travel news 24

• Election 2024
• Entertainment
• Newsletters
• Photography
• Personal Finance
• AP Investigations
• AP Buyline Personal Finance
• Press Releases
• Israel-Hamas War
• Russia-Ukraine War
• Global elections
• Asia Pacific
• Latin America
• Middle East
• Election Results
• Delegate Tracker
• AP & Elections
• March Madness
• AP Top 25 Poll
• Movie reviews
• Book reviews
• Personal finance
• Financial Markets
• Business Highlights
• Financial wellness
• Artificial Intelligence
• Social Media

Project to shore up Pompeii yields stunning black banquet hall, with frescoes of Trojan War figures

Cambodia’s relocation of people from UNESCO site raises concerns

Brazil again extends visa exemptions for US, Canada and Australia, this time until 2025

Cruelty for clicks: Cambodia is investigating YouTubers’ abuse of monkeys at the Angkor UNESCO site

British, French troops march in historic joint parades in London and Paris in a show of solidarity

Nyc natural history museum previews new wing.

The American Museum of Natural History gave a tour Thursday of the museum’s new wing, the under-construction Richard Gilder Center for Science, Education, and Innovation (Oct. 27) (AP Video: Ted Shaffrey)

Tourism boom helps Greece face rising costs

80-year-old american tourist killed in elephant attack during game drive in zambia.

Stretch of California Highway 1 that collapsed in Big Sur closes again as new storm arrives

UK airports get more time to put in new scanners that will allow more liquids and packed laptops

Cruise ship carrying 1,500 passengers stuck in Spain port due to Bolivian passengers’ visa problems

Klaus Mäkelä, just 28, to become Chicago Symphony Orchestra music director in 2027

US traffic deaths fell 3.6% in 2023, the 2nd straight yearly drop. But nearly 41,000 people died

United Airlines is asking pilots to take time off in May because of a shortage of new Boeing planes

A big airline is relaxing its pet policy to let owners bring the companion and a rolling carry-on

A tropical cyclone makes landfall in northern Madagascar, killing 18 people

Federal EV charging stations are key to Biden’s climate agenda, yet only 4 states have them

The British Museum names Nicholas Cullinan its new director as it tries to get over a rocky patch

Voters to turn a new page in the history of Istanbul, guardian of the Bosphorus

A delta flight was cut short after a panel behind one of the engines fell off during takeoff.

NYC subway rider is fatally pushed onto tracks, reviving discussion about mental illness in system

Baby gorilla cuddled by mother at London Zoo remains nameless

A braking system ‘anomaly’ caused an American Airlines jet to exceed a Dallas runway, NTSB says

Federal officials want to know how airlines handle — and share — passengers’ personal information

Police say he got on a plane using a photo of a girl’s boarding pass. now he faces a felony charge.

Natural wonders. Napoleon’s exile. A remote island in the South Atlantic is now easier to reach

A critical Rhode Island bridge will need to be demolished and replaced

A Danish hippie oasis has fought drug sales for years. Now, locals want to tear up the whole street

Oregon governor wants tolling plan on 2 Portland-area freeways scrapped

Intense rainfall sweeps across Dubai and the wider United Arab Emirates, disrupting flights

US poet laureate Ada Limón to launch book and parks project ‘You Are Here’

JetBlue and Spirit are ending their $3.8 billion merger plan after a federal judge blocked the deal

Cambodia defends family relocations around the famous Angkor Wat temple complex

California ski resort workers tunnel their way into the office after getting 10 feet of snow

Alaska’s Iditarod dogs get neon visibility harnesses after 5 were fatally hit while training

Cheers to being crooked again. Quirky English pub bulldozed after a fire to be rebuilt as it was

Mexico crowns new ‘Queen of the Mountains’ as community reckons with recent mountaineering deaths

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Sweepstakes
• Flight Deals
• Travel Deals

Latest News

Airline Weekly

Why Delta’s Flying High

Skift Meetings

The Best Shoes for Events 

Shoes can make or break one’s ensemble. Luckily, dress codes have loosened, allowing attendees to step up their sneaker game and attend comfortably. 

2 hours ago

Ask Skift: What Are Summer Travel Trends for 2024?

As a monster summer travel season is a rapidly approaching, here are some trends worth noting as the industry continues its recovery from the pandemic.

Rashaad Jorden | 3 hours ago

Business Travel

Why Indian OTAs Are Now Looking Towards Corporate Travel

India is a strong source market for business travel. To cater to this robust market, online travel companies in India are diversifying their offerings.

Bulbul Dhawan | 4 hours ago

Event Tech News Roundup – March 2024

From the latest AI advancements to hosting hybrid events in movie theaters, March did not dissapoint regarding event tech news.

6 hours ago

United Flight Attendants Picket at U.S., U.K. Airports as Contract Negotiations Stall

United flight attendants are the latest to express their frustrations over stagnant pay and taxing work conditions.

Meghna Maharishi | 20 hours ago

U.S. Airlines Ask Government to Pause Additional Flights to China

The U.S. airline industry is worried that Chinese carriers enjoy an unfair advantage with access to Russian airspace and China’s government.

Meghna Maharishi | 22 hours ago

Travel Technology

DerbySoft Acquires Pkfare and Expands into Airline Industry

DerbySoft is one of those companies that lives in the background of the travel industry but plays an important role. It's behind the online sales for many hotels, and now it is for airlines, too.

Justin Dawes | 22 hours ago

Announcements

Meet the First Set of Speakers for Inaugural Skift Data + AI Summit

We are thrilled to announce the first round of speakers for the inaugural Skift Data + AI Summit in New York City on June 4. The lineup will include some of the brightest minds in the industry, each bringing their unique insights and expertise to the table.

Brian Quinn | 1 day ago

Vistara’s CEO Weighs In As Cancellations Mount and Pilots Protest

It could be a cruel summer for Indian aviation if the situation at Vistara doesn't improve.

Peden Doma Bhutia | 1 day ago

Destination Canada CEO Bets on New Promotion Fund, World Cup 2026

Canada's adapting to changes to its tourism sector and relationship with the Chinese market.

Dawit Habtemariam | 1 day ago

Travel News

Rhodes gives ‘free’ trips to tourists forced to flee wildfires

Canary Island residents plan hunger strike to protest mass tourism

‘Venice is not a museum’: Activists slam new day-tripper fee

Thailand wants a Schengen-visa style scheme in Southeast Asia

Italy, UK: Travel strikes planned for April

New Turkish tourist train takes travellers around cultural treasures

How holiday hotspots are grappling with rising second home ownership

Spain is the latest EU country to scrap its golden visa scheme

'Amsterdam Rules': Pre-trip quiz aims to deter unwanted tourism

Why is Dublin Airport pausing its practice of priests blessing planes?

Venice day trippers face steep fines if they don’t pay new entry fee

France to launch €49 summer rail pass for young people

Greece is offering visas to Turkish tourists - here’s why

All the countries where you have to pay a ‘tourist tax’ in 2024

Night trains could be given a boost under Belgium’s EU presidency

Inside the new Dutch centre advancing the future of European hyperloop

UK travel warning: Why you should renew your passport before April

Half of the world’s top ten most stressful airports are in Europe

What are the rules on taking kids out of school for a holiday?

Deutsche Bahn and GDL reach deal to end train strikes in Germany

How much is Barcelona’s tourist tax in 2024?

New night train connects four capitals from Brussels to Prague

Shake off winter with these beautiful spring hikes in Europe

83-year-old Italian man moves out of airport after 9-month stay

Notre Dame Cathedral reopening date revealed

Why is Galapagos doubling its entry fee for tourists?

Iceland volcano eruption: Travel advice and Blue Lagoon update

Most viewed, italy's digital nomad visa has launched. here's how to apply.

• International edition
• Australia edition
• Europe edition

Readers’ favourite summer trips to Scandinavia ‘Kayak across the fjord to your own secluded beach’

A scoot through wales cardiff to llandudno on a vespa.

Corsica’s GR20 My hike on the hardest trail in Europe

Where tourists seldom tread Four more British towns with secret histories

A car-free trip to the Forest of Dean A moss-cloaked corner of ancient England

Win a holiday voucher tell us about a great road trip in europe.

• All stories

Beachcombing in Shetland I’ve travelled the world without leaving home

An alternative guide to Leeds A city with an independent spirit

In the company of wolves and kings Suffolk’s new medieval cycle trail

Riding the Daffodil Line A car-free trip in England’s ‘golden triangle’

Joy of the journey How I learned to love the slow route home to Ireland

Paid content is paid for and controlled by an advertiser and produced by the Guardian Labs team.

For the stay

A tale of two cities Get to know Belfast and Dublin in 72 hours

Ready, set, go Nine film and TV locations to inspire your next UK and Ireland holiday

Join the ‘set-jetters’ How to visit your favourite TV show locations – from One Day to Happy Valley

So long Cornwall Discover the UK ‘destination dupes’ to beat the crowds

Readers' tips

‘i wanted the 17-hour trip to go slower, not faster’ readers’ favourite european journeys, ‘this is the france you dream of’ readers’ favourite travel discoveries, ‘i’ve never seen lily pads so big’ readers’ favourite gardens in europe.

‘The perfect antidote to winter’ Readers’ favourite spring breaks in the UK and Europe

‘A Neolithic miracle’ Readers’ favourite ancient UK sites

Photo essays.

The beach on top of a Yorkshire moor ‘A wild swimmer’s paradise’

‘You know it when you see it’ Accidentally Wes Anderson exhibition opens in London

‘I slept in ditches and dreamed of marauding raiders’ A wild walk on the Hadrian’s Wall path

Coast to coast Snapshots of Cornwall’s new Tamar valley walk

Cycling the 7,600km European Divide ‘Only 12 other people have completed it’

Banff Mountain Film Festival returns Extreme adventure from Afghanistan to Ecuador

You may have missed.

A foodie weekend in Madrid How to eat and drink like a local

Walking london’s unsung waterway the river lea rises again, white cliffs to wetlands discovering france’s pas-de-calais, most viewed, most viewed in travel, most viewed across the guardian, ‘kayak across the fjord to your own secluded beach’: readers’ favourite summer trips to scandinavia, my hike on the hardest trail in europe – corsica’s gr20, a scoot through wales: cardiff to llandudno on a vespa, a car-free trip to the forest of dean: a moss-cloaked corner of ancient england, how i learned to love the slow route home to ireland, upstaging umbria: rugged and seductive le marche, ‘i wanted the 17-hour trip to go slower, not faster’: readers’ favourite european journeys, 40 best spa breaks in the uk, 20 of the best budget beach holidays in europe, arabic alphabet table, ‘this coast is saturated’: italian village braces for post-ripley crowds, nicola peltz beckham, a billionaire’s daughter, made a movie about abject poverty. it’s as bad as you think, trump thought ukraine ‘must be part of russia’ during presidency, book says, middle east crisis: threat of iranian attack on israel ‘still viable’, says white house – as it happened, us warns threat of significant iranian attack on israel remains ‘viable’, ‘so it’s you. here you are’: salman rushdie describes moment he was stabbed, for all his bombast, trump is plummeting – financially, legally and politically, challengers review – zendaya aces uproariously sexy tennis-set love triangle, bonobos not the peace-loving primates once thought, study reveals, who killed caravaggio and why his final paintings may hold the key.

• Europe holidays
• United Kingdom holidays
• Walking holidays
• England holidays

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

The biggest travel trends for 2024

By Sarah Allard

If 2022 was all about a return to travel, then 2023 was the year we went further than ever before. Travellers took to the skies, rails, roads and seas to tick off major bucket-list moments, with Arctic adventures, luxury yacht cruises and even the first tourist trip into space .

In 2024, travellers will be putting what’s important to them front and centre of their plans, valuing deeper experiences that leave a positive impact, time spent with loved ones and wellness moments that last well after checkout. We’ll be choosing destinations carefully, slowing it down to enjoy the silence and the stars, indulging in our love of food in new and interesting places, and immersing ourselves in wellness practices that help us live longer.

These are the 20 travel trends likely to guide how we see the world in 2024.

Astro tourism

1. Astro tourism

What’s the trend? Astronomy, of course, is a field of study that has been around since the dawn of civilisation, and the act of gazing up at the stars has long been a source of soul-soothing wonder. Today, the more society falls deeper into an ever-expanding virtual world, the more we feel a need to broaden our horizons in the real universe. Astro tourism, or star bathing, is the act of travelling with the aim of catching sight of astronomical phenomena – disappearing to lands devoid of any pollution, crowds and traffic, where we can focus solely on the skies above and while away hours gazing at the stars, planets and constellations overhead.

Why will it matter in 2024? Increasingly, wellness-centric hotels and spas are creating the space for guests to gaze upwards, watching for comets, spying constellations and identifying patterns in the glittering expanse. In the UK, Port Lympne has opened the Lookout Bubble, a glass dome allowing guests to sprawl out on king-sized beds and study the stars. Further east on the Arabian Gulf, Zulal Wellness Resort is surrounded by the expanse of the Qatari desert – the ultimate destination for pollution-free astromancy, with dedicated workshops and stargazing sessions for families and children looking to learn more about the cosmos. Safari company Desert & Delta organises trips for travellers looking to soak up the stars across Botswana and Namibia, where guests can sleep in tents at remote locations such as the Makgadikgadi Pans, one of the world’s largest salt flats, and spend nights with uninterrupted star vistas. Similarly, Tswalu is a South African safari camp with star beds set on a sleep-out deck in the Korannaberg mountains. And 2024 happens to be a big year, astronomy-wise, from mind-boggling eclipses to spectacular meteor showers – plus, scientists are predicting the best displays of the northern lights in 20 years, according to the Guardian , as we approach the next solar maximum (the sun’s peak of its 11-year activity cycle). Olivia Morelli

2. Eco diving

What’s the trend? A rise in divers choosing their travel destinations based on the sustainability of the scuba centres, and having a more positive, regenerative impact on the ocean once there.

Why will it matter in 2024? In 2022, UK marine ecology charity The Reef-World Foundation found that 95 per cent of divers wanted to book with sustainable operators, but struggled to do so. In response to this, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (Padi) launched its Eco Center accreditation on World Earth Day (22 April) 2023, with the United Nations Environment Program and Reef-World itself. The steps required to earn this green status are so rigorous – including sharing evidence of conservation activities and a real reduction in environmental footprint – that Padi advised operators to allow at least 12 months to hit the criteria, taking us to… Earth Day 2024. After an initial figure of just 11 worldwide, there are now 100, and Padi has set a goal to reach 660 by 2030 – a 10th of its membership. “South East Asia currently has the highest density (more than 20), along with the Caribbean ,” says Julie Andersen of Padi. So what does this mean for divers and their trips? “The type of conservation work done and reported on depends on the Eco Center,” Andersen explains. “Those in the Caribbean offer coral replanting programmes, key for regenerating coastlines. In Baja, Mexico , they’ve developed citizen science courses, collecting data for whale conservation.” There are also a number of new Padi courses being launched for any diver to take anywhere, including the Global Shark and Ray Census in August 2024, as well as the relaunch of the Coral Reef Conservation Specialty course before December. Becky Lucas

3. Home swapping

What’s the trend? Increasingly, discerning travellers are looking to stay away for longer stretches, while the rise of remote jobs post-pandemic means that working and living abroad has never been more appealing. The catch? Forking out on hefty accommodation fees while you’re at it. Enter home swapping: the perfect solution to guarantee yourself a (free) home abroad while you offer up your own in exchange – for weeks or even months at a time.

Why will it matter in 2024? As the cost of holidaying continues to climb, home swapping is an affordable alternative to splashing out on expensive hotels or Airbnbs. And while the concepts of couch surfing and house exchanges have existed for decades, several slick new platforms are redefining what home swapping looks like today. Twin City, which operates in cities as far-flung as Lisbon and Los Angeles , has curated a community of 1,100 plus carefully vetted users in just eight months. For an annual subscription fee of £150, members can find Twins to connect with through the platform, and are encouraged to exchange local recommendations for their city as well as their homes, enabling members to feel as if they’re swapping with a trusted friend rather than a stranger. Meanwhile, Kindred, a home-swapping platform where members rack ​​up credits for each night that they exchange homes, raised $15 million in funding this year to expand operations across the USA and Europe, and currently has 10,000 plus homes in more than 50 cities. Members simply pay a cleaning and service fee for each stay, while the cost of the stay itself is free. Or skip out on membership fees entirely and head straight to TikTok, where Gen Z appears to be spearheading the home-swapping movement on social media. Inspired by cult film The Holiday , trending tags #houseswap and #homeswap have garnered more than 23 and 20 million views respectively, with users utilising the platform as a means to advertise their homes, discover like-minded peers to swap with and document their adventures along the way. Gina Jackson

4. Train stations are the new food destinations

What’s the trend? Train stations around the world are usually passed through as quickly as possible, having not been designed for commuters to stay and hang out. Nowadays, as travel delays increase and visitors want more local experiences, it pays for train stations to welcome travellers with shops, restaurants and bars for them to explore. In an effort to create a more dynamic visitor experience, historic train stations are being revamped, with bespoke food and drink offerings as an integral part of the redesign.

Why will it matter in 2024? As train stations are renovated to accommodate more travellers and update old infrastructure, local restaurants and bars are being added to attract more customers. In 2023, the new Moynihan Train Hall in New York City became home to The Irish Exit, a bar from the team behind the acclaimed Dead Rabbit, and Yono Sushi by trendy BondST, plus outposts of beloved NYC restaurants Pastrami Queen and Jacob’s Pickles, with Mexican hotspot La Esquina coming soon.  Platform 1 a new bar and restaurant that opened in November underneath Glasgow Central Station . The cave-like space, with its historic brick arches, serves street-food-style dishes and craft brews made in the on-site microbrewery, plus there’s an outdoor beer garden. As part of its renovation, Toronto’s Union Station launched Union Market in May 2023 with favourite local food retailers Manotas Organics, Chocolatta Brigadeiro’s, Patties Express and Kibo. Meanwhile, in Somerset, Castle Cary station is in the process of a revamp, with nearby hotel The Newt creating a creamery, cafe and co-working space, which is set to open in 2024. Also on tap for the next few years is the completed renovation of 30th Street Station in Philadelphia, with plans for a 20 per cent increase in concession space that will focus on local purveyors. Devorah Lev-Tov

5. Sports tourism

What’s the trend? No longer the domain of lads on tour keen to sink as many pints as possible with one eye on a football game, sports tourism has evolved in the past few years with a new generation – and type – of sports fan emerging thanks to glossy TV documentaries ( Formula 1: Drive to Survive , we’re looking at you). Now, we’re taking our fandom out of the house and following a host of different sports in destinations across the world, planning holidays that hinge around seeing games, races and other activities in exotic locales, and extending trips on either side to see the sights too.

Why will it matter in 2024? A little event known as the Olympic and Paralympic Games anchors the 2024 sports calendar. It kicks off in Paris in late July and runs until early September , during which time more than a million tourists are expected to check in across the French capital. The games have inspired city-wide projects such as the €1.4-billion clean-up of the Seine, which , all going well, will allow public swimming in the river for the first time in a century. Elsewhere, the Tour de France starts in Italy for the first time in 2024, with competitors speeding off in Florence before heading to Rimini on the Adriatic coast and then north to the Apennines through Emilia-Romagna. New bike routes in the area have been released by tour operators such as Ride International Tours and Ride Holidays for cycling enthusiasts keen to join in the fun. Sarah James

6. Coolcationing

What’s the trend? For the vast majority of folk, summer holidays used to be about following the sun, seeking the heat – watching the mercury climb and hitting the sands. With the intense, record-breaking temperatures of recent years, however, many are considering travelling in the opposite direction: booking "coolcations" in temperate destinations, which also benefit from being less crowded.

Why will it matter in 2024? Rising temperatures caused by the climate crisis have resulted in the hottest recorded summer in the UK – just over 40℃ in July 2022 – while 2023, with a sweltering summer in much of Mediterranean Europe, North America and China – is on track to be the hottest year ever. Little wonder that many travellers are thinking again before booking literal hotspots such as the South of France and Sicily in July or August. A survey for luxe travel network Virtuoso found that 82 per cent of its clients are considering destinations with more moderate weather in 2024. Destinations such as Iceland, Finland and Scotland, according to Intrepid Travel, along with Latvia, which is surging in popularity. “We’re seeing an increase in those holidaying further north,” says Andrea Godfrey of Regent Holidays. “Scandinavia and the Baltics are both getting noticed more: they offer a more pared-back style of holiday but have some lovely beaches, and forests and lakes for both relaxation and adventure activities.” Cooler temperatures are particularly well suited to family travel too. “We’re getting far more enquiries from families for destinations that offer summer sun but also respite from the high temperatures being experienced in beach resorts across the Med,” says Liddy Pleasants, founder of family specialist Stubborn Mule Travel. “Kayaking in Norway, with its midnight sun, for instance, and cycling or hiking in Slovenia, which is also very good value.” Time to ditch the SPF50… Rick Jordan

Gig tripping

7. Gig tripping

What’s the trend? For years, athletes and wellness gurus were the big headliners at retreats. But rock stars are, well, the new rock stars of travel. Call it the Swift Effect. Destination concert business is up more than 50 per cent, led mostly by Taylor Swift, says Janel Carnero, a travel advisor at Embark Beyond. In the USA, tickets for Swift’s Eras Tour cost thousands and were still impossible to score. Music fans are realising they can pay less and have a more memorable experience by seeing their favourite pop icons perform in say, Amsterdam or Milan . Tours from performers such as Pearl Jam, U2, Doja Cat and Madonna will anchor trip itineraries, while music festivals (Glastonbury sold out in less than an hour) will be major catalysts for travel.

Why will it matter in 2024? New music festivals, including Untold in Romania's Cluj-Napoca, are introducing travellers to undiscovered destinations, says Alexandrea Padilha of Fischer Travel. And it’s no longer just about the music, says Carnero. “It’s the social aspect of sharing experiences with friends,” she adds. Hotels and travel companies have taken note and are creating the equivalent of backstage VIP experiences for guests. Global adventure collective Eleven has recently introduced Music with Eleven. The programme’s dedicated team of music-industry insiders (including Chris Funk, guitarist from the Decemberists) custom design itineraries that might include sitting in on a recording session at Flóki Studios, just outside the Arctic Circle at Deplar Farm in Iceland. And Rhythm & Sails hosts musicians on its catamarans. The company’s music director, Anders Beck of the jam band Greensky Bluegrass, curates the line-up of artists who perform sessions onboard and in ports as you island hop around the Caribbean . Jen Murphy

8. Resorts will help you biohack your health span

What’s the trend? Longevity is the latest wellness buzzword thanks to best-selling books such as  Outlive  and the hit Netflix documentary  Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones . Between 2021 and 2022, venture-capital investment in longevity clinics more than doubled from $27 million to $57 million globally, according to analysis from longevity research and media company Longevity.Technology. Now, the science of extending life and optimising health has become the focus at hotels. Blue Zones retreats are the new boot camps and even sybaritic resorts are offering the latest biohacks. Poolside vitamin IV anyone?

Why will it matter in 2024? Since the pandemic, feeling good trumps looking good. “People have become aware of the critical importance of developing a more proactive, preventive approach to health on all levels,” says Karina Stewart, co-founder of Kamalaya, a wellness retreat in Koh Samui, Thailand . This means a new willingness to go beyond diet and exercise and embrace sci-fi-sounding bio-regenerative treatments such as ozone therapy and hyperbaric oxygen chambers, both on offer at Kamalaya's new Longevity House. Luxury hotel brands are embracing the trend too. Six Senses Ibiza recently teamed up with biotech company RoseBar to offer guests full diagnostic testing. Maybourne Hotel Group is collaborating with wellness tech pioneer Virtusan to help guests boost performance. And Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea administers treatments such as stem cells and NAD+ (aka the fountain of youth) through its partnership with Next Health longevity centre. At 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay in Kauai, guests are welcomed with a B12 shot instead of bubbles and the resort’s new wellness-specific rooms come with recovery-boosting mod cons including infrared light mats. If the trend continues, the secret to longevity may be as easy as taking more holidays. Jen Murphy

9. Peak season gets the cold shoulder

What's the trend? There’s been a dramatic recent increase in shoulder season travel to Europe’s most popular destinations (particularly France , Spain , the UK and Italy ), which is set to continue in 2024. Luxury travel specialists Original Travel has launched new shoulder season itineraries to locations traditionally in demand during the summer – including the crystalline seascapes of Sardinia and Corsica – after seeing 14 per cent more bookings for September 2023 than for August 2023. Pegi Amarteifio of Small Luxury Hotels of the World shares similar insights. “Comparing phone reservations in 2023 against 2019, we’ve seen a 33 per cent increase for March to May and a 58 per cent increase for September to November , a pattern reflected across our other booking channels too.”

Why will it matter in 2024? A combination of social, economic and environmental factors is driving this trend into 2024. The cost of living crisis means a heightened focus on value. For 62 per cent of respondents to Booking.com’s 2024 travel trends survey, this is a limiting factor for 2024 travel planning, so much so that 47 per cent of respondents are even willing to take children out of school for cheaper off-peak travel. Shoulder season travel is also becoming more attractive due to rising temperatures, and more feasible due to flexible working. Layered on top of these practical considerations is an emotional motivation too: travellers are craving authenticity more than ever, seeking a tranquil, local feel when abroad, rather than Where’s Wally beach scenes. Toyo Odetunde

10. Private group travel

What’s the trend? The post-pandemic desire to gather friends or family and embark on a shared holiday experience shows no sign of abating – in fact, it’s on the increase in luxury travel, as people appreciate the benefits and savour the moment, from 3G family groups to 50-something empty-nesters keen to rekindle life-long friendships. Just don’t take Succession ’s family outing to Tuscany as a role model.

Why will it matter in 2024? “While some predicted group travel would peak post-pandemic, we’ve seen it have a lasting, positive impact with private group bookings continuing to be a dominant trend,” says Tom Marchant of Black Tomato, for whom group travel now accounts for 30 per cent of bookings. The company has just launched its See You in the Moment series to cater for the demand: it uses a mood board of over 35 experiences themed around key flash points, from The Meal (a backcountry feast served on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, for example) to The Challenge (rafting down the Apurímac in Peru, perhaps), all designed to create lasting memories. For Scott Williams, meanwhile, multi-generational travellers are thinking big: why take one house when you can take a whole estate, such as Meli on Paxos in the Greek Islands, which sleeps 17? Other groups are taking to the water, with Red Savannah reporting an increase in bookings for Turkish gulets, Egyptian dahabiyas and Indonesian phinisis. Scott Dunn have seen an increase in bookings amongst groups of friends, with 30 per cent of respondents in a recent survey saying they were planning trips for 2024 that included ski trips to France, adventure travel in South and Central America, and beach breaks on Antigua and Barbados. Empty-nesters are also a growing force, with groups of couples in their 50s to 70s hiring villas in the shoulder season for cultural weeks away, and all-female groups – mainly aged between 50 and 65 – who are proactive in wanting to renew long-term friendships. “We had one repeat group that included several cancer survivors,” says Sarah-Leigh Shenton at Red Savannah. “A hammam afternoon in Turkey was a deeply bonding experience and they’ve since travelled to Jordan and Sicily together.” Rick Jordan

11. AI aims to be your sidekick

What's the trend? Early last year, after OpenAI’s ChatGPT broke the record as the fastest-ever growing consumer app, travellers started playing around with AI chatbots to get inspiration on where they could go. More recently, major travel booking platforms have started to integrate AI chatbots into the booking experience. But if 2023 was the year of AI chatbots wanting to plan your trips , 2024 will be all about how AI aspires to be your travel sidekick. A wave of new AI-powered features and products aims to support travellers on the ground – all while raising concerns around the potential negative impacts as AI becomes more widely integrated with our travels.

Why will it matter in 2024? AI will start to make more real-time interventions in our travels in 2024. One practical example is live translation , which Samsung plans to launch on its 2024 Galaxy devices. Imagine calling somewhere you want to visit to get information without worrying about whether staff speak the same language as you. Another example is greater AI personalisation in popular apps you already use. Uber’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi has recently touted the company's increasing use of personalised AI algorithms , which will learn about your habits and make suggestions based on what you’re doing. For the true early adopters, real-time travel interventions could also mean ditching your screen entirely and clipping a screenless personal translator and travel assistant to your chest. This is the unusual idea behind the new talking and projecting AI Pin from Humane , a start-up backed by investors including OpenAI’s Sam Altman, that promises to function a bit like the universal translator from Star Trek . Will anyone want to actually wear the pin or will it go the way of previously hyped devices such as Google Glass? It certainly raises a host of ethical questions about privacy and data protection. Yet the more that AI products successfully help in addressing on-the-go problems, the more travellers will come to rely on them too. JD Shadel

12. Skip-gen travel

What’s the trend? Skip-gen travel describes when grandparents holiday with grandchildren, in other words, "skipping" a generation. “In the past few months, I've had around twice as many enquiries as usual for grandchild/grandchild bookings,” says Clio Wood, founder of family retreat company &Breathe . “There’s been a rising trend of grandparents taking their grandchildren away,” agrees Ollie Summers, Head of Sales at bespoke operator Scott Dunn . “Often to places that have a sentimental meaning to them.”

Why will it matter in 2024? Several travel agencies have created itineraries to cater specifically for this demand in 2024. “Skip-gen safaris are emerging as a micro-trend from the UK, reflecting a niche traveller group now well established in the US luxury market,” says Liane Goldring of Mahlatini Luxury Travel . “The grandparents are usually in their 70s and still active enough to fully embrace a fully guided safari adventure.” Original Travel, meanwhile, has relaunched its Bonding Holidays Collection , featuring trips focussed on discovering something new together, such as its 14-day Family Ranching itinerary in the American West. Some of this growth can be attributed to big-ticket lockdown promises coming to fruition. Now, amid the UK’s cost of living crisis, parents are also keen to make the most of the time and childcare support of their typically baby boomer, more comfortably retired parents. Plus, the global ratio of living grandparents to grandchildren is higher than ever, thanks to a combined increase in life expectancy and drop in the number of children per person. We’re even said to be living in the "the age of the grandparent". Don’t expect this trend – or your grandparents – to slow down anytime soon. Becky Lucas

Glamorous train travel

13. Train travel gets glam

What’s the trend? Rising climate consciousness has fuelled a rail travel revival, the luxury train niche is reaching new heights of popularity, extravagance and ambition. Travel booking platforms are reporting growing demand for luxury rail trips , where the journey is, yes, the destination. In fact, new design-forward train lines increasingly rival the finest hotels for the culinary experiences and bells and whistles on offer.

Why will it matter in 2024? A new wave of rail lines and itineraries launching in 2024 puts an emphasis on deeper immersion into the culture and landscapes of the destinations, which are more and more off the beaten track. Responding to growing demand for luxury train travel among its user base, specialist platform Railbookers plans to launch arguably the most geographically extensive and expensive luxury train itinerary around. With prices per person starting at $113,599, the 80-day Around the World by Luxury Train voyage will cross four continents and 13 countries. Beginning in August , the slow journey will string together existing luxury rail trips including Canada’s Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Jasper and India’s Maharajas Express from Delhi to Mumbai. In Asia, the previously paused Eastern & Oriental Express is making a grand comeback starting in February, with carriages getting an upscale revamp and its legendary route being retraced through Malaysia's landscapes. Meanwhile, Japan is a hot destination for its scenic train journeys such as the exclusive Train Suite Shiki-shima , which quickly closed applications for its 2024 trips due to demand. And in Europe, six new train lines will commence or terminate in Rome under Accor's La Dolce Vita umbrella, with suites designed by starchitects Dimorestudio, building on the cultural legacy of the famous Orient Express . JD Shadel

14. Restaurateur-owned hotels

What’s the trend? Restaurants and hotels are the two linchpins of the hospitality industry. And naturally, the two are often intertwined on one premises. Until recently, though, most hotels weren’t started or owned by restaurateurs. Yet as food-focused travel keeps increasing, with people hankering for the next hot reservation and planning entire trips around discovering a culture through its food, it makes sense that restaurateurs are adding hotelier to their CVs – and ensuring their new properties have impressive food offerings. We’d be remiss not to mention Nobu, which began as a restaurant in 1994 and in 2013 launched its global hotel brand, as a harbinger of the trend.

Why will it matter in 2024? Just as design brands (RH, West Elm) have opened hotels in recent years, now restaurateurs are getting in on the action. In the USA, restaurateur and 12-time James Beard award nominee Sam Fox has just launched the Global Ambassador in Phoenix, Arizona, with five restaurants. Santa Barbara’s Good Lion Hospitality is relaunching Petit Soleil , a Californian wine country boutique hotel, with a new bar and restaurant slated for next spring. The Lafayette Hotel & Club was debuted last summer in San Diego by Arsalun Tafazoli, founder of a local hospitality group that operates 16 bars and restaurants. The hotel has five restaurants and bars, with two more opening by the end of the year. In Dallas, Harwood International, which owns a dozen or so restaurants in the area, opened Hôtel Swexan in June. In the St Gallen region of Switzerland two hotels were recently added to beloved restaurants: the revamped Mammertsberg  and  Gasthaus Traube . In Slovenia, AS Hotel is a new place to stay launched Sebastjan Raspopović, son of chef Svetozar Raspopović-Pope of renowned restaurant Gostilna AS in Lublijana. Aside from a restaurant by Raspopović-Pope, the hotel has an eatery by Michelin-lauded chef Ana Roš. Finally,  R48 , and its lauded Chef’s Table, was opened in Tel Aviv last spring by R2M Hospitality Group, which also runs restaurants CoffeeBar and Herzl 16. Devorah Lev-Tov

15. Silent travel

What’s the trend? In an age of overstimulation, silence might be just what we need from our travels in 2024. Offering a chance to restore and reset, silent travel represents a more mindful kind of trip, one that doesn’t leave you needing a holiday to recover from your holiday. Silent meditation retreats are an increasingly popular wellness trend, but silent travel also encompasses secluded nature resorts, sleep retreats , quiet hotels , silent walking tours and even silent disco and concert experiences.

Why will it matter in 2024? Saturated with stress and screen time, many of us are looking for ways to disconnect. The silent walking trend that recently took TikTok by storm reflects a growing impulse to escape the noise of our tech-fuelled lives and embrace the quiet, with promising implications for wellbeing. One 2015 study suggests silence may help to stimulate brain development, while another found that two minutes of silence during or after relaxing music increased the music's calming effects. With the Global Wellness Institute forecasting a 21 per cent increase in wellness tourism in the next two years, what better counter to the chaos of our always-on lives than silence? Silent travel is also part of a move towards more sustainable tourism. Quiet Parks International , for example, offers unique nature experiences in dedicated quiet spaces, reducing noise pollution for the surrounding wildlife. Silent travel opportunities abound in 2024. Kick off the year with a silent retreat in Portugal (with Innate ) or Italy (with Mandali ). More adventurous silent-seekers can trek the peaceful Japanese Kumano Kodo trail, or explore Finland’s Arctic landscape with a Silence & Nature Tour . For a tailor-made silent experience, Black Tomato’s Blink camp offers luxury accommodation in the world’s most remote settings, while its Get Lost programme promises to help you find yourself by getting lost in a far-flung location. Tasha Kleeman

16. Urban gardens

What’s the trend? Never mind the biophilic office and those pot plants you forget to water: whole cities are going green as architects and planners create leafy microclimates amid the grey concrete to help keep us cooler, connect communities and even feed us.

Why will it matter in 2024? Having trees and gardens in our cities is a pretty good idea. King Nebuchadnezzar certainly thought so, which is why his Hanging Gardens of Babylon made it into travel’s first-ever bucket list – the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World – back in the 2nd century BC. Nowadays planting trees creates much-needed shade, stores carbon and increases biodiversity, but it also makes our cityscapes so much nicer. While Valencia, an early adopter of urban greening with its 12km-long Turia Garden in 1986, is the 2024 European Green Capital, France is busy planting trees like there’s no tomorrow: go to Paris for the 2024 Olympics and you’ll spot budding new forests growing in Place du Colonel-Fabien, Place de Catalogne and in the Charonne district, while Bordeaux’s Grandeur Nature project includes urban cooling islands, micro-forests and rain gardens. All of which will doubtless be discussed at the ISHS Green Cities 2024 symposium, hosted by RHS Garden Wisley in Surrey, England, in September. Meanwhile, on Cyprus – an island that experienced temperatures of 44℃ in 2023 – the new Salina Park opens in time for summer shade in the seaside city of Larnaca. In Brazil, Rio’s Hortas Cariocas is a groundbreaking achievement that will be completed by the end of 2024: the largest urban vegetable garden in the world, connecting 56 community gardens across favelas and schools. And in London, the £1-billion Google building in King’s Cross will show just what can be done with one structure. Designed by Thomas Heatherwick, the "landscraper" – only 11 storeys high but stretching out longer than the Shard is tall – is hoped to provide a blueprint for future urban projects: running along the rooftop is a multi-level garden, with wildflowers, lawns and decked seating areas, set with more than 55,000 plants and 250 trees. Can you dig it? Rick Jordan

17. Back-of-house tours

What’s the trend? Greener hotels giving us a look behind the scenes to show us – not just tell us – they're sustainable. We don't mean a look-see at solar panels or composting, but heart-lifting experiential tours that help us appreciate why it matters to support socio-economic uplift through tourism. In South America, Blue Apple Beach invites visitors to get up close and personal with the community work it does in Colombia through its impact fund. Founder Portia Hart wanted more than token-gesture carbon offsetting, where locals themselves could decide how money was spent. In Africa, guests of the Bushcamp Company contribute to initiatives through the Luangwa Conservation and Community Fund. A popular excursion in Zambia is visiting the boreholes that are installed with outreach funds. Each pump provides fresh drinking water to hundreds of people a day, and visitors who spend time with those gathered get a very tangible insight into how such provisions funded by hospitality can literally change lives in regions most affected by a warming planet.

Why will it matter in 2024? Transparency is on the up as the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive comes into force and greenwashing is coming close to being officially outlawed. A year of droughts, floods and heatwaves also reminds us we need to make better-informed choices in our travel planning – and all the better if we can also get a crash course in the science and sociology of positive impact. Experiences that go beyond explaining responsible practices, but demonstrate a deep respect for communities on the climate-change frontlines and help make their challenges relatable to visitors are especially helpful. Juliet Kinsman

18. Wild feasting

What’s the trend? Have you ever noticed how food always tastes better outdoors? But in today’s modern world many of us are more used to eating a sandwich while staring at a screen. Wild feasting describes the trend for beautifully curated culinary experiences in natural environments with the incorporation of hyper-local and foraged ingredients. In Sweden, for example, you can tap into a network of do-it-yourself outdoor restaurants where you book a table in a scenic location, search for nettles, birch leaves, lingonberries and trumpet chanterelles, and then cook them on an open fire according to a recipe card provided by a Michelin-grade chef.

Why will it matter in 2024? A greater range of wild feasting opportunities will give urbanites a chance to properly connect over food. Leading the way is Noah Ellis, founder of the UK's Nomadic Dinners. “Since launching in 2018, we experienced compounded year-on-year growth for our feasting and foraging experiences,” he says. In 2024 he will be hosting a new series of fire feasts, including one set among the bluebells. Also tapping into the zeitgeist is TikTok star Alexis Nikole Nelson (aka the Black Forager) who will publish a book about wild food in 2024. And don’t forget, 2024 is the last year you will be able to eat at Copenhagen ’s legendary, foraging-focused restaurant Noma before it turns into a test kitchen and closes to the public. Another innovator is Holmen Lofoten’s Kitchen On The Edge Of The World series in the Norwegian Arctic Circle, where guests can participate in four nights of wild feasts cooked by top chefs. In 2024, these will include Lennox Hastie, José Pizarro and Heidi Bjerkan. Ingunn Rasmussen, owner of Holmen Lofoten, says: “Now, as when we were little kids, gathering around a bonfire in the wilderness, sharing stories, feasting under the stars in these magical, remote surroundings is one of the absolute highlights, both for our guests and for us.” Jenny Southan

19. Plan-free travel

What's the trend? Saying no to endless scrolling to plan every inch of a trip, and saying yes to spontaneity instead. The power of the algorithm-spawned era of Fomo travel is waning, with those once secret spots made Insta-famous becoming tired and cookie-cutter, and the drive to plan a trip around them losing momentum. The rising counter movement is travel with no plans at all.

Why will it matter in 2024? The plan-free appeal is going one step further in 2024. Booking.com recently reported that 50 per cent of UK travellers want to book a surprise trip in 2024, where everything, even the destination, is unknown until arrival. And it’s possible to do it via travel companies such as Black Tomato, whose Get Lost service offers customers the ability to simply select a preferred environment – polar, jungle, desert, mountain or coastal – and leave its team decide everything else. “While we launched Get Lost several years ago, post-pandemic we’ve seen a notable and rising uptick in bookings and enquiries,” says Black Tomato co-founder Tom Marchant. Journee offers a similar surprise element, with travellers only finding out where they’re going at the airport. The service, which includes a full itinerary and access to a team via Whatsapp, is particularly popular with solo female travellers, while overall demand has grown so much that the London -based brand recently launched trips in the USA. Lauren Burvill

20. Frontier tourism

What’s the trend? To go above and beyond. Or below and under. As crossings of the tumultuous Drake Passage to Antarctica rack up millions of TikTok views and traffic jams form on Everest, canny travellers are seeking more individual, less obvious experiences that combine thrill-seeking with more meaningful self-empowerment.

Why will it matter in 2024? One person’s frontier is another’s backyard, of course, so frontiers are entirely subjective here. For some, this could mean being the first to camp under the stars in a remote landscape, or hike an ancient pilgrimage trail that’s been off the map for centuries. It’s still possible to bag a rare place on a Kamba African Rainforest Experience in the Republic of the Congo, being one of just 12 people to explore a game park the size of Belgium. Black Tomato, meanwhile, is designing an intrepid new expedition to the remote Mitre Peninsula in Argentina, along with a trip in Peru navigating the Sacred Valley of the Incas by raft. “This sort of adventure goes beyond bragging rights and is more akin to self-empowerment and the gratification of pushing our own horizons,” says Black Tomato co-founder Tom Marchant. The Ultimate Travel Company is also heading to Peru, a country repositioning itself for luxury travellers, with stays at Puqio, its first tented exploration camp,, in the remote Colca Valley in the Southern Peruvian Andes. Wilderness camping is also pegging out fresh terrain in Kyrgyzstan, with yurt stays on the steppes trending for 2024, according to Wild Frontiers, as is Mongolia ; while Albania, Mongolia, Pakistan and the Empty Quarter of Oman are all on the radar for an increasing number of travellers. And while the space-age pods of White Desert have already sold out for New Year’s Eve 2024 and 2025, latter-day frontiersfolk can take the path less travelled and explore the frozen continent’s southern coast (99 per cent of visitors go from South America to the northwest) with The Ultimate Travel Company’s new Ross Sea cruises, seeing the Ross Ice Shelf and Transantarctic Mountains. Don’t forget to pack your penknife. Rick Jordan

The Path of Totality North America

Dance, gawk or run in the dark, but don’t look directly at the sun.

From the beaches of Mazatlán, Mexico, to the rugged coves of Maberly, Newfoundland, the sky will be the stage on April 8 as a total solar eclipse sweeps across North America. This year, the moon will be near its closest point to Earth, resulting in an unusually wide swath and long-lasting totality.

Mexico, Canada and 13 U.S. states will greet the darkness with celebrations. The Portal Eclipse Festival in Mazatlán promises “spiritual growth” through D.J.s, yoga and more. NASA will be broadcasting from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where $15 will get you admission to a festival and eclipse glasses called, fittingly, the Greatest Spectacles. On the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, Cosmologists Without Borders will offer space-themed programs. And if you’re game to run with a headlamp, consider a race in Millinocket, Maine.

You can find an interactive map at eclipse2024.org and a list of activities at nationaleclipse.com .

— Danielle Dowling

Paris France

Preparing for the olympics, and millions of sports lovers.

Already one of the most visited cities in the world, Paris is preparing to welcome millions of travelers this summer as host of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games . It will be the biggest sporting event in the city’s history, and to mark the occasion many well-known monuments are being transformed into sports and entertainment venues.

In a first, the Olympics opening ceremony will not be held in a stadium but outdoors, along the River Seine and near the Eiffel Tower. Outdoor swimming and the para-triathlon will be set against the backdrop of the Pont d’Iéna. The Grand Palais , renowned for its vast glass dome, is undergoing an extensive renovation to stage the fencing and taekwondo events. The grand gardens of the Château de Versailles, just outside Paris, will be transformed into a gallery and course for the equestrian events. La Concorde will stage the Olympic debut of break dancing and other sports like skateboarding and three-on-three basketball.

If that weren’t enough, Paris, along with Normandy, is also celebrating the 150th anniversary of the first Impressionist exhibition. “Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment” will feature 130 works at the Musée d’Orsay (March 26 to July 14), tracing the artistic movement and how it captured a changing city. The reconstructed Notre-Dame Cathedral, which was ravaged in a fire in 2019, is also scheduled to open to visitors on Dec. 8, 2024.

— Ceylan Yeginsu

Yamaguchi Japan

Savor the temples and the cuisine and skip the crowds.

Yamaguchi is often called the Kyoto of the West, though it’s much more interesting than that — and it suffers from considerably less “tourism pollution.” A compact city of about 190,000, it lies in a narrow valley between the Inland and Japan seas.

With its impeccable gardens and its stunning five-story pagoda , Rurikoji Temple is a national treasure. The city’s small winding lanes offer an assortment of experiences: pottery kilns like Mizunoue , situated on the grounds of Toshunji Temple; chic coffee shops like Log and Coffeeboy , and older-style options like Haraguchi ; and wonderful counter-only shops that serve oden, or one-pot dishes. Just a 15-minute walk south is the hot-springs village of Yuda Onsen.

Given the tourist crush in Kyoto, Yamaguchi has also been offering a smaller scale — but no less historic — alternative to Kyoto’s Gion summer festival for some 600 years. Yamaguchi’s Gion Festival, which features parades, costumes and dancing, also takes place in July; 2024 will be its first year operating again at full tilt since the pre-Covid era.

— Craig Mod

New Zealand by Train

Riding the rails through vineyards, volcanoes and snow-capped peaks.

Road-tripping across New Zealand via camper van is a free-spirited traveler’s dream. But a simpler and more sustainable way to go is by train. Opt for a 17-day journey on the Northern Explorer, Coastal Pacific and TranzAlpine trains offered by Great Journeys , the tourism division of KiwiRail, New Zealand’s national rail operator.

The journey starts in Auckland and explores transcendent sites like the volcanic peaks of Tongariro National Park and Te Papa Tongarewa Museum . Guests ferry across the Cook Strait to the South Island and board the Coastal Pacific for a ride through world-class vineyards and along the jagged coast, stopping to whale- and dolphin-watch before ending in Christchurch. The last leg on the TranzAlpine starts on the lush Canterbury Plains then climbs over the Southern Alps, with views to white-capped peaks, rushing rivers and alpine lakes. Accommodations are in four-star properties at stops along the way. Coming in spring: carriages with luxurious reclining seats, panoramic windows and partial glass ceilings.

— Stephanie Pearson

Maui Hawaii

A mindful resurgence of tourism after a catastrophic fire.

Maui, Hawaii’s second largest island and one of its most popular among visitors, was dealt a devastating blow last summer when wildfires blazed across its western shores , killing at least 100 people and razing the town of Lahaina . Nonessential travel to the affected areas was paused for two months; with such tragedy came concerns among travelers and residents about the resurgence of tourism, Maui’s top economic sector.

Though Lahaina remains closed, the island is once again welcoming visitors and still brimming with an abundance of activities and lush landscapes to enjoy: In the community of Kihei, Kamaole State Beach Park is ideal for snorkeling and spotting sea turtles. Farther north in Kapalua, a gentle walking trail meanders through lava fields and along the sea. And some of Maui’s most cherished natural attractions, like Haleakala National Park , are far removed from the fire zone. Travelers can also go a step further by volunteering to help people displaced by the wildfires.

— Christine Chung

Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni Arizona

Honoring the sacred indigenous land around the grand canyon.

While Grand Canyon National Park is no stranger to travel bucket lists, there’s a new reason to visit the southwestern United States. The recently designated Baaj Nwaavjo I’tah Kukveni , or Ancestral Footprints of the Grand Canyon National Monument, now conserves around 900,000 acres of plateaus, canyons and other land surrounding the Grand Canyon. Considered the ancestral homelands of more than a dozen Indigenous tribes, the monument also preserves more than 3,000 Native cultural and historic sites, reflecting the area’s deep spiritual and sacred significance.

Support the local Native American community by booking a Colorado River adventure with the Hualapai River Runners , a white-water rafting company led by Hualapai Tribe river guides. But whether above or below the rim, be sure to look up: The California condor, the largest bird in North America and once facing extinction, now has a population of more than 100, thanks to recent conservation efforts.

— Gina Rae La Cerva

New hotels and advanced biometric technology enhance visits

Singapore hasn’t stopped racing toward modernization since its independence in 1965. Now the cosmopolitan city-state, already known for its cuisine , architecture and world-class airport, is transforming itself with a luxury hotel boom. Edition recently opened a 204-room property in the downtown Orchard Road district, while the Standard will open later this year. Famed hotels such as the Mandarin Oriental and Grand Hyatt , which closed in recent years for major renovations, will also return.

Changi Airport has also undertaken a major expansion. In November, Terminal 2 fully reopened with new automated check-in kiosks, bag drops and immigration lanes, more than quadrupling the terminal’s capacity to 28 million passengers per year. And many passengers will be moving through Changi even more efficiently this year, as the airport plans to adopt the latest biometrics and facial recognition technology for passport-free departures.

O’Higgins Chile

Sample delectable local foods while connecting with rural farmers.

This overlooked region south of Santiago has been facing a changing climate, wildfires that are threatening hundred-year-old grapevines, frequent earthquakes and undervalued traditions. So a group of local cooks, winemakers and artisan growers have joined to preserve their campesino, or rural farmer, identity. In late 2023 their initiative, known as Ruta de los Abastos, began offering rural culinary experiences to connect visitors to local beekeepers, oyster farmers and other producers.

Markets and restaurants — like El Abasto in the city of Rancagua and the vineyard-based restaurants at Food and Wine Studio and Viña Vik — are highlighting regional ingredients like locally raised lamb, salt from the coast at Cáhuil and a rustic, low-alcohol wine called chacolí, produced by area growers. On the coast around Pichilemu and Punta de Lobos, amid minimalist beach lodges like Hotel Alaia , locavore seafood with natural wine lists — like those found at Mareal — dominates the scene.

— Nicholas Gill

Ladakh India

Trek to mountaintop monasteries and savor a stark and rugged landscape.

Ladakh, a mountainous region known as the Land of High Passes, is nestled between the Himalayas to the south and the Karakoram range to the north. This rugged land, with its stark beauty and remote villages, is a place where time seems to have stood still.

In recent years, though, administrative changes have greatly improved infrastructure and accessibility. The Atal Tunnel , a remarkable feat of engineering, allows visitors to sidestep the infamous Rohtang Pass , turning a treacherous ride — lasting several hours in the best of weather — into a brisk 20-minute one. That makes it easier than ever for visitors to experience the area’s stunning landscapes, pristine lakes, Buddhist monasteries and other cultural attractions, which in Leh (Ladakh’s largest city) include markets, several museums and an extraordinary nine-story palace . New hiking and trekking routes in Leh and the Zanskar Valley round out the options for those in search of adventure.

— Poras Chaudhary

Geneva Switzerland

Satisfy your curiosity about quantum physics, and your cravings for chocolate.

The tiniest bits of nature are the biggest attraction at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, and its 17-mile-long particle accelerator on the outskirts of Geneva. But until recently, visitors had limited options for nerding out. Open since October, the family-friendly, Renzo Piano-designed CERN Science Gateway changes that with activities like quantum karaoke, quantum air hockey and miniature magnetic accelerators modeled after the Large Hadron Collider, where in 2012 physicists discovered the elusive Higgs boson , seen as a key to understanding the universe’s origins.

Less mind-blowing but still satisfying to hungry scientists and laypeople alike, the Choco Pass , a self-guided chocolate tour that debuted in 2022, lets visitors sample Geneva’s famous truffles, bonbons and pralines. And if you want to explore the nature of time — or timepieces — book a table at Breitling Kitchen , the Swiss watch brand’s fourth crossover restaurant, which features menus designed by Juan Arbelaez of “Top Chef.”

— Adam H. Graham

Dominica The Caribbean

A bird’s-eye view of rainforests, reefs and a boiling lake.

A patchwork of volcanoes, rainforests, waterfalls and hot springs has earned Dominica, a 290-square-mile independent nation in the West Indies, the nickname the Nature Island. Later this year, visitors will be able to get a bird’s-eye view of the wild landscape thanks to a $54 million, 4.1-mile cable car line that will whisk passengers from the lush Roseau Valley up to Boiling Lake , a roughly 200-foot-wide fumarole flooded with nearly 200-degree water, which currently requires a demanding hike to reach.

The island is also a playground for eco-adventurers: Hiking trails crisscross its three national parks , its crystal cascades make for ideal waterfall rappelling , pristine coral reefs offer some of the best diving in the world, and more than 20 species of whales and dolphins abound along the island’s west coast — including a resident population of sperm whales, which will get their own dedicated sanctuary this year.

— Nora Walsh

Manchester England

New concert venues open in a music-mad city.

Music has long been at the core of Manchester’s gritty soul, from Joy Division and the Stone Roses to Oasis and, now, Harry Styles, who is backing Britain’s largest new music arena, Co-op Live , set to open in April. Stars like Liam Gallagher, Eric Clapton and Barry Manilow are booked to inaugurate the 23,500-capacity space, which will complement the reopening of concert halls like the post-punk incubator Band on the Wall and New Century , where the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Tina Turner have all graced the stage.

For those interested in emerging talent, the city will host two major music conferences this year, including Worldwide Music Expo , a behemoth packed with concerts, speakers, films and an awards ceremony, and Beyond the Music , a smorgasbord of performances, parties, workshops and more. In November, Laurie Anderson will headline the Factory International arts center with “ARK,” a multimedia “dark comedy for the end of the world.”

Craters of the Moon Idaho

Celebrate a centennial amid cinder cones and star parties.

Between 15,000 and 2,000 years ago, outpourings of lava blanketed what would become eastern Snake River Plain in Idaho, creating a surreal landscape with gaping craters, steep-sided cinder cones and underground lava tubes. President Calvin Coolidge established the area as a national monument in 1924; for its centennial, Craters of the Moon will unveil new and rehabilitated trails, wayside exhibits developed in partnership with Shoshone-Bannock tribal elders, and a packed calendar of events.

Marvel at this Dark Sky Park at a centennial Star Party with telescopes from the Idaho Falls Astronomical Society, or camp out under one of the largest remaining “pools” of natural nighttime darkness in the United States. And enjoy it all in relative solitude. Expanded to 750,000 acres to cover the Great Rift, a 52-mile-long crack in the Earth’s crust, Craters of the Moon is about the size of Yosemite National Park but receives just 6 percent of the visitors.

— Ratha Tep

Baltimore Maryland

Explore urban waterways and an array of native artwork.

It’s an enormous year for Charm City. The 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act is bringing in a new Justice Thurgood Marshall Amenity Center ; the Baltimore Museum of Art is increasing the presence of Native artists with solo shows, thematic exhibitions and changes to displays and labels across the museum; and Baltimore Peninsula , a place for visitors and locals to shop, dine and play, will breathe new life into a long-neglected port area.

For outdoor enthusiasts, a network of waterways called the Baltimore Blueway — open to kayaks, canoes, paddle boards and rowboats — will connect visitors throughout the waterfront to cultural, historic and natural sites. And movie buffs take note: The director John Waters will be in his hometown shooting a film based on his first novel, “Liarmouth.”

— Daniel Scheffler

Salar de Uyuni Bolivia

Crunching or splashing across the world’s largest salt flat, under starry nights and mirrored skies.

Like all the best places, Salar de Uyuni, 12,000 feet high in the Andes, can be demanding. Getting there means a rough overland journey, nights in dusty hotels and the threat of altitude sickness, but when you walk on the world’s largest salt flat, your crunching footsteps are often the only sound on this blanched, 4,000 square miles of salt crust, left behind when prehistoric lakes evaporated. Geometric striations lace the crystalline surface, while the rainy season only amps up the wonder, turning the salt flat into a liquid mirror that reflects otherworldly cloud formations, sunsets and starry nights.

There’s also an appetite for what lies beneath it: Earth’s second-largest stash of lithium. Demand for the “white gold” — used in electric-car and smartphone batteries — is surging. Last year Bolivia authorized two Chinese companies to begin extracting about 50,000 tons annually from the Uyuni salt flats. The mining efforts could affect the area’s beauty and ecosystem. Better go to the Salar soon.

— Lucinda Hahn

Negombo Sri Lanka

A fishing village with stunning temples and plenty of seaside delights.

Tourism in Sri Lanka has long focused on Dambulla’s astonishing cave temple and the beaches of the southern coast. But travelers in search of less-trafficked destinations are paying newfound attention to Negombo, a fishing village. Less than 25 miles up the western coast from the capital, Colombo, the village of Negombo offers a nearby international airport, hiking and plenty of beaches.

Had enough sun? Visit stunning temples and landmark cathedrals then unwind in one of the dozens of seafood restaurants — chefs here make good use of local prawns and crabs — in the charming downtown, known for its colonial-style buildings and Dutch canals.

Sustainability is a focus for businesses, especially the just-opened Uga Riva , a luxe hotel in a refurbished manor house that once welcomed Mohandas K. Gandhi and diplomats from around Asia. Tourism in Sri Lanka took a hit in recent years because of political unrest, followed by the coronavirus pandemic — but the country is back on track, and your money goes a long way.

— Liza Weisstuch

Massa-Carrara Italy

See the home of the marble that makes the masterpieces.

In an effort to reduce the crowds that fill the galleries of the Uffizi in Florence , the renowned museum has been transferring some of its masterpieces to lesser-known locales across Tuscany. As part of the latest initiative in the ever-expanding program known as Uffizi Diffusi , a collection of works, including paintings from the studio of the Italian Baroque painter Carlo Dolci, will be exhibited this spring in the town of Massa, at the Palazzo Ducale , which also houses the government offices of the Massa-Carrara province in northwestern Tuscany.

Art enthusiasts can also explore the surrounding Apuan Alps from which the marble for so many masterpieces — including Michelangelo’s David — was sourced, tour marble quarries and maybe even meet a working sculptor carving on the side of the road.

— Ingrid K. Williams

Bannau Brycheiniog Wales

Conserving welsh culture among scenic mountains.

Reclaiming the name Bannau Brycheiniog for a beloved national park in Wales last year was more than a linguistic change to Welsh from English ; it was a shift to spotlight the Welsh culture of the 520-square-mile park, formerly known as Brecon Beacons. The park’s emphasis on the relationship between nature and local culture is also shown in a new logo. Instead of the burning brazier of Brecon Beacons, the logo now has an ancient Welsh crown set within a green forest under stars, a reflection of the park’s commitment to a future where planting native trees restores temperate rainforest, the revegetation of peatland captures carbon and the dark sky is protected from light pollution.

While visiting Bannau Brycheiniog, “the peaks of Brychan’s kingdom,” make use of the park’s public transport and bike rentals, including the Explore Wales Pass for trains and buses, or take in the views by hiking through waterfall country from the village of Pontneddfechan.

— Susanne Masters

Support local recovery in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake

Before the earthquake that killed almost 3,000 people in September, the Ourika Valley in Morocco seemed like the dreamiest of escapes: silvery-green olive groves that give way to the dramatic reddish ridges of the Atlas Mountains, simple guesthouses and luxurious boutique hotels, farm-fresh cuisine, hiking, horseback riding — and all just an hour’s drive from Marrakesh.

Those retreats are staffed almost entirely by people who live in the valley’s villages, which have long experienced government neglect. The earthquake pulverized mud-brick homes around Ourika, killing many residents. Nearly all hospitality workers were forced to move into makeshift tents, yet within days they were back on the job at several lightly damaged hotels.

That’s because the whole region depends on tourism, and it — along with Marrakesh and Morocco as a whole — needs visitors now more than ever. But locals hope visitors will understand that there’s more to Morocco than its glossy surface. Khalid Ait Abdelkarim, a hotel worker whose home was destroyed, said Ourika welcomed tourists because “that’s what Moroccan people do.” But, he added, “We also deserve good lives.”

— Vivian Yee

Valencia Spain

Contemporary art with a side of paella.

Spain’s third-largest city has long been overshadowed by Barcelona, despite sharing similar characteristics: miles of velvety sand beaches along the country’s east coast, a vibrant cultural scene and a rich gastronomic tradition (Valencia is considered the birthplace of paella). But Valencia, which was named the European Commission’s “ green capital ” for 2024 — an award that recognizes cities for their environmental efforts — stands apart for travelers seeking more sustainably minded, less crowded destinations. The city has been revitalizing its historic center with leafier, pedestrian-only spaces, most recently with Plaza de la Reina , its lively public square, and is on track to be climate-neutral by 2030.

Valencia’s cultural landscape has also received a major boost with the Hortensia Herrero Art Center. Opened in November in the restored Valeriola Palace, the space houses the Spanish billionaire Hortensia Herrero’s private contemporary-art collection and includes more than 100 works by artists like Anish Kapoor , Andreas Gursky and Mat Collishaw .

— Vivian Song

Kansas City Missouri

Women’s soccer takes center stage in a heartland hub.

No doubt, soccer reigns supreme: In March, the Kansas City Current will unveil the first stadium built for a National Women’s Soccer League team, and Kansas City holds bragging rights as the sole Midwestern host for the FIFA World Cup 2026 . But other headliners abound, with new lures for budding bookworms and adventurers.

Opening in March, the Rabbit hOle museum will showcase a century’s worth of American children’s literature with immersive and interactive exhibits. (In the case of the towering installation for “The Funny Thing,” by Wanda Gág, children will be scrambling to feed “jum-jills” to the “aminal.”) Young thrill-seekers can soar up the new 150-foot-tall KC Wheel at Pennway Point , a new entertainment district. And beginning in April, visitors can get their kicks at Rock Island Bridge , a reimagined railway bridge that will offer dining above with kayaking, canoeing and paddle boarding below.

Antananarivo Madagascar

Textiles and contemporary art flourish on an island known for natural wonders.

Most tourists to Madagascar come to see wildlife or luxuriate on the beautiful islands off its northern coast, but the country’s teeming capital is developing a vibrant arts scene, and La Fondation H , a contemporary arts center that opened last April, was created to showcase Malagasy talent. It occupies a restored French colonial brick building, and the first exhibit is dedicated to one of the world’s greatest textile artists: Madame Zo, who died in 2020 and whose weavings were inspired by traditional Malagasy fabrics and basketry.

La Fondation H is the latest addition to Madagascar’s rapidly growing number of institutions specializing in contemporary art, including the Musée de la Photographie de Madagascar and Hakanto Contemporary , an arts center with a calendar of group shows and solo exhibitions by artists from Madagascar and beyond and also an artists-in-residence program. Maison Gallieni , which also houses the consulate of Monaco, offers four comfortable rooms in a house in a pretty garden with a pool.

— Alexander Lobrano

Yucatán Peninsula Mexico

A new train makes remote sites more accessible.

The Maya Train , a new service that began partial operations in December, will connect popular destinations on the Yucatán Peninsula — including beachy Cancún, historical Mérida and the Maya ruins of Chichén Itzá — to more distant sites, like Calakmul, a once powerful and still relatively intact Maya city near the Guatemalan border, and Palenque, gateway to the famous archaeological park in Chiapas state.

While the estimated $20 billion project, which began in 2020, has been criticized for threatening water quality and wildlife habitat, it is hoped that the service will benefit less-touristy destinations like the gulf port town of Campeche, a UNESCO World Heritage site, recognized for its 16th-century fortifications. Intended to bring jobs and investment and spread tourism beyond Mexico’s Caribbean beaches, the train will eventually ring the peninsula, traversing five states over nearly 1,000 miles of track and connecting directly with the new airport in Tulum.

— Elaine Glusac

Lake Toba Indonesia

Bask in the serenity of the world’s largest crater lake.

The value of simply sitting in a vast hole in the earth and stirring condensed milk into a cup of Sumatran coffee is difficult to overstate. About 74,000 years ago, one of the planet’s most significant volcanic explosions blew a 60-mile-wide gash into Sumatra, creating the foundation for Lake Toba, the world’s largest crater lake. It is curious to consider that a place where one can listen to the clink of a spoon inside a coffee cup once rocketed ash and gas 30 miles into the stratosphere.

Unlike Indonesia’s more popular destination, Bali, Lake Toba is without the crowds. It’s also far from the din of the country’s audacious plans to move its sinking capital . On the Tuk-Tuk peninsula, where most travelers base themselves, take a hike to learn about the Batak people who call the area home. Pass terraced rice paddies and churches with rusty sheet-metal roofs and then dive into the lake — into this cathartic space that once knew cataclysm but now knows calm.

— Joel Carillet

Almaty Kazakhstan

Luxe baths, kaleidoscopic cathedrals and hyper-contemporary food.

Kazakhstan’s largest city, with a population of two million, has the feel of a peaceful but active rural town. The underground metro gleams with intricate tile work. The Arasan baths are the apotheosis of bathing pleasures: massages atop marble slabs, cold plunges, unbearably hot saunas. Walk the leafy streets in an attentive mood and you’ll find endless delights — like a mustachioed man playing the accordion in front of the kaleidoscopic Ascension Cathedral .

Almaty’s status as a cultural hub, though, is increasingly evident in its food scene. “Neo-nomad” cuisine — focused on flour, water and meat — is being championed in hyper-contemporary style; sample it at Auyl or Tör . Cuisine from northwest China is on offer at Lanzhou Noodle , and great coffee at Sensilyo Coffee or JumpinGoat . Gaze upon the patchwork quilt of fruits and nuts splayed out at the Green Bazaar — and then try PlatformA , a large food hall that recently opened inside a Soviet Modernist building.

Quito Ecuador

Ride a brand-new metro line through nearly 500 years of history.

Updated Jan. 10, 2024: Ecuador declared a nationwide state of emergency . Please heed travel warnings, including advisories from the U.S. Department of State , before visiting.

When the brand-new 14-mile Metro line in Quito, Ecuador’s high-altitude capital, becomes fully operational this year, its 15 stations will connect the city from north to south, making it easier for travelers to explore — from the exquisitely preserved churches of the UNESCO-listed historic center to modern districts flaunting avant-garde towers designed by the likes of Bjarke Ingels and Moshe Safdie .

Although parts of Ecuador have made headlines for cartel-related violence , crime rates in Quito are down, according to the National Police, and a dedicated police force patrols areas popular with tourists. Check out San Francisco Market in Old Town to see traditional curanderas (female healers) who offer cleanses (from stress relief to fertility support) using bouquets of flowers and herbs. And grab a table in the hip La Floresta neighborhood, where homegrown chefs like Rodrigo Pacheco, whose farm-to-table restaurant Foresta is set to reopen after a hiatus, are getting creative with Ecuadorean ingredients.

Mingan Archipelago Quebec

Sea-sculpted monoliths, puffins and indigenous heritage.

In the wild Côte-Nord region of Quebec, the Mingan Archipelago , a national park reserve on the Gulf of St. Lawrence, unfolds ethereally. Hike amid Canada’s largest concentration of erosion-sculpted monoliths, which rise like fossilized works of art; kayak on the misty sea; and explore secluded beaches framed by marshes and forests. And watching over the land are the people of the Innu First Nations group .

Last summer, the Canadian government pledged to create new initiatives to support the Innu connection with the lands and waters, and to ensure the transfer of knowledge between generations. Visitors can share in that knowledge with new programs offered by the Mingan reserve, including spiritual and wellness workshops led by the Innu Nutashkuan community . For full coastal immersion, head to the Île aux Perroquets , where you can watch puffins and bed down under handcrafted quilts in a lighthouse keeper’s quarters.

— AnneLise Sorensen

Montgomery Alabama

A new sculpture park is dedicated to both slavery and emancipation.

When it comes to conversations about race in America, few destinations are as engaged as Montgomery, the former capital of the Confederacy and the birthplace of the civil rights movement. In 2018, the National Memorial for Peace and Justice became the first site of its kind to address racial terror across America, represented by 800 suspended steel pillars, one for each county where a lynching was known to have taken place.

This year, the Equal Justice Initiative, the nonprofit that opened the memorial, will debut a companion site: Freedom Monument Sculpture Park . On the banks of the Alabama River, the 17-acre park will exhibit works by Kehinde Wiley and Theaster Gates; artifacts, including dwellings relocated from a cotton plantation and a pen where enslaved people were held; and the 43-foot-tall National Monument to Freedom. Dedicated to the millions of enslaved Black people who were emancipated at the end of the Civil War, the steel-walled monument, which resembles an open book, will be engraved with more than 120,000 of their surnames.

Tasmania Australia

Where foraging for ingredients is part of the local flavor.

Venture outside and help protect vulnerable species in Tasmania, Australia’s southernmost state, with several new guided walks . Tasmanian Walking Company , in partnership with the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens, offers a three-day trek across rugged Bruny Island to map flora and collect seeds for the garden’s seed bank.

To get a taste of the island’s Indigenous culture, join members of the local Palawa community on multiday treks through the powder white sands of Wukalina (Mount William National Park) and orange-lichen-covered rocks of Larapuna (Bay of Fires). Or to get an actual taste of the island, forage for ingredients like wattle seeds and pepperberries with guides from Palawa Kipli , a company that is Indigenous-owned and operated — the experience ends with a tasting menu that includes smoked payathanima (wallaby).

Locavore menus are the norm throughout Tasmania, and the chef Analiese Gregory , a wild-cooking expert, will be showcasing ingredients like hand-gathered abalone and sea urchin at her yet-to-be-named restaurant set to open early this year.

Waterford Ireland

Viking history and a newly expanded rail path.

Yes, Waterford is synonymous with crystal, but the city, founded in 914, also sparkles with history and natural treasures. In the Viking Triangle, Waterford’s cobblestone core, a new digital story trail brings the past to life at stops like the medieval landmark Reginald’s Tower . The city also offers less-ancient attractions, including the new Irish Wake Museum , dedicated to the funeral ritual, and the Irish Museum of Time , which showcases grandfather clocks, watches and more.

Waterford’s natural riches rival its historical ones, notably the Copper Coast, hemmed by towering cliffs and scalloped coves. The coast forms part of the Waterford Greenway , a nearly 30-mile path along a disused rail line. In 2023, a new section linked the Greenway to the center of Waterford. Top off your Greenway adventure with afternoon tea amid one of Ireland’s largest collections of plants at Mount Congreve Gardens , which reopened in 2023 after a multimillion-dollar refurbishment.

Tsavo National Park Kenya

Celebrate africa’s most successful elephant rehabilitation program.

In 2021, African savanna elephants went from vulnerable to endangered , putting them on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s red list for possible extinction. But in Kenya, the elephant population has grown by 21 percent since 2014, to a total of 36,280. Almost half live in Tsavo, home to Africa’s most successful elephant rehabilitation program, the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust .

