I’ve been lucky enough to be a full-time travel writer since 2008. I’ve managed to see more than 60 countries around the world, and to visit some of the most exotic places on earth. As well as some tried-and-very-true destinations that are well worth your trouble. Here’s one travel lovers list of great places to explore in 2026. Some of them have specific reasons, such as the Winter Olympics, while others are simply personal faves or places that could use your business right now. AZORES These Atlantic Ocean islands to me are like a combination of Hawaii, Scotland and Portugal Read more
Japan
Expedia Group today released Unpack ’26: The Trends in Travel™. The annual global report highlights shifts in traveller behaviour and the destinations set to dominate itineraries in 2026, including several Canadian destinations and activities spotlighted throughout. It’s also got some great destinations in such places as England, Italy, Asia and Australia. From Destinations of the Year to salvaged hotels and reading retreats, to curling and farm stays, the seven trends in Unpack ’26 offer a look at the future of travel. Each trend is backed by first-party data from Expedia Group, and insights from 24,000 global travellers. Expedia — Destinations of Read more
One of the world’s best beaches is getting bigger. Much bigger. I recently caught up with Brian Lowack, president and CEO of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater; one of the top destinations in Florida. He told me a beach renewal project that stretches from Sand Key on Clearwater Beach to St. Pete Beach will add 2.5 million cubic yards of sand, with roughly 200 feet of width. “It’s already great, but it’s going to be the most beautiful beach in Florida,” he told me in Toronto, where Visit St. Pete/Clearwater hosted media and travel agents at a Blue Jays-Yankees game. The cost Read more
This is a fun item. A website called Radical Storage took a look at nearly 100,000 Google reviews from the top 10 most-reviewed tourist attractions in 100 cities around the world and looked for words like “overrated” or “disappointing.” They then came up with a list of the ten most underwhelming/disappointing/overrated destinations around the world. They also published a list of the ten most surprising/underrated destinations. Here’s a look. OVERRATED/DISAPPOINTING Cancun, Mexico Antalya, Turkiye Punta Cana, Dominican Republic Beijing, China Orlando, Florida Mumbai, India Honolulu, Hawaii Johor Bahru, Indonesia Kyot0, Japan Playa del Carmen, Mexico UNDERRATED/SURPRISING Guangzhou, China Lima, Peru Read more
For many years, The New York Times has been delivering a solid, -thought-out list of the 52 best places to go in the world for any given year. For 2025, their list includes a few of my fave places in the world, including Western Australia, Sydney, New York City and the Trent-Severn Waterway in Ontario, Canada, where my wife and I piloted a 42-foot craft from Le Boat on our own last June (and survived). Also making the list was Detroit, which the Times noted has undergone a remarkable renaissance, something I witnessed on a visit in July of last Read more
