL AIRPORT

Flying in and out of Canada’s second largest city is about to get a lot easier. 

Canadian airline and airport officials gathered near the south shore of the St. Lawrence River today (March 24) to announce the official opening of Montreal Metropolitan Airport/MET will take place in less than two months.

MET, formally known as YHU, will open its new commercial flight terminal on June 15, 2026 and host flights from Porter Airlines and Pascan Aviation that will connect the south shore with Canadian destinations from coast to coast.

Porter says it will operate 27 flights  per week between MET (airport code YHU) to Toronto City Centre/YTZ and 20 more to Pearson. YYZ. It also will have 14 flights a week between MET and Vancouver, seven per week to both Calgary and Edmonton, and 14 flights per week between MET and Halifax. They’ll also fly to Quebec City, St. John’s, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Moncton and Charlottetown.

Porter said it will fly more planes out of Montreal MET than it will from Montreal Trudeau/Dorval, with as many as 138 weekly departures at YHU, versus 106 from YUL.

Very interesting.

EASIER CANADIAN ACCESS TO SCANDINAVIA: WESTJET AND SAS ANNOUNCE MORE CODESHARING

WestJet and Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) have expanded their codeshare partnership for the second time in three months, providing guests on both sides of the Atlantic with more seamless travel options to explore all of Scandinavia and Canada this summer.

WestJet guests can book travel to Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Finland via the airline’s non-stop service between Halifax and Copenhagen with the convenience of a single ticket, baggage transfers and the ability to earn WestJet Rewards throughout. The addition is particularly exciting for guests based in Atlantic Canada, that will now have single-stop connections to:

• Stockholm, Sweden
• Goteborg, Sweden
• Oslo, Norway
• Bergen, Norway
• Stavanger, Norway
• Trondheim, Norway
• Aalborg, Denmark
• Helsinki, Finland

“This partnership enhancement strengthens WestJet and SAS’ joint effort to strategically connect our networks and make travel planning easy for our shared guests,” said John Weatherill, WestJet Group Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. “Whether they are travelling for business or leisure, adding new codeshare connections with our five-star APEX awarded partner, SAS, via our all-new service between Halifax and Copenhagen provides even more choice for Europeans and Canadians alike.”

I haven’t spent a lot of time in Scandinavia, but I was in Denmark for a couple days years ago, and also spent five or six days in Sweden, where I visited the beach in Halmstad, the small city of Boras, and then spent a couple days in spectacular Stockholm. It’s a gorgeous country that I’d love to visit again. I’d also love to see Norway and the fjords.

MAUI HOTEL CHANGES: AND TIMING FOR YOUR NEXT VISIT

I saw recently that the posh Resort at Kapalua Bay Maui, a Montage property, will transition to a St. Regis hotel next year. The property, a stunning resort sitting on a bluff overlooking one of the world’s best beaches, will undergo a renovation and remain open while upgrades are done. 

The property spans approximately 25 oceanfront acres within Kapalua Resort on Maui’s northwest coast. It has 146 multi-bedroom units ranging from 1,774 square feet (wowza) to 4,050 square feet.

The resort has multiple outdoor pools, a 40,000-square-foot spa with 19 treatment rooms, and 33,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor event space.

I’ve walked along the property but haven’t had the good fortune of staying there. I have been to the beach at Kapalua at least 40-50 times over the years, and find it’s one of the best in Hawai’i, if not the world. There’s fabulous snorkeling just a few feet from shore, and the reefs keep the water calm. It’s a great beach for kids and swimmers, as well as paddleboarders, snorkelers and divers.

It’s a nice change for Marriott Bonvoy members like me (since 1993 or so). It also strengthens Marriott’s already considerable hold on Maui accommodations, including the Ritz-Carlton Kapalua just up the road, the Sheraton Maui Resort and Spa on Ka’anapali Beach, the Westin Ka’anapali, the Wailea Beach Resort, and a few others on the island.

Maui and all of Hawaii have been hit by incredible storms over the past week or two, leading to record rainfalls and some flooded streets. A friend of mine on Maui said she thinks visitors should be respectful of the damage and avoid visiting for now. Of course, there are people on Maui whose livelihoods depend on tourism, so if you are going to postpone I would suggest not waiting too long to book your trip.