At its heart are several core conservation projects, including an elephant orphanage, rehabilitation units and mobile veterinary clinics that have treated more than 11,000 animals, including some 3,500 elephants, since 1977. The organization has rehabilitated and released 200 elephant orphans (120 are still in their care) and runs anti-poaching teams, builds water sources and secures vulnerable boundaries. The wildlife trust also manages six small eco-lodges, which provide local jobs and help its conservation work. In 2024, the trust will open the first lodge next to the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary , dedicated to saving the critically endangered black rhino.

— Danielle Pergament

Brasília Brazil

A modernist capital reopens its architectural gems.

Brasília, Brazil’s capital since 1960, is often overshadowed by more flamboyant destinations like Rio de Janeiro and Bahia. But Brasília, a planned city famous for its futuristic, Modernist white buildings that rise from the Brazilian highlands, is opening up in new ways. The Palácio da Alvorada , the presidential residence, which had been closed to visitors for a decade, will reopen early this year.

Another symbolic change is the recent removal of the barriers that since 2013 had surrounded the Palácio do Planalto , the presidential office, offering greater access to its reflecting pools and arches. The Planalto was one of the government buildings stormed by supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro last year. Its expanded accessibility signals a return to the original vision of Brasília’s architects, Oscar Niemeyer and Lúcio Costa, of an open and integrated city.

— Paulo Motoryn

El Salvador

Savor local flavors of corn, coffee and more in a fast-changing country.

While questions remain about how it was accomplished , El Salvador’s security situation has drastically improved, opening up large areas of the country. Long-ignored hotels and restaurants are experiencing renewed interest along the Ruta de las Flores, a 20-mile string of rural villages in the western highlands that are surrounded by coffee fincas and pine forests, culminating in the ever-expanding night market in Nahuizalco, home of the Nahua, an Indigenous group.

In San Salvador, the capital, the dining scene is charging beyond fast-food chains, led by the fine-dining hot spot El Xolo , which champions local varieties of corn in its restaurant inside the Museo Nacional de Antropología . Coffee shops like Carajo and Crafters promote small farms growing native varieties like pacamara.

Along the coast, government initiatives like the new pier and seafood market at Puerto de la Libertad receive the most attention, but more deserving are the riverbed oyster bar Chepe Aleta , in the town of El Zonte, and the beach camps and eco-lodges outside the Playa El Tunco surf bubble.

Koh Ker Cambodia

A vast 10th-century temple complex gains unesco status.

For anyone put off by the constant throngs and overly Instagrammed images of the Angkor Wat temple complex in Cambodia — a bucket list destination for seemingly everyone on Earth — a millennium-old sprawl of ruins in a nearby region offers a more remote and adventurous alternative. Built in the 10th century, some two centuries before Angkor Wat, the sacred city of Koh Ker was recognized with UNESCO World Heritage status in the fall of 2023.

The heart of the site is a 4.5-square-mile cluster of temples — notably a seven-tiered pyramid known as Prasat Thom — along with statues, stone carvings, artificial ponds and vast trees whose roots entwine many of the crumbling structures.

Siem Reap, Cambodia’s second-largest city, is the best base for travelers. Roughly 70 miles from Koh Ker (around two hours by taxi), Siem Reap is home to a brand-new international airport and a crop of stylish new homegrown crash pads like Babel Boutique Hotel . And if you’re not intimidated by the crowds, Angkor Wat is just down the road.

— Seth Sherwood

Vestmannaeyjar Iceland

Take a battery-powered boat to the world’s largest puffin colony.

A new electric ferry has helped connect Iceland’s mainland to this small archipelago — also called the Westman Islands — off the country’s south coast, where the world’s largest puffin colony has turned many residents into active conservationists . (The archipelago was unaffected by the mid-December volcanic eruptions elsewhere in Iceland.)

From May to September, Heimaey, the main island, becomes a favorite weekend destination for Icelanders, who fill up sleek new villas during the frequent concerts and festivals, while cruise ship passengers can be seen racing around the outer islands on rib boats, visiting the Beluga whale sanctuary and riding A.T.V.s into the crater of the Eldfell volcano, which nearly wiped out the town during a 1973 eruption. Home to one of the country’s most important fishing communities, with a new seafood festival and a wave of culinary offerings like an artisan bakery and a craft brewery , Vestmannaeyjar has been hailed by the local media as the “ food capital of Iceland .”

Montevideo Uruguay

South america’s most laid-back capital turns 300.

Although it is the capital of one of South America’s most progressive nations (weed and same-sex marriage are legal, and its electrical grid is almost entirely powered by renewable sources ), Montevideo has a reputation for being on the quieter side. But as the city of 1.4 million celebrates 300 years , this is a perfect time to fall for Montevideo’s more subtle, easygoing charms.

Among the tree-lined boulevards of Pocitos, Cordón and Centro, shuttered neighborhood diners that once served simple Uruguayan fare are being lovingly restored as stylish yet affordable eateries. One is Pantagruel , a corner bar that preserved its midcentury furnishings when it reopened last year (try a glass of tannat , Uruguay’s specialty wine). Montevideo also has the world’s longest Carnival, with 40 nights of parades and block parties, from Jan. 25. It’s more affordable and family-friendly than Rio’s, and no less glittery.

— Laurence Blair

Mustang Nepal

A remote citadel of tibetan culture cracks open the gate.

Nestled high on the Tibetan plateau in the northern reaches of Nepal, the ancient Himalayan kingdom of Mustang is a bastion of traditional Tibetan culture, preserved for centuries by its remoteness. Now, a new 183-mile road linking the region to China as well as the gleaming but debt-saddled and increasingly contentious international airport in Pokhara — both projects backed by Beijing — will give travelers easier access to sites like the well-preserved medieval fortress of Lo Manthang in Upper Mustang, which was a restricted area for tourists until the early 1990s.

Wilderness treks through the Annapurna and Dhaulagiri mountain ranges traverse river gorges, glacial lakes and rugged trails dotted with yaks and sheep. While budget-friendly hotels abound, the new, luxury Shinta Mani Mustang makes Nepal’s new trekking rules , which require hikers to use a local licensed guide or porter, easier to follow by offering a range of tours with certified guides.

Vienna Austria

A grand reopening in the city where the waltz became famous.

After a three-year, 100-million-euro makeover, the Wien Museum , dedicated to Vienna’s history, recently reopened with a free permanent exhibition that chronicles its hometown’s rise from a Roman military camp to an imperial capital to a city that consistently ranks among the world’s most livable . Along with additional floors, there’s a new entrance, a plaza, a Viennese restaurant and a terrace overlooking Karlsplatz, a square with connections to the painter Gustav Klimt .

Fans of Johann Strauss, who composed “The Blue Danube,” an unofficial anthem of the city, can waltz over to the House of Strauss, a sparkling new museum opened on Oct. 25, what would have been Strauss’s 198th birthday. And for the competitive dancers, July’s EuroGames , one of several L.G.B.T.Q. events planned in the city this year, will draw thousands of queer athletes to face off in the ballroom as well as in other sports like tennis and basketball.

Brisbane Australia

Food, art and vertiginous views in a city gearing up for its olympic moment.

Scheduled to host the Summer Olympics in 2032, Brisbane is undergoing a face-lift with a $3.6 billion expansion of the Queen’s Wharf area, set to partly open in 2024. The development includes the restoration of historic buildings, four new hotels, parks and public spaces, and an 820-foot-long Sky Deck with bars and restaurants overlooking the Brisbane River.

But there’s more than big development: At Agnes, a restaurant with a rooftop bar, chefs are renowned for their skill in cooking over an open flame. The Calile Hotel, with balconied rooms overlooking a palm-lined pool, feels like an oasis in the middle of the city. Rounding out the cultural experience is Brisbane Powerhouse, a 1920s power station reborn as a cultural hub, the site of the Melt Open , a celebration of queer arts and artists, and Vertigo , a restaurant where harnessed and clipped-in diners eat while dangling four stories above the ground. After dinner, they can abseil down the building’s exterior.

Pasadena California

An artsy, walkable corner of los angeles county that’s worth the metro ride.

Pasadena’s natural beauty is clear as soon as you roll into town — maybe on the Los Angeles Metro, where the just-opened Regional Connector project makes possible a one-seat ride from the sands of Long Beach to the stands of the Rose Bowl. The San Gabriel Mountains preside over Pasadena like a sylvan crown, and hiking and biking trails framed by forested valleys and tumbling waterfalls abound in places like the Angeles National Forest .

The leafy city center is eminently strollable, with a vibrant main street and the nearby Norton Simon Museum , which features a sculpture garden inspired by Monet’s grounds at Giverny. The Tony Award-winning Pasadena Playhouse offers serious drama as well as youth-focused programming. And PST Art , a Getty museum project, will include exhibitions at Pasadena museums and art centers this year. To fuel up, try the innovative newcomer Bar Chelou (its name means “weird” in French) or a new wave of Asian restaurants, notably the Cantonese-influenced Colette .

Hurghada Egypt

Dive in the rich underwater world of the red sea.

An hour’s flight from Cairo and just off the coast of Hurghada, Egypt, the Great Fringing Reef remains an abundant marine ecosystem that includes 40 types of sharks and 400 coral species.

The reef’s resiliency is often credited to the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association , a nongovernmental organization founded by divers in 1992. The group has since installed one of the world’s largest mooring systems (to reduce the harms of dive-boat anchors), instituted a local ban on single-use plastics and made snorkel tours and beach cleanups social events for residents and tourists. Last year, the organization opened three long-awaited dive sites to help minimize the impact on other reefs.

On land, the recently opened Serry Beach Resort , overseen by one of Egypt’s first female hotel directors, offers 453 rooms and suites decked out in locally made textiles fronting an infinity pool and the crystalline Red Sea. Egypt remains a relatively safe destination despite its proximity to the Israel-Hamas war.

— Michele Bigley

Boundary Waters Minnesota

A protected watershed, but for how long.

Last January, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland signed an order that bans toxic mining on 225,504 federal acres within the Rainy River Watershed in northern Minnesota for 20 years. That was good news for the 150,000 annual visitors who paddle the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, a network in the watershed of more than 1,200 miles of canoe routes that connect 1,100 freshwater lakes.

This roadless wilderness is pristine, a place to fish for walleye, hear the haunting call of a loon and camp in thick boreal forest — it’s also a habitat for bears, wolves and lynx. A suit by a local conservation group seeks to expand the ban on mining. But the area’s future remains uncertain: A bill has been introduced in Congress to reverse the order, and a subsidiary of a Chilean mining company has received approval to conduct exploratory drilling on state land next to the wilderness.

Thessaloniki Greece

An ancient seaside city gets decked out in rainbows.

The squat, round White Tower is to Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, as the Acropolis is to Athens. The structure, built in the 15th century under Ottoman rule and once known as the Tower of Blood, was renamed and painted white in the late 1800s by a prisoner in exchange for his freedom. The tower will glow with rainbow colors representing a different kind of liberation this year as thousands of L.G.B.T.Q. travelers gather from June 21 to 29 to celebrate EuroPride — the city’s chance for a redo after the pandemic scuttled its turn to host the event in 2020.

Thessaloniki, founded in 316 B.C. and named for a sister of Alexander the Great, is renowned for its Byzantine mosaics as well as its clubs, cafes and bars. Savor a glass of ouzo along the bay — unlike Athens, Thessaloniki is right on the water — and see if you can spot Mount Olympus.

— Danial Adkison

Normandy France

Celebrating a region’s role in the impressionist art movement.

The revolution began quietly, a century and a half ago, with a canvas depicting a port in this region in northern France. Painted in 1872 by Claude Monet and displayed two years later at a pioneering Paris exhibition of iconoclastic artists — including Renoir, Degas and Pissarro — “Impression, Sunrise” was a hazy, color-soaked view of Le Havre that gave birth to perhaps the 19th century’s most famous artistic style. For the 150th anniversary of that show, the Normandy Impressionist Festival (from March 22 to Sept. 22) will celebrate the region’s centrality in the lives and works of the movement’s major figures. (Paris will also host numerous events.)

Rouen, whose cathedral was famously portrayed by Monet , will take center stage. Events there will include a lighted projection on the cathedral’s facade by the avant-garde stage director Robert Wilson and an exhibition of the painter David Hockney’s Normandy-inspired work at the city’s Musée des Beaux-Arts . Impressionist-themed exhibitions and events are also expected in Giverny (where Monet lived), Honfleur (home to the Eugène Boudin Museum ), Le Havre and other Normandy spots.

Grenada The Caribbean

White sands and underwater art on an island of timeless charm.

More flights from JetBlue , Virgin Atlantic and Air Canada promise easier access to this Caribbean island nation, but you may never want to leave. Grenada’s verdant terrain, bountiful farms and uncrowded white-sand beaches entice with culinary delights, natural attractions and new luxury accommodations.

The 28-room Silversands Beach House will open in February on Portici Beach, and later this year, the Six Senses La Sagesse will offer 56 suites and 15 villas, each with a private pool. All the better to relax after a submarine visit to Molinere Underwater Sculpture Park , the first of its kind, where a recent upgrade includes 31 new pieces of art .

Grenada and its smaller islands, Petite Martinique and Carriacou, offer plenty of places to snorkel, fish, dive and sail, but don’t miss a tour of a rum distillery , chocolate company or spice garden : There’s good reason Grenada, which celebrates 50 years of independence this February, is known as the Spice Isle.

— Elisabeth Goodridge

El Camino de Costa Rica

A coast-to-coast trek with cloud forests, local chocolate and more.

With new signage, the Camino de Costa Rica , a 174-mile cross-country hiking trail that connects the Caribbean and Pacific coasts, became easier to navigate last year. Organized into 16 sections, the trail knits together 25 rural communities and terrain that ranges from beaches to cloud forests. The full hike can take from 11 to 16 days, and along the way, travelers passing through Indigenous areas can hire members of the Cabécar community as guides. The trail also traverses national parks and sanctuaries that host dazzling birds like the resplendent quetzal .

Trekkers can camp, book hotels or stay overnight with families, sampling homegrown coffee and chocolate as well as dishes like a variety of gallo pinto made with beans, rice and coconut milk that’s often enjoyed on the Caribbean side of the trail. Local outfitters offer custom itineraries, including accommodations and luggage transfers, and activities like rafting, horseback riding and canoeing — all ways to help support areas off the tourist track.

Albanian Alps

Rugged peaks where hikers wander and shepherds roam.

The remote mountain range in northern Albania, known as the Accursed Mountains, or the Albanian Alps (although it also reaches into Montenegro and Kosovo), has for years entranced hikers seeking serenity among its peaks. It may not be peaceful for long: Budget airlines like Ryanair and Wizz announced new routes to Albania, making its glassy lakes and miles of relatively untouched trails more accessible for explorers looking for an affordable paradise.

Once reachable only with a four-wheel drive, northern villages like Theth are now accessible by a narrow but paved mountain road, although drivers may still need to wait for a passing cow or two. Visitors can stay with locals in guesthouses or farm stays to get a glimpse of rural life before hiking the Valbona Pass within a national park encompassing some 200,000 acres to gaze across wildflower-strewn valleys and see shepherds tending to their flocks.

— Isabella Kwai

Whitehorse Yukon

For northern lights viewers, a warm welcome in a remote capital.

In the current 11-year solar cycle, magnetic activity in space will peak between January and October, expected to prompt more frequent and active northern lights. In the clear skies around Whitehorse, the capital of the Yukon territory in northwest Canada, aurora-viewing tours have become a draw, taking place via canoe, snowshoe and fat-tire bike.

Surrounded by mountains and boreal forests, Whitehorse offers a warm welcome from the wilds in flourishing small businesses, including Yukon Brewing , offering “beer worth freezin’ for,” Gather Cafe & Taphouse , which shares space with a glassblowing studio, and Woodcutter’s Blanket , serving craft cocktails and microbrews in a 1930s log cabin.

Nature is never far from the city, where you can stay in a cabin built to blend into the landscape at Black Spruce resort, or soak under starry skies at Eclipse Nordic Hot Springs .

Choquequirao Peru

An archaeological wonder reachable only on foot, for now.

As its tourism industry was recovering from pandemic losses, Peru was gripped by antigovernment protests that led to the shutdown of Machu Picchu , the country’s most famous attraction, and caused travelers to leave or cancel trips in droves. Now, as tourism is rebounding, efforts are gaining steam to direct visitors to lesser-known archaeological sites .

One site being considered for expanded tourism infrastructure is Choquequirao . Another spectacular Incan citadel, it receives fewer than 10,000 visitors a year. The catch: It’s a three- to four-day trek to get there. The government last year announced a $200 million investment in the site, with a plan to build a cable car and improve trails to boost tourism. A window may slowly be closing to reward a spirit of adventure with an enigmatic, ancient complex, surrounded by snowy peaks and wilderness, that feels entirely your own.

— David Feliba

Dresden Germany

Romantic landscapes and an avant-garde treasure trove in a city long on the mend.

All but leveled in the Allied firebombing of 1945, Dresden has been rebuilding for decades. Now, with the historic center’s major restoration projects nearly complete, the city is ready to fete a favorite son: the archetypal Romantic painter Caspar David Friedrich .

Born 250 years ago in September, he’s being celebrated across Germany, though Dresden — where he spent most of his creative years — is throwing the biggest party. Starting in August, the Albertinum and the Kupferstich-Kabinett museums will pay tribute with a joint exhibition. Serious fans — whether of his work in particular or Romantic landscapes in general — will want to follow in his footsteps along the Elbe Valley’s trails with Friedrichian-lore-loving guides.

If your tastes lean modern, no fewer than 1.5 million works of 20th-century art await at the Archiv der Avantgarden-Egidio Marzona , set to open May 5, in the restored Blockhaus, a new raw-concrete jewel housed in an opulent 18th-century shell.

— Abbie Kozolchyk

Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve Mexico

Welcoming endangered insects in verdant forests.

As many as a billion monarch butterflies overwinter every year in this green forest of fir, juniper and pine trees in Central Mexico. After decades of falling population numbers , the beloved black, orange and white insect was classified as endangered in 2022 by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

This 139,000-acre reserve has six sites where visitors can hike into the forest and see the clusters of butterflies perched high in the tree canopy. Each sanctuary has a different appeal: The Rosario sanctuary is near the historic mining town of Angangueo, with quaint hotels like Rancho Cumbre Monarca , while Piedra Herrada is a two-hour drive from Mexico City.

Overwinter season is from November to March, and the ideal time to visit is midweek, when the sanctuaries are less crowded and less noisy, so you may be able to not only see the butterflies, but also hear their collective flutter.

— Jorge Valencia

Flamingo Florida

Rediscover a beloved lodge in the heart of the everglades.

The vast beauty of the Florida Everglades is perhaps best appreciated at night, when the national park is all constellations and creatures. But for those who don’t care to brave the elements (or the mosquitoes) while camping outside or in an R.V., it has been impossible to stay anywhere with air-conditioning since two hurricanes destroyed the park’s only hotel in 2005.

That changed in November with the reopening of the Flamingo Lodge , now elevated and made out of sturdy shipping containers. A renovated visitor center and restaurant have been built to better withstand sea level rise caused by climate change.

The return of the beloved facilities, along with glamping “eco-tents,” has given birders, stargazers and anglers a reason to reconnect with the outpost of Flamingo, on mainland Florida’s southernmost tip and less than two hours by car from Miami.

And if you’re lucky, you may spot flamingos in Florida Bay.

— Patricia Mazzei

Related Coverage

• Share full article

Advertisement

2024 travel trends: what the experts predict

A look at the travel trends and destinations set to drive the tourism industry

• Newsletter sign up Newsletter

The year of 'surprise travel'?

• Lonely Planet's Best in Travel

Set-jetting continues to take off

Music tourism 'accelerates', palate-led holidays and uk getaways, cultural exploration and quaint cities, journeys with 'a sense of purpose'.

• Michelin Guide 'keys'

Fodor's 2024 'No List'

Sign up to The Week's Travel newsletter for destination guides and the latest trends.

'More and more surprise trip companies have popped up' 

"Surprise travel" may become the big trend of 2024, said David Farley on the  BBC . A survey of 27,000 travellers in 33 countries by  Booking.com  found that 52% are "keen" to book a surprise trip where "everything down to the destination is unknown until arrival". In the last decade, "more and more surprise trip companies have popped up", Farley added, and the "element of mystery" is "tempting travellers to seek a new way to see the world".

Mongolia and Nairobi included in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel

Mongolia is tipped as one of the top countries to visit 

In its "Best in Travel" report for 2024, Lonely Planet has predicted the world's top 50 countries, regions, cities, best value and most sustainable destinations. Looking at the top places to "unwind, connect, eat, learn and journey", there's "plenty to pack in" over the next year. Destinations highlighted in the report include Mongolia (country), Western Balkans' Trans Dinarica Cycling Route (region), Nairobi in Kenya (city), Spain (sustainable) and The Midwest, USA (best value).

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

The new season of 'Emily in Paris' will inspire travel to the French capital

Travellers turning to their TV sets and movie screens for inspiration "shows no signs of stopping in 2024", said Expedia Group . In its "Unpack '24: The Trends in Travel" survey, more than half of travellers have researched or booked a trip to a destination "after seeing it on a TV show or movie", and one in four admit that TV shows and films "are even more influential on their travel plans than they were before". In fact, travellers say TV shows influence their travel decisions more than Instagram, TikTok and podcasts. 

In its "set-jetting forecast", the group predicts the "entertainment-inspired destinations" tourists will be heading to in 2024. The top picks include Thailand, inspired by "The White Lotus" season three; Romania, inspired by "Wednesday" season two; Malta, inspired by the new "Gladiator 2" film; and Paris, inspired by "Emily in Paris" season four. 

Taylor Swift performs at Lumen Field, Seattle, on the Eras Tour

Travel technology company Amadeus has released its fourth travel trends report. Using the latest data and industry-leading insight, travel in 2024 will be dominated by five trends: music tourism, business class fares unbundled, influencers becoming agents, artificial intelligence matures, and electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft prepare for take-off. 

Music tourism is a trend that's expected to "accelerate" in 2024, Amadeus said. After the social isolation of the pandemic, when bands and musical artists were "grounded for months", a "boom" in concerts and festivals in 2023 tapped into "a desire for connection". When Taylor Swift announced her Asia Pacific tour dates for 2024, Amadeus research suggested that Swift's concert dates in Australia, Singapore and Japan had a "significant impact on travel searches and booking volumes to the countries".  

Lucknam Park Hotel & Spa in Wiltshire is part of the PoB Hotels collection  

PoB Hotels ' "Cultivating Luxury" market trends report found that palate-led holidays and increased domestic getaways in the UK were among the key findings for 2024. Food and drink "undeniably take centre stage" in "capturing the attention" of domestic travellers, commanding an impressive 82% of their interests. A significant 54% of affluent high net worth individuals (HNWIs) plan to enjoy "three or more" leisure holidays within the UK in the upcoming year, reflecting a "notable increase on the previous 12 months". And a considerable 27% of affluent/HNW travellers anticipate taking UK trips "lasting three or more nights" in the coming year. 

Bydgoszcz in Poland is one of the 'quaint cities' attracting interest  

"Cultural exploration" will "more than ever" be a priority for travellers, Skyscanner said in its 2024 travel trends report. Expect "gig trippers" to jet off to see their favourite artists and "budget bougie foodies" to seek out the very best food experiences. When it comes to the destinations that are whetting would-be tourists' appetites, the metasearch engine and travel agency has seen an increase in searches for "quaint cities" such as Vigo in Spain (+1,235%) and Bydgoszcz in Poland (+313%). Meanwhile, the cost-of-living crisis remains "top of mind" with Skyscanner's "Everywhere" search tool being the "top search destination for travellers globally". 

'Off-grid' Peru is on Black Tomato's 2024 destination hotlist 

The founders of luxury travel company Black Tomato predict that travellers will be looking to journey with "a sense of purpose" in 2024. With ever increasing demands on time, and the desire to make travel truly count, travellers want to create "positive and lasting change" – not only in the destinations they visit, but in their own lives. 

"What we've uncovered," said Black Tomato, is that the feeling a trip ultimately evokes "greatly informs the destination booked". For groups "craving togetherness", journeys which "strengthen bonds and connection" are "prioritised". Black Tomato has picked out "off-grid" Peru, Morocco's Tangiers, the Mitre Peninsula in remotest Argentine Patagonia, and New Zealand's waterways on its 2024 destination hotlist.

The new Michelin Guide 'keys'

Which hotels will get a Michelin key? 

The Michelin Guide will award hotels with "keys" as part of a "new rating system" launching in 2024, said the Visit California PR Pulse Report. The system will be aimed at recognising hotels based on factors including "location, design, service, uniqueness and value". As it does for restaurants, the guide said it intends to independently recommend hotels that "constitute true destinations" and will propose a new selection of more than "5,000 remarkable hotels in 120 countries".

Venice is one of the destinations that has been impacted by overtourism

Most travel experts recommend places to go in their annual reports, but Fodor's has a "No List" of nine regions to "reconsider" in 2024. The travel guide company said it's not a "round-up of spots we revile", it's a "declaration of places we revere". However, the "frenzied admiration", and "incessant need to experience them", are "not sustainable". 

The 2024 No List focuses on three main areas of tourist impact: overtourism, rubbish production, and water quality and sufficiency. For overtourism, Venice in Italy, Athens in Greece, and Mount Fuji in Japan are highlighted. Rubbish production no-gos include San Gabriel Mountains National Monument in California, Ha Long Bay in Vietnam, and the Atacama Desert in Chile. While water quality and sufficiency has impacted Lake Superior in North America, the Ganges River in India, and Koh Samui in Thailand.

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox

A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com

Today's Big Question It's a chance for Donald Trump to block Joe Biden's path to re-election

By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published 11 April 24

Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day

By Harold Maass, The Week US Published 11 April 24

Speed Read These American women reshaped the work force during World War II

By Peter Weber, The Week US Published 11 April 24

The Week Recommends Stay at a zoo in Sydney, or meet vortex hunters in Sedona

By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published 8 April 24

Under the Radar Some in Italy are trying to stop what they consider 'debasing' use of the sculpture

By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published 5 April 24

Under the Radar Quite a few people believe that George Lucas ripped off Frank Herbert's sci-fi universe. So does Herbert himself.

By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published 2 April 24

The Week Recommends Ten stand-up tours guaranteed to make you spit out your drink

By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published 29 March 24

The Week Recommends The family that vacations together, stays together

By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published 28 March 24

Talking Points Did the creators of a new horror movie make a deal with the artificial intelligence devil?

By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published 25 March 24

Speed Read He is the 25th recipient of the prestigious comedy prize

By Peter Weber, The Week US Published 25 March 24

The Week Recommends Alaska's third-largest city is not your typical capital

By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published 25 March 24

• Contact Future's experts
• Terms and Conditions
• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Advertise With Us

The Week is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site . © Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Travel News January 2024

Sign up to receive this and other news in your inbox each month.

Get a Travel Insurance Quote or Contact Us 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Miss an edition of Trawick International Travel News? Read back issues .

• Icy Conditions Disrupt Air Travel

International Travel to Reach Pre-Pandemic Levels in 2024

Storms unleash havoc in britain and ireland.

• State of Emergency in Ecuador

The Cruise Industry’s Comeback

Icy Conditions Disrupt Air Travel in Central U.S.

Icy conditions and freezing rain are causing hazardous travel conditions across the central United States because of milder air spreading over the winter-weary region. Back-to-back winter storms have already claimed at least 82 lives in 13 states, with severe conditions leading to accidents, fallen trees, and tornadoes. The southern Plains to the Great Lakes are now at risk of accumulating ice and freezing rain, prompting warnings from weather officials and transportation departments to exercise caution or avoid travel. Commuters in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas are experiencing slick sidewalks and icy roads, leading to glazes of ice reported in each state. The dangerous conditions have resulted in school closures and disruptions to many people’s daily lives.

Moreover, the impact extends to air travel, with over 650 flights canceled and 800 delayed in the US due to freezing rain. Major airports like Chicago’s O’Hare International and St. Louis Lambert International have faced disruptions. The icy conditions have also caused water mains to break in Memphis, Tennessee, affecting thousands of people. Meanwhile, a dramatic warm-up is expected in the East later in the week, bringing significantly above-average temperatures. Cities that experienced a frigid weekend will see daily high temperatures rise by nearly 30 degrees, with records for warmest daily lows potentially broken. However, the warm-up may also bring hazardous rain and flooding, raising concerns despite the relief from the recent arctic blast in the central U.S.

It's always a smart move to have a travel insurance plan at your fingertips. Consider Trawick International's Trip Cancellation plan with Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage for maximum safety. This plan provides comprehensive protection for trip cancellations, interruptions, and travel delays, permitting cancellation for any reason, even those not typically covered by standard travel insurance plans.

The UNWTO World Tourism Barometer's first report of 2024 indicates that international tourism is rebounding, reaching 88% of pre-pandemic levels by the end of 2023, with an estimated 1.3 billion international arrivals. The Middle East led the recovery, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 22%, followed by Europe at 94%, Africa at 96%, and the Americas at 90%. Asia and the Pacific reached 65%, with variations among sub-regions.

Economically, international tourism receipts reached $1.4 trillion in 2023, representing 93% of the 2019 figure. Total export revenues from tourism are estimated at $1.6 trillion. The tourism sector's contribution to global GDP is estimated at $3.3 trillion in 2023. The recovery is reflected in industry indicators, with air capacity and passenger demand at 90% of pre-pandemic levels by October 2023. Looking ahead to 2024, the UNWTO expects full recovery, with a 2% growth above 2019 levels, driven by factors like increased air capacity, visa facilitation, and strong demand from key source markets.

However, challenges such as economic and geopolitical uncertainties, staff shortages, and potential disruptions due to conflicts (e.g., Palestine-Israel, Russia-Ukraine) may impact the sustained recovery and traveler confidence. Tourists are expected to prioritize value for money, sustainable practices, and travel closer to home amid these challenges.

Need guidance on selecting the ideal plan for your next trip? Our 24/7 customer service team is here to assist you. Contact us today!

Storm Isha battered Britain and Ireland with powerful 99 mph winds, causing widespread disruptions across various sectors, particularly in travel. The storm led to power outages in about 11,000 homes on the mainland, 45,000 in Northern Ireland, and 235,000 in the Irish Republic. Trees were brought down, roads and bridges were closed, train services in Scotland were halted, and numerous flights were canceled or diverted, with hundreds affected. The severe weather also forced a flight from Egypt to Glasgow to declare an emergency, diverting to Manchester. Ferry services were suspended, adding to the challenges in transportation.

Flood warnings are in place, and many areas remain under a severe weather alert for strong winds, hindering cleanup efforts.

Storm Isha is the second major North Atlantic storm this year and the ninth since September, though meteorologists suggest little evidence linking the increased frequency and intensity of winter storms to climate change. As the region copes with the aftermath of Isha, another storm named Jocelyn is on the horizon, expected to pass Ireland and Britain. While likely to be less intense than Isha, Jocelyn is forecasted to bring high winds, prompting warnings for potential power outages and building damage in Scotland.

Given the turbulent weather pattern and its impact on travel, Tourists are advised to stay updated with the latest weather reports and travel advisories, and to prioritize safety above all else.

State of Emergency in Ecuador: What We Know

Ecuador is currently experiencing a state of emergency and unrest following the escape of gang leader Adolfo Macias, leading to a 60-day state of emergency declared by officials. The United States has posted security alerts, but as of January 15, the Department of State has not issued new travel advisories. Tourists are advised to stay indoors, and a daily curfew is in place from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. Visitors are encouraged to stay informed through the Ecuador Ministry of Tourism.

The situation escalated since January 7, with Macias' escape triggering violence, including the takeover of a television station in Guayaquil. Ecuador's military has been patrolling certain cities for over a week. While airports remain open, some commercial airlines have canceled flights, prompting visitors to check with their individual airlines. Although no travel advisory has been issued, caution is recommended, especially in big cities like Quito.

Additionally, the guidance provided in the travel advisory of June 22, 2023 , remains valid for U.S. citizens. Residents and travelers are advised to exercise increased caution throughout the country, reconsider travel to areas marked as “Level 3,” and avoid areas marked as “Level 4” in the advisory. Compliance with all local laws, including the nationwide curfew during the state of emergency, is essential. U.S. citizens should be aware that individuals not connected with criminal organizations may exploit the current conflict to commit crimes of opportunity.

International airports in Quito and Guayaquil remain fully operational; however, some carriers have canceled flights to/from the United States in recent and upcoming days. Travelers are urged to closely monitor their flight status and work to rebook with the same airline or an alternative carrier.

For more information and updates, please visit Ecuador’s U.S. Embassy and Consulate website .

As wave season arrives, cruise lines gear up for what could be a groundbreaking year at sea. The surge in maritime enthusiasm has been building for the past three years, and new data from Squaremouth , the nation's top travel insurance marketplace, indicates that the cruise industry is set to break records in 2024.

Squaremouth has observed remarkable growth in the cruise sector since the resumption of cruise travel in 2021. In the previous year, there was a significant uptick in the purchase of cruise insurance policies, with more customers opting for plans with the 'Cruise' filter than in any other year of the company's 20+ year history. Squaremouth reported a 29% increase in cruise sales over 2022, marking a substantial 200% surge compared to 2021.

Anticipating this trend to persist in 2024, Squaremouth's recent survey reveals that 26% of customers plan to embark on a cruise for their next trip, compared to 20% in early 2023.

Want to get the best deals during wave season? Check out our latest blog and find out! CNN recently named our Safe Travels First Class plan as one of the Best Cruise Insurance Plans of 2024. Read more about why they chose this plan here .

Latest Blogs

Spring Break 2024 Destinations

Looking for destination inspiration for Spring Break this year? Look no further! From beach days, nightlife, and family-friendly vibes, we've got a list of destinations to help you turn your spring break into a vacation to remember!

Annual Travel Insurance: The Ultimate Travel Companion

Annual travel insurance provides cost-effective coverage for multiple trips throughout the year. Rather than purchasing individual policies for each trip, an annual plan allows you to pay a single premium for year-round coverage. This can result in substantial savings for those who embark on multiple journeys throughout the year.

Cruising Into Wave Season 2024

If you've got a case of the winter blues, fear not—Wave Season is here to sweep you off your feet and onto the deck of your dream cruise. As the temperatures drop, cruise lines are rolling out the red carpet with unbeatable deals, setting the stage for you to take an epic voyage in 2024.

Gifting the World: Give Travel This Holiday Season

Imagine the look on your loved one's face when they unwrap a trip to Paris instead of another pair of socks. Travel isn't just about the places; it’s about the stories, the experiences, and those 'wow' moments that photos can't quite capture. If you re gifting travel, don't forget to wrap it up with unsung here of travel: travel insurance This little addition is all about protecting the traveler and the investment in the trip itself. Read the blog.

The Thrill of Adventure Travel

In the realm of travel, adventure travel is not just about seeing new places, but about immersing yourself in experiences that challenge you and invigorate your soul. Adventure travel is a passage to the experiences that lie beyond the ordinary, well-trodden tourist trails. Read the blog.

Travel Trends for the 2023 Holiday Season

As the holiday season approaches, travel enthusiasts and adventure seekers are gearing up for an exciting array of travel experiences. With the world opening up and people eager to explore, the 2023 holiday season promises to be a time of unparalleled wanderlust and thrilling adventures. Here are some exciting travel trends that are set to dominate the holiday season, ensuring travelers have a memorable and safe journey.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month Around the World

Hispanic Heritage Month, observed in the U.S. from September 15 to October 15, celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of those whose ancestors hail from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. Given the rich tapestry of Hispanic and Latino cultures, there are countless ways and places to honor this vibrant heritage. Here are some top spots and ways to immerse yourself in the festivities.

Your Ultimate Guide to Fall Travel Planning

Whether you're a nature enthusiast, a foodie, or simply seeking a relaxing escape, fall travel planning promises an abundance of experiences. Let's jump into the art of crafting the perfect fall getaway.

Hurricane Season 2023 So Far

We're a little over a month into hurricane season 2023 and experts are now reversing their initial predictions for a "quiet season" and calling for one of the most active seasons we have seen in over 20 years.

Get a travel insurance quote for your upcoming trip

Get a Quote

Privacy Policy

Trawick International’s Privacy Policy

Welcome to our website.  We appreciate your interest in us.  We take the privacy of our customers very seriously and are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains how we collect, use, and transfer your personal data, and your rights in relation to the personal data stored by us when you use our website or otherwise engage with our services.

Effective October 3, 2023

This policy sets out the following:

• What personal data we collect about you and how;
• How the data is used;
• Our legal basis for collecting your information;
• Who we share your data with;
• Where we transfer your information;
• How long we retain your information for;
• Your rights and choices in relation to the data held by us;
• How to make a complaint in relation to the data held by us;
• How to contact us with any queries in relation to this notice, or the personal data held by us.

Who is Trawick International?

Trawick International (“we,” “us,” or “our”) provides worldwide travel medical insurance, travel insurance, trip insurance for trip cancellation or trip interruption, international student insurance, group travel insurance, and many other products designed specifically for those traveling.  Our travel insurance programs are designed for those traveling to the USA, individuals traveling abroad, US Citizens who are traveling in the USA and non US citizens traveling from their home country but not visiting the USA.  We offer an extensive worldwide network of quality physicians, hospitals, and pharmacies.  We cover employees, corporations, schools, frequent world travelers, international students, study abroad programs, missionary trips, and just the casual vacation traveler.  Our individually customized plans can cover hospital stays, doctor visits, x-rays, prescriptions, ambulance, emergency evacuation, repatriation, flight insurance, trip interruption, trip cancellation, trip delay, and lost baggage.   

For the purposes of European data protection laws, if you are visiting our  website www.trawickinternational.com (or otherwise engaging with our services from the European Economic Area (or "EEA"), the data controller of your information is Trawick International.

What is personal data?

In this privacy policy, references to "personal information" or "personal data" are references to information that relates to an identified or identifiable individual. Some examples of personal data are your name, address, email, and telephone number, but it may also include information such as your IP address and location in certain jurisdictions.

What personal data do we collect?

We collect personal data that you provide to us when you sign up for our services, such as your contact information and financial information. We may also collect commercial information based on how you interact with our services, such as the products or services you’ve purchased or other Internet or network activity, such as your website browsing history or mobile device information.

Below are some more details on the type of personal data we collect.

Information that is provided by you:

In order to provide services to you we may ask you to provide personal information. This may include, amongst other things, your name, email address, postal address, telephone number, gender, date of birth, passport number, bank account details, credit history and claims history, citizenship status, marital status depending on the service you are seeking. The personal information that you are asked to provide, and the reasons why you are asked to provide it, will be made clear to you at the point at which we ask you for it or upon request.

Some of the information that you provide may be “special category” (or “sensitive”) personal data. Sensitive personal data relates to your racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation, and can sometimes be inferred from other, non-sensitive, information that you have provided.

Information that we collect on our website:

When you visit our website, we will seek your consent to collect certain information from your device. In some countries, including countries in the EEA, this information may be considered personal information under applicable data protection laws.

Specifically, the information we are seeking to collect includes information like your IP address, device type, unique device identification numbers, browser type, broad geographic location ( e.g., country or city-level location) and other technical information. We may also collect information about how your device has interacted with our website, including the pages accessed and links clicked.

Collecting this information enables us to better understand visitors to our website, where they come from, and what content on our website is of interest to them. We use this information for our internal analytics purposes and to improve the quality and relevance of our website to our visitors.

Some of this information may be collected using cookies and similar tracking technology, as explained further under the heading “Cookies" below.

Information that we obtain from third party sources:

From time to time, we may receive personal information about you from third party sources but only where we have checked that these third parties either have your consent or are otherwise legally permitted or required to disclose your personal information to us.

For information about a third party’s usage and/or sharing of your personal data, please refer to the third party’s own privacy statement.

We may, where we are legally permitted to, also collect personal data from the following sources in order to provide services to you:

• Credit reference agencies;
• Anti-fraud and other databases;
• Government agencies;
• Electoral register;
• Court judgments;
• Sanctions lists;
• Family members; and
• In the event of an insurance claim: the other party to the claim, witnesses, experts, loss adjusters, solicitors, and claims handlers.

How is personal data used?

We may need to use your personal data in order to carry out the following activities:

• To set you up as a new client (including carrying out “know your customer” checks);
• To provide you with an insurance quote;
• To provide our products and services to you;
• To respond to your inquiries;
• To accept payments from you;
• To communicate with you about your policy;
• To renew your policy;
• To obtain reinsurance for your policy;
• To process insurance and reinsurance claims;
• For general insurance administration purposes;
• To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations;
• To model our risks;
• To defend or prosecute legal claims;
• To investigate or prosecute fraud;
• To respond to your enquiries; or
• To secure our network and our website, debug the website and repair errors;
• To conduct audits related to our interactions with you;
• To make our products and services better and to develop new products and services;
• To send you notices and information regarding our products or services, including notifying you about special promotions or offers, where we are legally permitted to do so; and
• Enforce our Terms and other usage policies and comply with legal requirements.

Our legal basis for collecting your information:

Our legal basis for collecting and using your personal data will depend on the personal data concerned and the specific context in which we collect it.

We will normally collect personal data where we need the information to provide you with our services / perform a contract with you, where the processing is in our legitimate interests and not overridden by your data protection interests or fundamental rights and freedoms, or with your consent.

In some cases, we may use your personal data for a legal obligation, e.g., in order to complete “know your customer” and money laundering checks before taking you on as a new client.

If we ask you to provide personal information to comply with a legal requirement or to perform a contract with you, we will make this clear at the relevant time and advise you whether the provision of your personal information is mandatory (as well as of the possible consequences if you do not provide your personal information). You are under no obligation to provide personal data to us. However, if you should choose to withhold requested data, we may not be able to provide you with certain services.

Similarly, if we collect and use your personal information in reliance on our legitimate interests (or those of any third party), we will make clear to you at the relevant time what those legitimate interests are.

If you are a UK resident, we may collect and use your personal information, including sensitive personal information, on the basis of the insurance derogation in the UK Data Protection Act 2018.

If you are an EU resident, we may collect and use your personal information, including sensitive personal information, on the basis of the substantial public interest of insurance purposes, as regulated in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

If you have questions about or need further information concerning the legal basis on which we collect and use your personal information, please contact us using the contact details provided under the “Contact Us" section below.

Who is your personal data shared with?

We may disclose your personal information with the following categories of recipients.

• To our group companies, third party service providers and partners who provide data processing services (for example data hosting and storage companies, email marketing affiliates, and payment and claims processing companies) or who otherwise process personal information for purposes that are described in this Privacy Policy (see “How is personal data used?”).
• To any competent law enforcement body, regulatory, government agency, court or other third party where we believe disclosure is necessary (i) as a matter of applicable law or regulation, (ii) to exercise, establish or defend our legal rights, or (iii) to protect your vital interests or those of any other person;
• To a potential buyer (and its agents and advisers) in connection with any proposed purchase, merger or acquisition of any part of our business, provided that we inform the buyer it must use your personal information only for the purposes disclosed in this privacy policy;
• To any other person with your consent to the disclosure.

We do not sell (or exchange) your personal information for monetary compensation.

If you are a US resident, from time to time we may share your personal information with third parties for a third party’s own direct benefit and this type of sharing may be considered a sale under certain applicable laws. For more information on the type of information we may share in this manner, please contact us.

International Transfers

Your personal data may be transferred to, and processed in, countries other than the country in which you are resident. These countries may have data protection laws that are different to the laws of your country.

Specifically, the servers of Trawick International are located in the United States. Trawick International partners with many other international companies.  This means that when we collect your information, we may process it in other countries.

We have taken appropriate safeguards to require that your personal data will remain protected in accordance with this privacy policy. We have also taken appropriate  safeguards with our third party service providers and partners.

How long is personal information retained?

We will keep your personal data on our records for as long as we have an ongoing legitimate business need to do so. This includes providing you with a service you have requested from us or to comply with applicable legal, tax or accounting requirements. It also includes keeping your data for so long as there is any possibility that you or we may wish to bring a legal claim concerning our services, or where we are required to keep your data for legal or regulatory reasons. Please contact us using the contact details provided under the “Contact Us" section below should you require further information on our record retention procedures.

We may also retain your personal data where such retention is necessary in order to protect your vital interests or the vital interests of another natural person.

Your Rights as a Data Subject

You have the right to opt out of marketing communications we send you at any time. You can exercise this right by clicking on the “unsubscribe” or “opt-out” link in the marketing e-mails we send you or contacting us.

If you are an EU resident, you will need to opt-in to receive marketing from us. If you then wish to unsubscribe at any point, you can do so by clicking on the “unsubscribe” or “opt-out” link in the marketing e-mails we send you or contacting us.

Similarly, if we have collected and processed your personal information with your consent, then you can withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawing your consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing we conducted prior to your withdrawal, nor will it affect processing of your personal information that was lawfully collected on grounds other than consent.

You have the right to complain to a data protection authority about our collection and use of your personal information. For more information, please contact your local data protection authority.

We respond to all requests we receive from individuals wishing to exercise their data protection rights in accordance with applicable data protection laws.

You may exercise any of your rights in relation to your personal data by contacting us using the details set out in the “Contact us” section at the bottom of this page.

If you are resident in the UK or EU, your principal rights under data protection law are as follows:

• the right to access;
• the right to rectification;
• the right to erasure;
• the right to restrict processing;
• the right to object to processing;
• the right to data portability;
• the right to complain to a supervisory authority; and
• the right to withdraw consent.

If you wish to access, correct, update or request deletion of your personal information, we will ask you to provide us with a copy of any two of the following documents: Driver’s license; Passport; Birth certificate; Bank statement (from the last 3 months); or Utility bill (from the last 3 months). With regards to your right of access, the first access request will be complied with free of charge, but additional copies may be subject to a reasonable fee.

In addition, you can object to processing of your personal information, ask us to restrict processing of your personal information or request portability of your personal information.

If we have collected and processed your personal information with your consent, then you can withdraw your consent at any time. Withdrawing your consent will not affect the lawfulness of any processing we conducted prior to your withdrawal, nor will it affect processing of your personal information conducted in reliance on lawful processing grounds other than consent. You have the right to complain to a data protection authority about our collection and use of your personal information. For more information, please contact your local data protection authority.

Contact details for other data protection authorities in the European Economic Area, Switzerland and certain non-European countries (including the US and Canada) are available  here .

If you are based in the UK or EU, you may exercise any of your rights in relation to your personal data by contacting us using email or you can use the details set out in the “Contact Us” section at the bottom of this page.

If you are resident in the US, applicable law may entitle you, upon verifiable request, to receive disclosures relating to:

• The categories and specific pieces of information we have collected;
• The categories of sources from which the personal information is collected;
• The business or commercial purpose for collecting personal information; and
• The categories of third parties with whom we share personal information.

If you wish to exercise any of the rights described above, we will ask you to verify your identity. We generally will not charge to reply to your request, but we may charge a reasonable fee or refuse your request if the request is unjustified or excessive.

Automated decision making

In some instances, our use of your personal information may result in automated decisions being taken (including profiling) that legally affect you or similarly significantly affect you.

Automated decisions mean that a decision concerning you is made automatically on the basis of a computer determination (using software algorithms), without our human review. For example, in certain instances we may use automated decisions to establish whether we will propose insurance coverage to a prospective insured. We have implemented measures to safeguard the rights and interests of individuals whose personal information is subject to automated decision-making.

When we make an automated decision about you, you have the right to contest the decision, to express your point of view, and to require a human review of the decision.

As mentioned above, we may use your personal data to send you marketing materials.

If you are a UK or EU resident, you will need to opt-in to receive marketing from us. If you then wish to unsubscribe at any point, you can do so by clicking on the “unsubscribe” or “opt-out” link in the marketing e-mails we send you or contacting us.

If you are resident in the US, you do not need to opt-in to receive marketing materials from us, and you have the right to opt-out of receiving such communications. If you would like to stop receiving marketing information from us, please unsubscribe by clicking the “unsubscribe” link in the relevant marketing email or contacting us.

Trawick International is committed to keeping our customers’ data safe. We have security measures in place designed to protect against the loss, misuse, and/or alteration of personal data under our control. Although we cannot ensure or guarantee that loss, misuse, or alteration of data will not occur, we use our best efforts to prevent this. If you have any concerns that your Trawick International account or personal data has been put at risk, please contact us.

Our sites use cookies (a small piece of information that is placed on your computer when you visit certain websites) to distinguish you from other users, to track your browsing pattern and to build a profile of how you and other users use our sites. This helps us to provide you with a good experience when you browse any of our sites and also allows us to improve our sites. If you have an online account with us, we also use cookies to recognize you to pre-fill forms to save you time. Trawick International does not mandate cookies for you to access our sites and you may freely set your browser to reject all cookies or prompt you to accept or reject them. Some of the cookies we use are session cookies and only last until you close your browser, others are persistent cookies which are stored on your computer for longer. We may collect information through web beacons about your web browsing activities such as the address of the page you are visiting, the address of the referrer page you had previously visited, the time you are viewing the page, your browsing environment, and your display settings. We do this in order to optimize your browsing experience, the use of web-based services and provide you with relevant information on Trawick International products and services when you have opted-in to receiving such correspondence.

We will not respond to Web browser “do not track” signals. If you would like additional information about online tracking and various opt-out mechanisms, please see https://youradchoices.com/

Because we may link to social media sites, and from time to time may include third-party advertisements, other parties may collect your personally identifiable information about your online activities over time and across different web sites when you visit this Site.

Please note that not all tracking will stop even if you delete cookies.

Children's Data

Our websites and applications are not directed to children under 16 and we do not knowingly collect any personal information directly from children under 16. If you believe that we are processing personal information pertaining to a child inappropriately, we ask you to contact us using the information provided under the “Contact Us” section.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time in response to changing legal, technical, or business developments. When we update our Privacy Policy, we will take appropriate measures to inform you, consistent with the significance of the changes we make. We will obtain your consent to any material Privacy Policy changes if and where this is required by applicable data protection laws.

You can see when this Privacy Policy was last updated by checking the “effective date” displayed at the top of this Privacy Policy.

Any changes will be effective only after the effective date of the change and will not affect any dispute arising prior to the effective date of the change.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us using the following contact details:

Post Office Box 2284

Fairhope, Alabama USA 36533

Toll Free Telephone Number: +1 (888) 301-9289

Terms and Conditions of Use

Important information.

The information contained in this website is not intended to be an offer to sell or a solicitation in connection with any product or service by Trawick International Inc., in any jurisdiction where such an offer or solicitation would be unlawful or in which Trawick International, Inc., is not qualified to do so. Products and services described in this website may not be available in all jurisdictions. Not all insurance products described in this website are available to all persons in all States, Countries, or other jurisdictions at all times.

All products contain certain conditions, restrictions, limitations and eligibility requirements. The information contained in this website is not intended to be a complete description of all terms, exclusions and conditions applicable to the products and services. For complete terms, exclusions and conditions applicable to the products offered please contact Trawick International .

By using this website, you agree to the terms of its use. If you do not agree to these terms, PLEASE DO NOT USE THIS WEBSITE. For additional information or questions, please contact Trawick International or your independent insurance broker or agent.

TERMS & CONDITIONS OF USE

Effective Date: October 6, 2023

INTRODUCTION

THESE TERMS & CONDITIONS OF USE (“T&C”) GOVERN YOUR USE OF TRAWICK INTERNATIONAL, INC.’S (“COMPANY”, “WE”, “OUR”, OR “US”) WEBSITE LOCATED AT WWW.TRAWICKINTERNATIONAL.COM OR OTHER WEBSITES CONTROLLED BY COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES AS WELL AS ANY DOCUMENTS EXPRESSLY INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE AND ANY RULES AND POLICIES PUBLISHED ON THIS WEBSITE (THE “WEBSITE”).

BY ACCESSING THIS WEBSITE, YOU AGREE TO THE T&C, REVISIONS, AND MODIFICATIONS. ALL CHANGES ARE EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY UPON POSTING, AND APPLY TO ALL ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE WEBSITE THEREAFTER. ANY CHANGES WILL NOT EFFECT ANY DISPUTES ARISING PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THE CHANGE. WE MAY SEND YOU NOTICES WITH RESPECT TO THE WEBSITE IN VARIOUS MEDIUMS, INCLUDING BY EMAIL ADDRESS, POSTAL MAIL, AND/OR BY POSTING ON THE WEBSITE.

ARBITRATION NOTICE: EXCEPT FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF DISPUTES DESCRIBED IN THE “ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER” SECTION BELOW, AND IF YOU DO NOT OPT-OUT AS SET FORTH IN THAT SAME SECTION, YOU AGREE THAT DISPUTES BETWEEN YOU AND COMPANY OR ITS AFFILIATES WILL BE RESOLVED BY BINDING, INDIVIDUAL ARBITRATION, AND YOU WAIVE YOUR RIGHT TO BRING OR RESOLVE ANY DISPUTE AS, OR PARTICIPATE IN, A CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, REPRESENTATIVE, COLLECTIVE, OR PRIVATE ATTORNEY GENERAL ACTION OR ARBITRATION.

ACCESS TO THIS WEBSITE

To access the Website or some of its resources, you may be asked to provide certain personal details or other information. It is a condition of your use of the Website that all the information you provide on the Website is correct, current, and complete.

In addition, certain other services of the Website, such as applying for coverage, may be governed by additional or different terms and conditions. You should carefully review those terms and conditions as they are referenced and/or presented to you.

We reserve the right to withdraw, amend, disable or suspend this Website, and any service or material we provide on the Website, in our sole discretion with or without notice. We will not be liable if for any reason all or any part of the Website is unavailable at any time or for any period. From time to time, we may restrict access to some parts of the Website, or the entire Website, to users, including registered users.

We have the right to disable any user name, password or other identifier, whether chosen by you or provided by us, at any time in our sole discretion for any or no reason, including if, in our opinion, you have violated any provision of the T&C.

Your privacy matters to us. Your use of the Website is also subject to our Privacy Policy that is available online here (“Privacy Policy”) and is incorporated into and made a part of these Terms of Use. The Privacy Policy is subject to change, and you are encouraged to review the Privacy Policy whenever you supply the Website with any information because you agree that Company can collect, use, and share your information consistent with that policy.

RESTRICTIONS ON USE

You may use this Website only for your internal, non-commercial purposes. You agree not to use this Website in any way that violates any applicable federal, state, local or international law or regulation. You further agree to maintain and update your registration data as needed to keep it accurate, current and complete. You may not use this Website or any of the content, defined below, contained on it for any other purpose, including any unpermitted commercial purpose, unless we provide our prior written consent to such use.

Uses requiring our prior written consent include the following, without limitation:

• Co-branding this Website;
• Framing this Website;
• Using any robots, scrapers, spiders, data mining tools, or any similar device, tool, software, or process;
• Hyper-linking to specific product or coverage information; or
• Reselling or remarketing the content, as defined below.

"Co-branding" means displaying a name, logo, trademark or other means of attribution or identification of any party in a manner reasonably likely to give a user the impression that the other party has the right to display, publish or distribute this Website or its content. You will cooperate fully with Company and its affiliates in causing any unpermitted or unauthorized activity of yours or a third party authorized by you to cease immediately. To the extent that such unpermitted or unauthorized use continues after notice from Company or its affiliates, you agree to pay or reimburse us for any and all costs (including attorney fees if applicable) associated with ending or terminating such use.

You agree not to impersonate or attempt to impersonate the Company, a Company employee, another user or any other person or entity (including, without limitation, by using e-mail addresses associated with any of the foregoing).

PROHIBITED USES AND ACTIONS

Additionally, you specifically agree not to:

• decompile, reverse engineer, disassemble, modify, reduce the Website to human perceivable form or create derivative works based upon the Website or any part thereof;
• disable any licensing or control features of the Website;
• “frame” the Website or any portion thereof or otherwise cause the Website or its contents to appear to be provided by anyone except Company and its affiliates;
• merge the Website or materials with another program or create derivative works based on the Website or materials;
• remove, obscure, or alter any notice of the copyright or other proprietary legends on the Website or materials;
• sublicense, assign, translate, rent, lease, lend, resell for profit, distribute or otherwise assign or transfer the materials or access to the Website to others;
• use the Website by means of any automated program, expert system, electronic agent or “bot,” and shall not give any person or entity access to the Website;
• utilize any “scraping,” copying, republishing, licensing, or selling the data or information on the Website.

PURCHASES AND PAYMENT

Company accepts a variety of payment methods as reflected on the Website. Before you can submit a request for purchase using the Website, you may be required to provide a valid card number and associated information for a payment card that you are authorized to use, including any of or all of the following: (i) your name as it appears on the card; (ii) the credit or debit card type, (iii) the card’s expiration date; (iv) any activation numbers or codes needed to charge your card; and (v) the billing address or zip code or postal codes associated with your card. You authorize Company and/or its affiliates, payment processor to use information you submit to charge your card or other payment method for the price of purchase requested, in addition to any taxes, fees, and charges as described in the T&C, at our convenience, including as early as at the time of the purchase request is submitted.

PROPRIETARY INFORMATION & TRADE SECRETS

The material and content accessible from this Website and any other website Company or its affiliates owns, operates, licenses or controls (the “content”) is the proprietary information of Company and its affiliates or the party that provided the Content to us, and Company and its affiliates or such party retains all right, title and interest in the content. Accordingly, the Content may not be copied, distributed, republished, uploaded, posted, rented, leased, distributed, modified or transmitted in any way without the prior written consent of Company and its affiliates, except that you may print out a copy of the content solely for your own personal use. In doing so, you may not remove or alter, or cause the removal or alteration of, any copyright, trademark, trade name, service mark or any other proprietary notice or legend appearing on any of the content. Modification or use of the content, except as expressly provided herein, may violate Company’s and its affiliates’ intellectual property rights or a third party’s rights. Neither title nor intellectual property rights in the content are transferred or licensed to you by these Terms or your access of this Website.

Certain information provided to you by Company or its affiliates through non-public portions of the Website may be confidential or trade secret information. You may use or disclose such information only to the extent necessary for the purposes it was disclosed to you. You may not use the Website to circumvent the terms of any referral agreement or in any other manner that is not consistent with the business purpose of the Website. When reasonable, you must return or destroy such information when you have fulfilled such purpose.

INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Company and its affiliates (or the party that provided to Company) are the owner or licensee of all intellectual property rights on the Website (including trademarks, service marks and logos) and in the material published on it. Those works are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved, and we or those parties retain all rights with respect to such respective marks. In accessing the Website you agree that you will access its contents and use it solely for your personal, non-commercial use. The Website, including its contents, may not be downloaded, copied, reproduced, transmitted, stored, sold or distributed without the prior written consent of the copyright holder. This excludes downloading, copying and/or printing of pages of the Website for personal, non-commercial home use only.

The Company’s name and logo may not be used in any way, including in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of materials on this Website, without prior written permission. You are not authorized to use our logo as a hyperlink to this Website unless you obtain our written permission in advance, although we permit you to use certain designated features of the Website to use our logo as a hyperlink for designated purposes. You may link to our homepage, provided you do so in a way that is fair and legal and does not damage our reputation or take advantage of it, but you must not establish a link in such a way as to suggest any form of association, approval or endorsement on our part without our express written consent.

Except as provided below, none of the materials of the Website may be copied, distributed, displayed, downloaded, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of Company and its affiliates or the intellectual property right owner. Unauthorized use of any materials contained on this Website may violate copyright laws, trademark laws, the laws of privacy and publicity, and/or other regulations and statutes. If you believe that any of the materials infringe on any of your intellectual property rights or rights of others, please contact us immediately at the address provided below. Except as expressly provided herein, Company and its affiliates and the third parties reserve all rights with respect to the Materials, and may pursue all legally available options under both civil and criminal laws (and may cooperate with law enforcement agencies) in the event of any violations, including but not limited to the right to terminate accounts of any user who has infringed a third party’s copyright. Pursuant to Title 17, United States Code, Section 512(c)(2), notifications of claimed copyright infringement should be sent to the Designated Agent. ALL INQUIRIES NOT RELEVANT TO THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE WILL NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE.

HYPER-LINKS

We may hyper-link from the Website to other websites that are not maintained by, or related to, Company or its affiliates. Such hyper-links are provided as a service to you, and the other websites may not be officially sponsored by or affiliated with this Website or Company and its affiliates. Such other websites are solely responsible for their content. We are under no obligation to maintain any link on this Website and may remove any such link at any time in its sole discretion for any reason whatsoever. Access hyper-links and third party websites at your own risk.

COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES MAKE NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES ABOUT THE CONTENT OF HYPER-LINKED OR THIRD-PARTY WEBSITES. SUCH HYPER-LINKS ARE PROVIDED TO YOU “AS-IS” “WHERE IS,” AND WE SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIM ANY WARRANTIES WITH REGARD TO COMPLETENESS OR ACCURACY OF THESE HYPER-LINKS OR THE WEBSITES THAT ARE HYPER-LINKED TO THIS WEBSITE. THE INCLUSION OF ANY HYPER-LINK TO A THIRD-PARTY WEBSITE DOES NOT NECESSARILY IMPLY ENDORSEMENT BY OR AFFILIATION WITH COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES OF THAT WEBSITE.

SOCIAL MEDIA FEATURES

This Website may provide certain social media features that enable you to:

• link from your own or certain third-party websites to certain content on this Website.
• send e-mails or other communications with certain content, or links to certain content, on this Website.
• cause limited portions of content on this Website to be displayed or appear to be displayed on your own or certain third-party websites.

You may use these features solely as they are provided by us and solely with respect to the content they are displayed with and otherwise in accordance with any additional terms and conditions we provide with respect to such features. Subject to the foregoing, you must not:

• establish a link from any website that is not owned by you.
• cause the Website or portions of it to be displayed, or appear to be displayed by, for example, framing, deep linking or in-line linking, on any other site.
• link to any part of the Website other than the homepage.
• otherwise take any action with respect to the materials on this Website that is inconsistent with any other provision of these Terms of Use.

You agree to cooperate with us in causing any unauthorized framing or linking immediately to cease. We reserve the right to withdraw linking permission without notice. We may disable all or any social media features and any links at any time without notice in our discretion.

SUBMISSIONS

You hereby grant to Company and its affiliates the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, worldwide, non-exclusive right and license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, perform and display all stories, anecdotes, “Similes,” content, remarks, suggestions, ideas, graphics, inventions, methods, process, algorithms or other information communicated to us through this Website (collectively, the “Submission”), and to incorporate any Submission into other works in any form, media or technology now known or later developed. We may use any submission in our business (including without limitation, for products or advertising) without incurring any liability for royalties or any other additional consideration of any kind, and will not incur any liability as a result of any similarities to the submission that may appear in our future operations. By providing a Submission, you warrant that you have the right to provide the Submission and that all moral rights in the Submission have been waived.

COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES CANNOT AND DOES NOT GUARANTEE OR WARRANT THAT ANY FILES AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOADING FROM THE INTERNET ARE FREE OF VIRUSES, WORMS, TROJAN HORSES OR OTHER CODE THAT MAY HAVE CONTAMINATING OR DESTRUCTIVE PROPERTIES. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING SUFFICIENT PROCEDURES AND CHECKPOINTS TO SATISFY YOUR PARTICULAR REQUIREMENTS FOR SECURITY, FOR ACCURACY OF DATA INPUT AND OUTPUT, AND FOR MAINTAINING A MEANS EXTERNAL TO THIS WEBSITE FOR RECONSTRUCTING LOST DATA. WE DO NOT ASSUME ANY RESPONSIBILITY OR RISK FOR YOUR USE OF THE INTERNET OR THE WEBSITE.

USE THIS WEBSITE AT YOUR OWN RISK. EXCEPT AS MAY BE EXPRESSLY STATED IN OTHER APPLICABLE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OR SIMILAR AGREEMENT, THE CONTENT IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND "AS AVAILABLE" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT ANY FUNCTIONS OR CONTENT CONTAINED IN THIS WEBSITE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED OR ERROR-FREE, THAT DEFECTS WILL BE CORRECTED, OR THAT THIS WEBSITE OR THE SERVER THAT MAKES IT AVAILABLE ARE FREE OF VIRUSES OR OTHER HARMFUL COMPONENTS. WE DO NOT WARRANT OR MAKE ANY REPRESENTATION REGARDING USE OF THE CONTENT OR RESULTS THEREOF IN TERMS OF ACCURACY, RELIABILITY OR OTHERWISE EXCEPT FOR THE PERSON AND/OR FOR THE USE INTENDED. THE CONTENT MAY INCLUDE TECHNICAL INACCURACIES OR TYPOGRAPHICAL ERRORS, AND WE MAY MAKE CHANGES OR IMPROVEMENTS AT ANY TIME. YOU, AND NOT COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES, ASSUME THE ENTIRE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION IN THE EVENT OF ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE ARISING FROM THE USE OF THIS WEBSITE OR THE CONTENT. WE MAKE NO WARRANTIES THAT YOUR USE OF THE CONTENT WILL NOT INFRINGE THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS AND ASSUME NO LIABILITY OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN SUCH CONTENT.

BY ACCESSING THIS WEBSITE, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MAY BE WAIVING RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO CLAIMS THAT ARE AT THIS TIME UNKNOWN OR UNSUSPECTED, AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH SUCH WAIVER, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND, AND HEREBY EXPRESSLY WAIVE, THE BENEFITS OF SECTION 1542 OF THE CIVIL CODE OF CALIFORNIA, AND ANY SIMILAR LAW OF ANY STATE OR TERRITORY, WHICH PROVIDES AS FOLLOWS: "A GENERAL RELEASE DOES NOT EXTEND TO CLAIMS WHICH THE CREDITOR DOES NOT KNOW OR SUSPECT TO EXIST IN HIS OR HER FAVOR AT THE TIME OF EXECUTING THE RELEASE, WHICH IF KNOWN BY HIM OR HER MUST HAVE MATERIALLY AFFECTED HIS OR HER SETTLEMENT WITH THE DEBTOR."

The descriptions of products and services contained on this Website are intended to provide a reference guide to the types of products and services offered by Company and its affiliates and are not intended to be relied upon by clients or business partners. Some products and services referenced on this Website may not be available in all areas. Please contact us directly if you wish to obtain specific information concerning the products and services referenced on this Website. All of the information in this Website, whether historical in nature or forward-looking, speaks only as of the date the information was posted on this Website, and we do not undertake any obligation to update such information or to remove such information from this Website, if it is not or is no longer accurate or complete.

LIMITATION ON LIABILITY

TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW OR REGULATION, COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES, ITS SUBSIDIARIES, LICENSORS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, CONTENT PROVIDERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INCIDENTAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, PUNITIVE, ACTUAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY OR OTHER DAMAGES, INCLUDING LOSS OF USE, REVENUE OR INCOME, PAIN AND SUFFERING, EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, OR SIMILAR DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES THAT RELATES IN ANY WAY TO THE USE OF OUR WEBSITE OR WHICH MAY ARISE OUT OF ANY PERSON'S ACCESS OR INABILITY TO ACCESS THIS WEBSITE OR RELIANCE ON THE INFORMATION CONTAINED ON THIS WEBSITE. TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, IN NO EVENT WILL THE COLLECTIVE LIABILITY OF COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES AND ITS SUBSIDIARIES, LICENSORS, SERVICE PROVIDERS, CONTENT PROVIDERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, OFFICERS, AND DIRECTORS TO ANY PARTY (REGARDLESS OF THE FORM OF ACTION, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE) EXCEED THE GREATER OF $100 OR THE AMOUNT YOU PAID TO COMPANY OR ITS AFFILIATES FOR THE APPLICABLE CONTENT OR SERVICE OUT OF WHICH LIABILITY AROSE. BECAUSE SOME STATES OR JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR THE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, IN SUCH STATES OR JURISDICTIONS, COMPANY’S LIABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW IN SUCH STATE OR JURISDICTION WHICH YOU HEREBY CONSENT TO.

INDEMNIFICATION

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Company and its affiliates, its subsidiaries, licensors, content providers, service providers, employees, agents, officers, directors and contractors (the “Indemnified Parties”) from any breach of these T&C by you, including any use of the content other than as expressly authorized herein, and any claim that your submission violates a third party’s intellectual property or other rights, including the rights of publicity and privacy, or defames a third party. You agree that the Indemnified Parties will have no liability in connection with any such breach or unauthorized use, and you agree to indemnify any and all resulting loss, damages, judgments, awards, costs, expenses and attorneys’ fees of the Indemnified Parties in connection therewith. You will also indemnify and hold the Indemnified Parties harmless from and against any claims brought by third parties arising out of your use of the content and this Website.

INFORMATION YOU PROVIDE

You may not post, send, submit, publish or transmit in connection with the Website any material that:

• you do not have the right to post, send, submit, publish or transmit, including any proprietary material of a third party;
• advocates illegal activity or discusses an intent to commit an illegal act;
• is vulgar, obscene, pornographic or indecent;
• does not pertain directly to the Website;
• threatens or abuses others; or libels, defames, invades privacy or stalks; or is racist, harassing, threatening or offensive;
• seeks to exploit or harm minors or older adults by exposing them to inappropriate content, asking for personally identifiable details or otherwise;
• infringes any intellectual property right or other right of any entity or person, including violating anyone’s copyrights or trademarks, or their rights of privacy or publicity;
• violates any law or may be considered to violate any law;
• impersonates or misrepresents your connection to any other entity or person, or otherwise manipulates headers or identifiers to disguise the origin of the content;
• advertises any commercial endeavor (e.g., products or services) or otherwise engages in any commercial activity (e.g., conducting raffles or contests, displaying sponsorship banners or soliciting goods or services, or any combination thereof) except as may be specifically authorized on this Website;
• solicits funds, advertisers or sponsors;
• includes programs that contain viruses, worms, Trojan horses or any other computer code, files or programs designed to interrupt, destroy or limit the functionality of any computer software, hardware or telecommunications or any combination thereof;
• amounts to a "pyramid" or similar scheme;
• disobeys any policy or regulations established from time to time regarding use of this Website or any networks connected to this Website; or
• contains hyper-links to other websites that contain content that falls within any description set forth above.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MONITOR USE OF THIS WEBSITE IN ORDER TO DETERMINE COMPLIANCE WITH THESE TERMS OF USE, AND RESERVES THE RIGHT TO REMOVE OR REFUSE ANY INFORMATION FOR ANY REASON. NOTWITHSTANDING THESE RIGHTS, YOU REMAIN RESPONSIBLE SOLELY FOR THE CONTENT OF YOUR SUBMISSIONS. YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE THAT NEITHER COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES NOR ANY THIRD PARTY THAT PROVIDES CONTENT TO US WILL ASSUME OR HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ACTION OR INACTION BY US OR SUCH THIRD PARTY WITH RESPECT TO ANY SUBMISSION OF YOURS. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED HEREIN, COMPANY AND ITS AFFILIATES AND THE THIRD PARTIES RESERVE ALL RIGHTS WITH RESPECT TO THE WEBSITE, AND MAY PURSUE ALL LEGALLY AVAILABLE OPTIONS UNDER BOTH CIVIL AND CRIMINAL LAWS (AND MAY COOPERATE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES) IN THE EVENT OF ANY VIOLATIONS.

ARBITRATION AND CLASS ACTION WAIVER

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING SECTION CAREFULLY BECAUSE IT REQUIRES YOU TO ARBITRATE CERTAIN DISPUTES AND CLAIMS AND LIMITS THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU CAN SEEK RELIEF FROM COMPANY. Excluding claims for injunctive or other equitable relief, for all other claims related to the Website, including any goods or services purchased through the Website, any dispute or controversy arising out of or relating to this Agreement, including without limitation, any and all disputes, claims (whether in tort, contract, statutory or otherwise) or disagreements concerning the existence, breach, interpretation, application or termination of this Agreement shall be resolved by final and binding arbitration pursuant to the Federal Arbitration Act and in accordance with the JAMS Inc. Comprehensive Arbitration Rules & Procedures then in effect. There shall be no right or authority for any claims to be arbitrated on a class action basis. The arbitration shall take place in Fairhope, Alabama or at the option of the party seeking relief, by telephone, online, or via written submissions alone; however such election shall not prohibit Company from attending such an arbitration in person. Said arbitration shall be administered by JAMS. The arbitral tribunal (“Tribunal”) shall be composed of one arbitrator, who shall be independent and impartial. If the parties fail to agree on the arbitrator within twenty (20) calendar days after the initiation of an arbitration hereunder, JAMS shall appoint the arbitrator. The arbitration shall be conducted in the English language. The decision of the arbitrator will be final and binding on the parties, subject to all rights of appeal allowed by JAMS. Judgment on any award(s) rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court having jurisdiction thereof. The arbitrator shall have the authority to determine arbitrability of any disputes arising out of or relating to this Agreement. Nothing in this Section shall prevent either party from seeking immediate injunctive relief from any court of competent jurisdiction, and any such request shall not be deemed incompatible with the agreement to arbitrate or a waiver of the right to arbitrate. The parties undertake to keep confidential all awards in their arbitration, together with all confidential information, all materials in the proceedings created for the purpose of the arbitration and all other documents produced by the other party in the proceedings and not otherwise in the public domain, save and to the extent that disclosure may be required of a party by legal duty, to protect or pursue a legal right or to enforce or challenge an award in legal proceedings before a court or other judicial authority. The arbitrator shall award all fees and expenses, including reasonable attorney’s fees, to the prevailing party. Any judgment rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

You may choose to opt out of the agreement to arbitrate by mailing a written opt-out notice (“Notice”) to Company. The Notice must be postmarked no later than thirty (30) days after the date you accept these T&C for the first time. The Notice must be mailed to: Trawick International, Inc., Post Office Box 2284 Fairhope, Alabama USA 36533, to the attention of General Counsel. This procedure is the only mechanism by which you can opt out of the agreement to arbitrate. Opting out of the agreement to arbitrate has no effect on any other parts of this Agreement, or any previous or future arbitration agreements that you have entered into with Company or its affiliates.

GOVERNING LAW

These Terms of Use are governed and interpreted by the laws of Alabama, United States of America notwithstanding any principles of conflicts of law. We make no representation that materials on this Website are appropriate or available for use in other locations. Those who choose to access this Website from other locations do so on their own initiative and are responsible for compliance with applicable local laws.

If you are a consumer, the provisions in these T&C are intended to be only as broad and inclusive as is permitted by the laws of your State of residence. If you are a New Jersey consumer, the terms of “Disclaimer” and “Limitation of Liability” sections above do not limit or waive your rights as a consumer under New Jersey law and the provisions in this Agreement are intended to be only as broad and inclusive as is permitted by the laws of the State of New Jersey. In any event, we reserve all rights, defenses and permissible limitations under the law of your State of residence.

At this Website, Company and its affiliates make no active effort to collect personal information from individuals under the age of eighteen (18). We require that Website users must be of legal age to enter into agreements (typically, at least eighteen (18) years of age or older).

NOT A SECURITY OFFER

The information contained on this Website is not an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any security. No security is offered or will be sold in any jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation, purchase or sale would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.

SEVERABILITY

If any part of the T&C is unlawful, void or unenforceable, that part will be deemed deleted and will not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining provisions. The waiver of a breach of any provision of the T&C by a party will not operate or be construed as such party’s waiver of any other or subsequent breach. The T&C constitute the entire agreement between you and Company and its affiliates relating to this subject matter. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any additional terms and conditions on this Website will govern the items to which they pertain.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Company and its affiliates are an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to a policy of non-discrimination in employment on any basis including race, color, age, sex, religion, disability or national origin. Consistent with the American Disabilities Act, applicants may request accommodations needed to participate in the application process.

For further information, or inquiries about the T&C, please contact:

Trawick International, Inc. Attn: General Counsel Post Office Box 2284 Fairhope, Alabama USA 36533 Toll Free: (888) 301-9289

NOTICE AND PROCEDURE FOR MAKING CLAIMS OF COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT

NOTE: THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PROVIDED EXCLUSIVELY FOR NOTIFYING THE SERVICE PROVIDERS REFERENCED BELOW THAT YOUR COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL MAY HAVE BEEN INFRINGED. ALL OTHER INQUIRIES WILL NOT RECEIVE A RESPONSE THROUGH THIS PROCESS.

Pursuant to Title 17, U.S. Code, Section 512(c)(2), written notification must be submitted to the following Designated Agent/Service Provider:

Trawick International, Inc. Fairhope, Alabama USA 36533

Name of Agent Designated to Receive Notification of Claimed Infringement: Daryl Trawick

Full Address of Designated Agent to Which Notification Should be Sent: Post Office Box 2284 Fairhope, Alabama USA 36533

Telephone Number of Designated Agent: (888) 301-9289

To Be Effective, the Notification Must Include the Following:

• A physical or electronic signature of a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed;
• Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed, or if multiple copyrighted works at a single online site are covered by a single notification, a representative list of such works at that site;
• Identification of the material that is claimed to be infringing or to be the subject of infringing activity and that is to be removed or access to which is to be disabled, and information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to locate the material;
• Information reasonably sufficient to permit the service provider to contact the Complaining Party, such as an address, telephone number, and if available, an electronic mail address at which the complaining party may be contacted;
• A statement that the Complaining Party has a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
• A statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the Complaining Party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

'Expensive in every way': What travelers should expect this summer

Summer travel in 2024 will be "expensive in every way," said Katharine Nohr. And she should know.

She's planning a two-week adventure to Europe in June, which starts with a marathon flight from Honolulu to Zurich, where she'll speak at a conference. Then, she's hopscotching across Europe – to Vienna, then on to the Olympics. Nohr made plans to be in Nantes, France, to watch a soccer game, in Lille for basketball, and in Paris for gymnastics, boxing, and swimming.

Check out   Elliott Confidential , the newsletter the travel industry doesn't want you to read. Each issue is filled with breaking news, deep insights, and exclusive strategies for becoming a better traveler. But don't tell anyone!

All told, it'll set her back five figures despite her best efforts, which include flying economy class and staying in the lowest-priced hotels. 

"The trip is pricey, even with my efforts to economize," said Nohr, an attorney from Honolulu. "But it's a once-in-my-life adventure." 

Flying cars are coming! Here's how they could change the way you travel.

'Flying feels different': Here's how air travel has changed recently

Summer travelers are pursuing exciting, expensive vacations

Nohr is part of a wave of travelers who are making big plans for this summer. The itineraries are exciting – and expensive. 

Pretty much every barometer of travel intent is up for the summer travel season. Inflation and unemployment are low, and consumer sentiment and curiosity are high, fueling an unprecedented interest in travel during the summer of 2024. 

"Bookings are rising," said Susan Sherren, who runs Couture Trips , a travel agency. "Unfortunately, hotel, tour, and air prices are not falling. So, if you plan on hitting the road this summer, make sure you are willing to splash some cash."

Travel companies say they're overwhelmed with summer reservations.

"The travel economy is booming," said Joe Ialacci, owner of Yacht Hampton Boating Club , a company that rents yachts in Sag Harbor, New York. He's seeing a 40% increase in rentals this summer compared to last year as Americans shift some of their vacation dollars to domestic destinations.

Prices aren't the only thing trending higher. People's expectations for their summer vacation are also higher than at any time since the pandemic, said Sangeeta Sadarangani, CEO of Crossing , a multinational travel agency headquartered in London. 

"They're embracing the unknown," she said.

And one of the great unknowns is travel prices. How much higher will they be?

What will prices be like this summer?

It depends on where you're going. There's good news if you're traveling within the U.S.: flights and hotels are a little less expensive than last summer . But they're rising elsewhere. Here's the breakdown:

• Airfares are mixed. Domestic roundtrip airfares for summer will peak at $315 per ticket, according to the travel platform Hopper . Flights to Europe are cheaper, too. They've fallen 10% from last year to $882. But flights to South America are up 2% and flights to Canada have risen 7%. You'll pay an average of $708 to fly south of the border and $419 to head north.
• U.S. hotel rates are down. Domestically, they're about the same as last year at an average of $206 per night.
• Car rental prices are rising. Average domestic car rental rates are only up 3% this summer to $42 per day on a four-day rental, according to Hopper. 

But you can avoid the high prices with a little strategic planning, experts say.

What to avoid this summer

American travelers are becoming more predictable in their summer vacation choices, said John Lovell, president of Travel Leaders Group . Immediately after the pandemic, they embarked on "revenge" vacations to far-flung locations. Now they're returning to more conventional vacations.

"We continue to see U.S. travelers heading back to the more traditional locations across Europe this year, like London, Rome, Athens and Munich," he said.

There are places that will be exceptionally busy – and exceptionally pricey – this summer.

• Paris during the Olympics. The Olympic Games are taking place in Paris this summer. Rooms are more than double the normal rates . which is typical of the Olympics. Paris is already crowded with tourists during the summer, so you can probably imagine what it will be like with the Olympics. Zut, alors!
• Taylor Swift is touring Europe this summer. Prices will be higher and the crowds will be denser. "If you aren't planning to attend one of her concerts, I recommend planning around those European cities when she's there," said Betsy Ball, co-founder of Euro Travel Coach . (Want to know if your schedules overlap? Here's Taylor Swift's concert schedule .)
• Other big summer events. Even if you steer clear of Taylor and the Olympics, you're still not out of the woods. There's the UEFA Euro 2024 football tournament in Germany in June. There's the Tour de France in July, which begins in Florence and finishes in Nice. France is also hosting the Paralympic Games in August and September, which will take place in Paris, Nice, Marseille and Bordeaux.

Air travel smells worse than ever. Here's how to fix it.

Pay less to fly: New strategies for finding cheap airfares now

When is the best time to book a 2024 summer vacation?

Since this is going to be a busy one, the sooner you book, the better. Hopper recommends buying your airfare two to three months before your departure for domestic flights, and for international – well, it's probably too late to get that rock-bottom fare. If you're reading this in April, you can still find something for late August or early September, according to its airfare experts.

As always, you can save money by booking a flight for midweek instead of on the weekend – and, of course, by keeping far, far away from the big travel holidays like Memorial Day, the Fourth of July and Labor Day. 

Also, if you're going overseas, remember their holiday calendar is different. For example, half of Europe shuts down during August for summer vacation. It's worth a look-up, otherwise, you could face some real disappointments.

Strategies for traveling better during the summer

One tactic that consistently works is splitting your getaway into two sections. Take that required summer vacation with your family somewhere less expensive during the high season. Then, wait until shoulder season for the big trip. 

That's what Ross Copas, a retired electrician from Tweed, Canada, is doing during the summer of 2024. It's a road trip across the northern U.S. by motorcycle – New York to Washington State, and then back east through Canada. 

Then he's heading to Amsterdam in September for a 23-day European river cruise. He said the late summer getaway will be costly, but he doubts fares will fall anytime soon. "So price be damned," he added.

Actually, that's pretty smart. I took the same cruise he's planning on Viking River Cruises many years ago, and it was worth every penny.

With hotel rates rising in some places this summer, this is the right time to consider alternatives. Monica Fish, a writer from Glen Rock, N.J., is headed to Ireland to catch one of Taylor Swift's performances. She said hotel rooms in Dublin are overpriced if they're even available. But Fish found an affordable vacation rental. 

"We just had to book it farther in advance than we normally would," she said. 

Go ahead, follow the crowds this summer

I think it's fine to follow the crowds this summer. I'll be doing it. I'm planning to rent an apartment for a month in Switzerland with Blueground, a long-term apartment rental company. Then I'm crashing on a friend's sofa in Spain, then heading to Sweden to see other friends and visiting my brother in Finland. Yes, travel writers know people everywhere . 

But don't follow the crowds off a cliff. There are places even I won't go. I might take the four-hour train trip from Zurich to Paris in June to check out my favorite patisseries, but I wouldn't go anywhere near the City of Lights during the summer games in July unless I made a reservation a long time ago.

And Taylor Swift? Puh-leeze. I'm more of a jazz guy.

Christopher Elliott  is an author, consumer advocate, and journalist. He founded  Elliott Advocacy , a nonprofit organization that helps solve consumer problems. He publishes  Elliott Confidential , a travel newsletter, and the  Elliott Report , a news site about customer service. If you need help with a consumer problem, you can  reach him here  or email him at  [email protected] .

Zajímavosti

Travel news 24 magazín o cestování, „jděte do pr*ele domů“: málaga bojuje proti turistům samolepkami, barcelona od dubna zvýšila turistickou daň. kolik budete muset platit, německo legalizuje konopí. hrozí, že se díky tomu stane cílem pro turisty podobným nizozemsku, bulharsko a rumunsko vstupují do schengenu. hrozí okamžité zdražování, nejoblíbenější pláže na světě jsou všechny v evropě: v portugalsku, itálii a španělsku, návrat nočních vlaků: belgie plánuje během svého předsednictví eu posílit lůžkovou dopravu, 5 měst, kde se nejlépe najíte, turecko místo saint tropez dvojníci oblíbených destinací vám pomohou vyhnout se davům, jeden den: jak seriál netflixu zvýšil počet návštěvníků řeckého ostrova paros, tiktok jako nejlepší přítel na cestách. jak generace z používá tuto aplikaci k plánování dovolené, benátky severu: jak strávit víkend v belgických bruggách, záhadné bulharské megality: země pro milovníky skalních útvarů, jeskynní obydlí i malebné uličky plné květin: nejkrásnější města italské apulie, obří písečná duna či výhledy z balonu. proč byste měli navštívit litvu, tipy na jarní tripy: od římského kolosea po skvělé jídlo v portugalsku, vyhněte se resortům a poznejte život místních na maledivách, proměna malediv: od nulové infrastruktury po synonymum luxusu, „kjóto není zábavní park“: turisté se mají vyhýbat slavné čtvrti gejš ve starobylém městě, chcete zažít indii jako místní vyzkoušejte tyto tradiční zážitky v kérale, kdysi kostel, dnes mešita: navštivte mešitu hagia sofia, symbol istanbulu, navštivte poklidné antsirabe na madagaskaru, bělostné pláže a bohatý podmořský život: prozkoumejte slavný ostrov nosy be a jeho sousedy, chystáte se na safari sedm věcí, které byste měli vědět, magická sahara: co byste měli vědět před návštěvou pouště, 6 nejlepších míst v africe, kde pozorovat divoké leopardy, plavající prasátka, bermudský trojúhelník či cesta do bájné atlantidy. poznejte tajuplné bahamy, 8 důvodů, proč byste měli navštívit karibskou anguillu, piráti i mořské želvy: proč alespoň jedenkrát za život navštívit bahamy, port royal, jamajka: dříve útočiště pirátů, dnes ospalá rybářská vesnice, zlatý věk pirátů: seznamte se s čenovousem a dalšími slavnými piráty na bahamách.

• Travel News 24
• World News 24
• Business News 24
• Sports News 24
• Car News 24
• eSport News 24

RYCHLÉ ZPRÁVY Z UKRAJINY

Obdivuhodné památky španělské córdoby, gastronomie a nákupy v paříži: jak nezruinovat svou peněženku, varigotti, perla italské riviéry, doporučujeme, nejlépe hodnocená pláž podle tripadvisoru pro rok 2024 žádný karibik, ale portugalsko, 5 kostelů v evropě plných umění, kvůli kterým si budete chtít rezervovat výlet do těchto měst, 10 nejoblíbenějších jídel na světě, doporučujeme, zážitky, kvůli kterým byste měli do svého itineráře zařadit italský region apulie, tyto srbské národní parky jsou snem milovníků přírody, od amsterdamu po istanbul: kam se vydat o velikonocích, dvojníci oblíbených destinací: influenceři radí, jakými místy nahradit předražené a přeplněné turistické hotspoty, nejpopulárnější články, obří vlna rozbila okna výletní lodi na antarktické expedici. jeden mrtvý, čtyři zranění, sem byste na dovolenou nejeli. opuštěný hotel v chorvatsku připomíná strašidelný palác, jedna z největších přírodních katastrof a záhad starověkého světa – zkamenělá těla v pompejích, nejnovější články, populární kategorie.

• Zajímavosti 282
• Aktuality 156
• Komerční sdělení 10

Magazín o cestování, který vás přenese na exotická místa. A nejen ta. Aktuality, průvodce, praktické rady, tipy pro cestovatele, fotky, videa a mnoho dalšího.

Kontaktujte nás: [email protected]

Sledujte nás

© Copyright | World News Media, s.r.o. | všechna práva vyhrazena.

• O nás / Kontakt
• Prezentace WN24
• Ceník reklamy
• Obchodní zastoupení

2018 Primetime Emmy & James Beard Award Winner

R&K Insider

Join our newsletter to get exclusives on where our correspondents travel, what they eat, where they stay. Free to sign up.

A History of Moscow in 13 Dishes

Featured city guides.

Moscow   Travel Guide

Why Go To Moscow

Moscow's opulence and high culture is a sight to be seen. Forget what you learned about Russia in grade school. This lavish capital of a formerly communist nation has fully embraced the luxuries, excesses and decadence of Western capitalism. Like many former Soviet countries, Mother Russia struggles to successfully confront issues of widespread poverty, alcoholism, failing healthcare, and environmental protection. But Moscow has burgeoned into one of the most expensive, exclusive and largest travel destinations in the world. It comes complete with world-class museums, magnificent palaces, $1,000-a-night hotels, "face-control" nightclubs and internationally-renowned restaurants. Don't think you can afford Moscow? Don't be afraid. You can still find affordable deals if you are vigilant. This metropolis has a big and bold character and grandiose setting that's definitely worth getting to know.

Find Flight and Hotel Deals

Navigate forward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.

Navigate backward to interact with the calendar and select a date. Press the question mark key to get the keyboard shortcuts for changing dates.

Best of Moscow

Best hotels in moscow.

• # 1 in Hotel Metropol Moscow
• # 2 in Radisson Collection Hotel, Moscow
• # 3 in Hotel Baltschug Kempinski Moscow

Best Things to Do in Moscow

• # 1 in Red Square
• # 2 in Tretyakov Gallery
• # 3 in St. Basil's Cathedral

Moscow Travel Tips

Best months to visit.

The best time to visit Moscow is April and May, when the temperature creeps into the 50s and 60s, the sun begins to shine for significant portions of the day, and hotel rates have yet to skyrocket into peak ranges. Of course, the golden period is summer, when the city is warm and bustling. But if you want to (slightly) spare yourself from the perpetually expensive rates, try the shoulder seasons in the spring and early fall. Preferably spring, since fall experiences more rainfall and less sunlight. Winters are brutally cold, but this is when you'll get a true glimpse into the Moscow experience (A frost-bitten walk through Red Square seems to intensify the historical significance of this great capital city).

Weather in Moscow

Data sourced from the National Climatic Data Center

What You Need to Know

A little Russian English is spoken only in major hotels and restaurants, and you'll find mostly Russian speakers in the less tourist-heavy areas. American visitors also struggle with the Cyrillic spellings and pronunciations. Practice some key Russian phrases on the long flight over.

A little tipping Unlike most other European cities, tipping (five to 10 percent) in restaurants is the custom.

A lot of vodka This Russian drink of choice (yes, they usually consume it straight) is found at any bar. But if you wish to taste it and learn about its origins, the Moscow Distillery Cristall is your best bet.

How to Save Money in Moscow

If it seems too good to be true It probably is. Take that proverb to heart in Moscow, and don't expect the Czarist medal you purchased off a street vendor to be worth anything more than a good memory.

If you're oblivious on the subway You'll probably leave several rubles lighter. Pickpockets prey on unsuspecting foreigners in crowded places, particularly metro cars. Beware!

If you're not scared of the dark You may be able to handle Moscow's long nights in fall, winter and spring, when hotels offer the lowest rates. December sees an average of 18 hours of sunlight … in total.

Culture & Customs

English is spoken in major hotels and restaurants, but you'll find mostly Russian speakers in the less tourist-heavy areas, such as at the market or in small inns. Some helpful Russian greetings include the informal hello (pronounced, pri-VET ); the formal hello ( Zdravst-vwee-tye ); the informal goodbye ( pah-KAH ); and the formal goodbye ( Dah svih-DA-nee-ye ). To thank someone, say " Spas-EE-ba ."

What to Eat

Traditional Russian fare focuses on hearty meat dishes and cold soup, a particularly Russian specialty. But don't arrive in Moscow thinking you'll experience only the old cuisine. Russia's new personality has been accompanied by a lavish taste for international cuisine, especially Asian food. Sushi and Asian fusion restaurants are among the most popular in the city, and other dining options include American and Italian cuisine. Eating out, like everything in Moscow, can be very expensive, but you can find cheaper restaurants in shopping centers and areas outside the city center. 

Stay alert for pickpockets when using public transport and when visiting the main tourist sites. Many an unsuspecting traveler has been relieved of some rubles on the Moscow Metro and near Red Square. Also, make sure to exercise extra caution when leaving bars and clubs at night.

There have been cases of corrupt police asking for random fines -- if this occurs, get the officer's number and name and ask to go to the police station with him or her.

Getting Around Moscow

The best way to get around Moscow is the metro. Faster and more efficient than the trolley buses and trams, this extensive system has stations that contain beautiful ornamentation, sculptures and mosaics. You could rent a car, but it's best to use public transportation to avoid the city's perpetually congested roads. Plus, street signs are all in Russian. In fact, English signs are nonexistent in the public transit system as well, so it's best to quickly get familiar with a map. Most travelers arrive through Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO), but there are several other airports that serve the metro area. Several buses and a metro line shuttle airport travelers to and from downtown.

Entry & Exit Requirements

Acquiring a visa to travel in Russia is a bit more complicated and expensive than visiting other countries. Every foreign traveler entering Russia must have a Russian-based sponsor (like a hotel, tour company, university or relative). In addition to a valid U.S. passport, you must also obtain a travel visa from a Russian embassy or consulate prior to arriving in Russia. If you plan to stay in Russia for more than seven days, you have to register your visa and migration card (the white paper document given by the border police on first entry to Russia) with the Federal Migration Service. Visas can cost anywhere from $160 to $250 per person, depending on the length of your stay. For more information on entry and exit requirements, visit the U.S. State Department website .

Red Square is one of the most famous squares in the world.

Explore More of Moscow

Things To Do

Best hotels.

You might also like

# 1 in  World's Best Places to Visit for 2023-2024

# 8 in  Best Cheap European Honeymoon Destinations

St. Petersburg

If you make a purchase from our site, we may earn a commission. This does not affect the quality or independence of our editorial content.

Recommended

The 50 Best Hotels in the USA 2024

Christina Maggitas February 6, 2024

The 32 Most Famous Landmarks in the World

Gwen Pratesi|Timothy J. Forster February 1, 2024

9 Top All-Inclusive Resorts in Florida for 2024

Gwen Pratesi|Amanda Norcross January 5, 2024

24 Top All-Inclusive Resorts in the U.S. for 2024

Erin Evans January 4, 2024

26 Top Adults-Only All-Inclusive Resorts for 2024

Zach Watson December 28, 2023

Solo Vacations: The 36 Best Places to Travel Alone in 2024

Lyn Mettler|Erin Vasta December 22, 2023

26 Cheap Beach Vacations for Travelers on a Budget

Kyle McCarthy|Sharael Kolberg December 4, 2023

The 50 Most Beautiful White Sand Beaches in the World

Holly Johnson December 1, 2023

The 26 Best Zoos in the U.S.

Rachael Hood November 16, 2023

44 Cheap Tropical Vacations That Feel Expensive

Holly Johnson|Alissa Grisler November 10, 2023

• United Arab Emirates
• Switzerland
• The Netherlands
• Puerto Rico
• United States
• New Zealand
• ➨ Choose from World Map
• Budget Travel
• Family Travel
• Getting Around
• Visas & Passports
• Work with Us

Browsing Category

• Czech Republic
• Saint Martin
• Uncategorized

Moscow Travel Guide: Best Things to Do + More [2023]

· everything to know about visiting moscow, including the best things to do and how to get around. ·.

Moscow is Russia’s vibrant capital city, and it also happens to be the largest city in all of Europe. The city’s long and infamous history makes it one of the most unique places we have ever visited.

The architecture ranges from centuries-old palaces to uniform, gray concrete buildings. The people range from cold and private to warm and welcoming. Moscow is a city is strong juxtapositions, and we learned a lot during our time there.

This post will break down all you need to know about visiting Moscow, including the best things to do, how to get there, how to get around, and more.

The Best Things to Do in Moscow

1. explore the red square.

The Red Square is the heart of Moscow. Most of the city’s top attractions can be found here, including just about everything on this list. The Kremlin, St. Basil’s Cathedral, and Lenin’s Mausoleum are all located here, and the State Historical Museum and GUM are not far from here, either.

The Red Square is a common home for parades, protests, and seasonal celebrations. There are massive Christmas celebrations here, with food vendors and carnival rides set up in numbers.

2. Check Out the Ziferblat

The Ziferblat is a café in Moscow that is unlike any café we have ever been to. While most cafes charge you for your drinks and food, the Ziferblat charges you for your time.

Upon arrival, you are given a clock. When you leave, the barista calculates how much time you spent in the café and charges you accordingly. This concept was created to help visitors to be more intentional with their time, and the cafe itself is incredibly charming.

For a detailed look at everything you need to know before you visit, make sure you read my post about visiting the Ziferblat Cafe in Moscow .

3. Marvel at St. Basil’s Cathedral

St. Basil’s Cathedral is one of the most iconic churches in the world, and it was the single thing we were most excited to see while in Moscow. Built almost 500 years ago, St. Basil’s Cathedral is recognized by its colorful domes and whimsical style. The church is of the Russian Orthodox faith, and the inside is just as wondrous as the outside.

St. Basil’s Cathedral is located on the edge of the Red Square, making it incredibly convenient to visit. Entrance for non-worshippers costs 800 rubles, and tickets can be bought at the church

4. Explore the Kremlin

The Kremlin is the largest active fortress in Europe, and it is the site of most of Russia’s government affairs. In addition to government buildings, the Kremlin Complex is filled with courtyards, towers, and museums that are open to the public. If you have the time, you could spend a couple of days fully exploring all that there is to see in the Kremlin.

5. Walk Through Lenin’s Mausoleum

Vladimir Lenin is one of the most important figures in Russian history, and his body is located perfectly embalmed in a mausoleum in the Red Square. The Mausoleum is open to the public to visit, and as long as you are willing to go through a few security checks, it is easily one of the best things to do in Moscow. Its convenient location in the Red Square makes it a can’t miss attraction.

There is absolutely no photography allowed inside the Mausoleum. Do not test this rule.

6. Wander Along Arbat Street

The Arbat is a very popular street in Moscow that is lined with stores, cafes, and other touristy attractions. It is one of the oldest streets in the city, dating back to the 1400s. This street is both quaint and trendy, and there are many walking tours that introduce tourists to the neighborhood’s wonders and highlights.

7. Catch a Show at the Bolshoi Theatre

As a lover of the arts, it is hard to think of Moscow and not think of ballet. Russia has always been a top dog in the world of fine arts, and Bolshoi Theater is one of the best places to catch a performance. We were lucky enough to attend an Opera here, and it is a venue that you don’t want to miss out on if you enjoy opera, ballet, or orchestral performances.

8. Visit the State Historical Museum

The State Historical Museum is one of the most respected museums in Moscow. Despite its name, it is not really focused on the history of Russia as a nation. Rather, it contains a collection of artifacts from all throughout Russia’s history.

The museum’s collection is very broad in nature. It houses some items from indigenous tribes that used to occupy the region, pieces collected by the Romanov family, and more.

9. Wander Around GUM

GUM is an absolutely massive mall within walking distance of the Red Square. It isn’t just the size that draws visitors here; it’s the sense of luxury. The mall is so beautiful inside, much like the metro stations.

While visiting a mall might not sound like it belongs on a bucket list, this mall does. You will not want to miss out on visiting GUM while in Moscow.

10. Admire the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

While St. Basil’s Cathedral is the most iconic church in Moscow, it isn’t the only one. The Cathedral of Christ the Saviour is absolutely stunning, with massive golden domes. It is the tallest Orthodox church in the world, and it is the seat of the Orthodox Patriarch of Moscow.

It is located just about a mile from the Red Square, just south of the Kremlin Complex. You can walk to it from the Red Square in about 20 minutes.

How to Get to Moscow

Flying to moscow.

Moscow has three major international airports: Sheremetyevo (SVO) , Domodedovo (DMO) , and Vnukovo (VKO) . All three of them are directly connected to downtown Moscow by the Aeroexpress trains, which leave every 30 minutes throughout the day. By Aeroexpress train, you can expect to get to the city center in 25-45 minutes depending on the airport that you fly into.

Sheremetyevo is the biggest and busiest of the three airports, and it is the one you are most likely to fly into – especially if you are coming from outside of Europe or the Caucus region. We flew into Sheremetyevo on a direct flight from New York City.

I usually provide backup airport options, because flying right into the city isn’t always the cheapest way to get where you’re going. Unfortunately, when it comes to Moscow, don’t really have a choice other than to fly right into Moscow. It is a very remote city, and it is usually the cheapest place to fly into in Russia as a whole.

Since Sheremetyevo is so busy, you will probably find a great flight option anyway. I wrote in  my post about finding cheap flights  that using hub airports will lead to more affordable airfare, and the same logic applies here. Even though Russia’s national airline, Aeroflot, is no longer a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, Moscow is still a major hub connecting passengers from all over the world.

READ OUR CHEAT SHEET

Train or Bus to Moscow

Trains and buses are one of the most popular ways to get around Europe. However, they’re of very little use when you’re trying to get to Moscow.

Moscow is hundreds of miles from the nearest major cities. The only major European city that can even be reached within 8 hours on the ground is St. Petersburg, and even the Baltic capitals of Riga, Vilnius, and Tallinn are over 12 hours away.

If you want to get to Moscow, the best option is almost always to fly. While the train routes to Moscow are scenic, they simply take forever.

How to Get Around Moscow

METRO | TROLLEYS | TRAMS | BUSES

Moscow has one of the most memorable metro systems in the world. Its metro lines are very deep underground, and the stations are absolutely stunning. Each station has its own unique style, but all of them contain escalators that seem to go on forever.

The system was built in an effort to showcase the power of the Soviet Union and its bright future. The plans were a form of propaganda, but they resulted in what is still one of the most visually appealing subway systems on earth.

Moscow’s metro system isn’t just pretty. It is also very useful and accessible. The system has 17 lines that connect the city and its surrounding area.

But wait; there’s more!

The Moscow metro system is also incredibly affordable, with each ride costing less than a dollar. The metro is by far the best way to get around Moscow, as it is almost impossible to beat the connection times and the low cost to ride.

Tickets can be bought at electronic, English-speaking kiosks in stations, or directly from ticket counters at certain larger stations. There are also day passes available, which are a very solid option if you plan on riding the metro several times per day.

The metro is by far the best way to get around Moscow.

In addition to the metro system, Moscow also has a network of buses, trams, and trolleys. This system is nowhere near as convenient or well-connected as the metro, though, and is likely of little use to you during your trip. There is no Uber in Moscow, but a similar app named Yandex is available if you need a ride in a pinch.

How Many Days Do You Need in Moscow?

Moscow is the biggest city in all of Europe, and it is absolutely loaded with things to do. You could spend weeks in Moscow and still find new things to do. Of course, most travelers don’t have that kind of time to spend in one place!

I recommend spending no less than three full days in Moscow, and ideally closer to five or seven.

Moscow is very spread out, and it can take some time to get from one major point to another. There are also so many places that are nice to just sit back and relax, which is hard to do when you’re in a hurry trying to cram activities into just a few days.

If you only have a week to visit Russia, I’d advise spending all of the time in one city. If you decide to split your time between Moscow and St. Petersburg, I recommend not trying to squeeze in any day trips beyond those two cities.

When Is the Best Time of the Year to Visit Moscow?

There are two different ways to approach this question. Personally, I think the best time to visit Moscow is around Christmas and New Year’s Day. While the weather will be absolutely freezing, Moscow is a surreal winter wonderland in December and January.

We were in Moscow right before Christmas. While it was very cold, you can always bundle up. Exploring the Christmas markets and pop-up ice skating rinks throughout Moscow is one of my favorite memories from anywhere I’ve traveled, and I dream of going back to do it again.

If you aren’t fond of the cold, Moscow is beautiful in the summer. It tends to get pretty cold in the shoulder seasons, so if you want warm weather, you should plan to visit in the summer. Moscow actually gets pretty warm in July and August, and there are a bunch of fantastic places to soak up the sun within the city.

The best time to visit Moscow is either around Christmas or from late May to August.

Is Moscow Safe to Visit?

While Moscow is a truly wonderful city, there’s no denying that visiting Russia comes with risks. As the country is run by an infamous communist dictator, concerns about visiting are valid. While we didn’t experience any sort of threat or negative treatment during our time in Moscow, we visited in a peaceful time.

In our experience, Russia doesn’t seem to detain normal Americans or Westerners to use as pawns. As a regular person, as long as you don’t commit any crimes, there is a slim chance you will run into any issues. However, Russia will not hesitate to enforce its laws against foreigners, and illegal behaviors will likely land you in a very compromising position.

Russia will not hesitate to enforce its laws against foreigners, and illegal behaviors will likely land you in a very compromising position.

To make matters worse, Russia has a bad reputation for gang violence. While the Russian mafia has very little interest in normal Western tourists, they won’t hesitate to pick a fight with anyone who ventures into their sphere of influence. If you seek out illegal substances or activities, you could be a target of the mafia.

If you seek out illegal substances or activities, you could be a target of the mafia.

Finally, since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, things are all very different. Russia is currently at war, and there are battles raging within 8 hours of Moscow. While it is still relatively safe to visit, that could change at any time as the war with Ukraine continues.

Is Moscow Worth Visiting?

Without a doubt, Moscow is worth visiting. It is one of the most unique major cities we have ever visited, and we hope to make it back one day. The Russian Orthodox churches are stunning, the city’s history is unlike any other, and the food is to die for.

While many visitors prefer St. Petersburg to Moscow, I think Moscow deserves a lot of hype of its own. Moscow is the beating heart of Russian culture and history, and it’s a place I highly recommend checking out if you have the chance.

That’s all we have for you about Moscow! I hope this post was helpful as you plan your trip to Russia’s capital.

Have you been to Moscow? Or is this your first time visiting? Comment below if you have anything to add to our travel guide!

Hi, I'm Greg. I'm an avid traveler who has traveled to over 50 countries all around the world with my wife and kids. I've lived in Italy, Mexico, China, and the United States, and I dream of moving abroad again in the future. With this blog, I provide my audience with detailed destination guides to my favorite places and pro-tips to make travel as stress-free as possible.

Leave a comment

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Meet The Author - Greg

Recent Post

How Much Does a Trip to Egypt Cost: Budget Breakdown

March 10, 2024

Best Time to Visit the India Gate in Delhi [2024]

March 1, 2024

Flying with a Sinus Infection: Tips to Avoid Pain

February 20, 2024

11 Best Things to Do in Breckenridge Besides Skiing

February 12, 2024

10 Best Beaches in Mexico for Families (We Lived Here)

February 3, 2024

Watch CBS News

Eclipse watchers stuck in heavy traffic driving home: "Worst traffic I've ever seen"

By Megan Cerullo

Edited By Aimee Picchi

Updated on: April 9, 2024 / 2:37 PM EDT / CBS News

Drivers returning home Monday from watching the solar eclipse in cities and towns in the path of totality described traffic jams that were among the worst they'd ever experienced, keeping them on roads all night and into Tuesday morning. 

Indeed, cities and towns in the eclipse's path experienced some of their  largest influxes of tourists in their histories, providing  an economic boom  to states from Texas to Vermont. While eclipse tourists tended to stagger their arrivals during the weekend leading up to the event, many departed roughly at the same time after the eclipse ended on Monday afternoon, clogging highways and local roads.

Traffic on I-89 in Vermont, which links Burlington, a city in the path of the totality, with Boston, and on the state's I-91 was heavy on Monday afternoon, according to the Vermont Agency of Transportation. "Worst traffic I've ever seen," wrote Richard Chen of the venture fund 1confirmation on X, formerly known as Twitter, after visiting northern Vermont to view the eclipse. But, he added, "[I]t was totally worth it."

It took us over 6 hours to drive 110 miles in MO. last night after the eclipse. I’ve never been in that long of a traffic jam. The majority of it we were only going 8 miles an hour. I guess that’s the price you pay for center line totality! Cell service was out too!🤯 pic.twitter.com/GGVkXEcLn7 — Anne Jones (@1neatgirl) April 9, 2024

Along I-75 near Dixie Highway around Perrysburg, Ohio, motorists were stuck in miles of bumper-to-bumper traffic, according to a local media report . 

Michigan residents who had driven to Ohio to watch the eclipse described their return trips as taking twice as long as they should have, according to WTOL 11. 

The Maine Department of Transportation said the state had 10 times the volume of normal traffic in its western and southern regions Monday evening, according to Fox23 Maine . Most eclipse watchers departed at around the same time on Monday, even though they had arrived at different points leading up to the eclipse, according to The Maine Turnpike Authority.

The Maine DOT had earlier advised visitors to arrive early and leave late to avoid congestion on the roads. 

On TikTok, user @schoolhousecaulk said he had anticipated bad traffic in Vermont and that it was "worth it," despite driving overnight for 150 miles at a "snails pace."

At 5:30 in the morning, he said he finally reached his home in New York City. It had taken him 13 hours to drive 370 miles, he said. 

Megan Cerullo is a New York-based reporter for CBS MoneyWatch covering small business, workplace, health care, consumer spending and personal finance topics. She regularly appears on CBS News Streaming to discuss her reporting.

More from CBS News

Can you use your home equity to buy land?

Couple gets engaged on flight to see total solar eclipse

Iowa governor signs bill that allows for arrest of some migrants

When should you sell your gold investment?

• International

Israel-Hamas war

2024 campaign

April 11, 2024 - Israel-Hamas war

By Heather Chen , Antoinette Radford, Tori B. Powell , Aditi Sangal and Elise Hammond , CNN

Our live coverage of Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza has moved  here .

UN committee fails to reach consensus on full Palestinian membership, Security Council president says

From CNN’s Richard Roth and Michael Rios

A specialized UN committee failed to reach a consensus Thursday on Palestinian membership in the United Nations, according to the president of the UN Security Council.

Two-thirds of the committee members were in favor of moving on with membership, with many countries arguing that “Palestine fulfills all the criteria that are required” to be granted full state member status, Malta's Ambassador and Security Council President Vanessa Frazier said. 

She added that no one explicitly objected to the membership qualifications.

Frazier also said she would circulate a draft report on the deliberations as soon as Friday. If the committee doesn’t agree on the report, it could hold another meeting to iron out any differences.

Asked whether the process of deliberating Palestinian membership in the committee is now over, Frazier said, “Unless the next step of agreeing (to) the report of the committee warrants another meeting to iron out the differences, it’s not foreseen that there would be any further committee action.”

But she noted that any UN Security Council member can still table a resolution to vote on Palestinian membership at any time, regardless of the committee's report.

The US and Middle East brace for a possible Iran attack that could escalate the conflict. Here's the latest

From CNN staff

Concerns about a possible Iranian attack against Israel has prompted many diplomatic conversations around the globe.

Here are some developments on diplomacy around the threat of an attack:

• Iran's statement: The imperative for Tehran to "punish" Israel for the deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus last week might have been avoided if the attack had been condemned at the United Nations, Iran’s Mission to the UN said Thursday.
• US and UK diplomacy: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke with the foreign ministers of Turkey, China and Saudi Arabia on Wednesday night and Thursday morning to tell them that countries should be urging Iran not to escalate the conflict in the Middle East after  threats made by Tehran against Israel,  according to a State Department spokesperson. The top US general for the Middle East is also in Israel . Additionally, Britain's foreign secretary warned his Iranian counterpart on Thursday that Tehran “must not draw” the Middle East into a wider conflict .
• Israel receives US support: Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant spoke with Blinken and US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. The US officials expressed the country's support for Israel against Iranian threats. Gallant warned that such an attack could lead to a regional escalation.
• Travel restrictions: The US State Department restricted the travel of US government personnel in Israel in the wake of public threats against Israel by Iran. “The security environment remains complex and can change quickly depending on the political situation and recent events,” the alert noted. US officials  are on high alert  for a potential retaliatory strike by Iran or its proxies against Israel.

Meanwhile, here's some other updates:

• Hamas on hostages: A member of Hamas' political bureau said   a prisoner-hostage exchange is being discussed as part of larger ceasefire negotiations. "Part of negotiations is to reach a ceasefire agreement to have enough time and safety to collect final and more precise data" on the hostages held in Gaza, Basem Naim said in a statement on Thursday. "Because they (hostages) are in different palaces, (being held) by different groups, some of them are under the rubble killed with our own people, and we negotiate to get heavy equipment for this purpose."
• Updates on aid to Gaza: It is clear that Israel is working to ramp up humanitarian aid to Gaza, but it has not yet implemented all of the measures it has announced, a top United Nations humanitarian official said. Aid coming in trucks from Israel has to be "segregated from water, from food, from medical items" before it goes into Gaza, said Jamie McGoldrick, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Jerusalem. “Getting 400 trucks from Kerem Shalom doesn't mean 400 trucks go into Gaza,” he said, adding that the logistical complications are numerous, and take time to resolve. He also said Israel’s restrictions on movement inside the strip complicate matters.

Anera charity resumes work in Gaza after pausing when Israeli strike killed 7 World Central Kitchen staff

From CNN's Tala Alrajjal and Mohammed Tawfeeq

American Near East Refugee Aid (Anera) has resumed Gaza operations "after a temporary pause" following an airstrike that killed seven World Central Kitchen (WCK) aid workers on April 1.

"As you know, the decision to temporarily pause our operations was not an easy one. We followed the direction of our staff in Gaza, who've faced death, loss, and destruction since the start of the war," Sean Carroll, the president and CEO of Anera, said in a statement on Thursday. "After the killing of Anera staff member Mousa Shawwa , followed by the attack that killed seven aid workers from World Central Kitchen, we made the difficult but necessary decision to pause aid operations on April 2," Carroll added in the statement.

Carroll said Israeli authorities informed him during a meeting Thursday that "certain measures would be taken to protect humanitarian aid workers in Gaza – including Anera's staff."

"With the full support of our Gaza team, we have determined that the circumstances have changed sufficiently to resume our vital humanitarian work in Gaza," Carroll said. 

Anera on Thursday resumed "full operations in Gaza to deliver meals, food parcels, hygiene kits, tents, medical treatments, and more to families in dire need," according to the statement.

Iran says its imperative to punish Israel could have been avoided had UN Security Council condemned attack

From CNN’s Natalie Barr and Adam Pourahmadi

The imperative for Tehran to "punish" Israel for the deadly strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus last week might have been avoided if the attack had been condemned at the United Nations, Iran’s Mission to the UN said Thursday.

“Had the UN Security Council condemned the Zionist regime’s reprehensible act of aggression on our diplomatic premises in Damascus and subsequently brought to justice its perpetrators, the imperative for Iran to punish this rogue regime might have been obviated," the  mission said on X.

The UN Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the attack on April 1, according to a statement from the UN spokesperson Stephan Dujarric. A Security Council discussion was held on April 2 to discuss the attack, but differences among members prevented any formal action or condemnation from taking place.

The United States is on high alert and actively preparing for a “significant” attack by Iran targeting Israeli or American assets in the region  in response to the strike in Damascus  that killed top Iranian commanders.

UK foreign secretary warns Iran not to draw Middle East into wider conflict

From CNN's Natalie Barr

Britain's foreign secretary warned his Iranian counterpart on Thursday that Tehran “must not draw” the Middle East into a wider conflict following a series of escalating threats made by Iran toward Israel.

British Foreign Secretary David Cameron told Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian that the United Kingdom was "deeply concerned about the potential for miscalculation leading to further violence. Iran should instead work to de-escalate and prevent further attacks," according to a post on X .

Iran's state-aligned Tasnim news agency on Thursday reported that Amir-Abdollahian had told Cameron that the silence from the UK and the United States following Israel’s attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus last week only served to encourage Israel to continue waging war in Gaza and expand its conflict in the region.

US and Israeli defense leaders discuss fears of Iranian attack

From CNN’s Michael Conte in Washington, DC, Tamar Michaelis in Jerusalem and Larry Register in Atlanta

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant today to “reaffirm the US ironclad commitment to Israel’s security against threats from Iran and its proxies,” according to a Pentagon spokesperson.

The call comes a day after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Israel " must be punished and it will be" following a strike on an Iranian embassy compound in Syria that killed seven Iranian officials.

Israel “will not tolerate an Iranian attack on its territory,” the statement read, adding that the two defense leaders also discussed detailed preparations “for an Iranian attack against the State of Israel.”

Gallant said an Iranian attack on Israel could lead to a regional escalation.

It is the second discussion held between Gallant and Austin over the past week, according to the statement. Gallant expressed his appreciation for Austin’s personal commitment to the security of the State of Israel and for the deepening cooperation between the defense establishments of both countries, as well as between the Israel Defense Forces and US CENTCOM.

State Department restricts personnel travel in Israel amid concerns over Iranian threats

From CNN's Jennifer Hansler

The US State Department has restricted the travel of US government personnel in Israel in the wake of public threats against Israel by Iran.

“Out of an abundance of caution, U.S. government employees and their family members are restricted from personal travel outside the greater Tel Aviv (including Herzliya, Netanya, and Even Yehuda), Jerusalem, and Be’er Sheva areas until further notice,” a  security alert  posted by the US Embassy Thursday said. “U.S. government personnel are authorized to transit between these three areas for personal travel.” “The security environment remains complex and can change quickly depending on the political situation and recent events,” the alert noted.

State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said he would not “speak to the specific assessments that led to us to restrict our employees and family members’ personal travel, but clearly we are monitoring the threat environment in the Middle East and specifically in Israel.”

“We have seen Iran making public threats against Israel in the past few days,” Miller said. “Israel is in a very tough neighborhood and we have been monitoring the security situation. You saw us slightly adjust for travel warnings at the beginning of this conflict and we conduct ongoing assessments all the time about the situation on the ground.”

US officials are on high alert for a potential retaliatory strike by Iran or its proxies against Israel.

Hamas says ceasefire with Israel is essential to collect data on hostages held in Gaza by different groups

From CNN's Abeer Salman and Mohammed Tawfeeq

A member of Hamas' political bureau said   a prisoner-hostage exchange is being discussed as part of larger ceasefire negotiations.

"Part of negotiations is to reach a ceasefire agreement to have enough time and safety to collect final and more precise data" on the hostages held in Gaza Basem Naim said in a statement on Thursday. "Because they (hostages) are in different palaces, (being held) by different groups, some of them are under the rubble killed with our own people, and we negotiate to get heavy equipment for this purpose," he added.

Naim's statement was in response to questions from media outlets about whether Hamas has been rejecting the latest proposal, which was made in Cairo over the weekend, because it can not release 40 hostages in the first phase of a three-stage ceasefire deal.

According to an Israeli official and a source familiar with the discussions, Hamas indicated it is currently unable to identify and track down those 40 Israeli hostages, raising fears that more hostages may be dead than are publicly known. 

CNN's record of the conditions of the hostages also suggests there are fewer than 40 living hostages who meet the proposed criteria.

Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.