Get travel inspo in your inbox every week from storytellers Marilee and Paul. Discover wonderful places, delightful hotels, and meaningful travel experiences in the USA, Europe, and beyond – currently, GREECE. 100% original content by Paul, the photographer, and Marilee, the writer behind Spotlight Sojourns.
✨2026 travel forecasts
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January brings inevitable stormy weather and unpredictable sunshine. January also brings an inevitable deluge of travel forecasts. Who’s going where this year? What sizzling hot or super cool destinations make the short list? Well, Paul and I’ve been diving into reports from different sources. Two clear patterns link them all: 1) Each 2026 travel trend report reflects its own demographics, such as: Luxurious bucket-list trips for high-end “premium spenders.” One to two-day “international getaways” for Gen Z. And surprisingly, the “growing appeal” of RV short and simple road trips for Millennials. 2) Every 2026 travel trend report cites a growing desire for purpose, intention, immersion, and connection. In other words, what we’ve said year after year: WHY you go matters more than WHERE you go. Because the WHY underscores everything, in travel and in life. Here’s several of the top 3 trending destinations, or in the last report, the road trip of the year. Plus links if you’d like to read the full reports: AirBnB: Buenos Aires, Argentina; Busan, South Korea; and João Pessoa, Brazil American Express Travel: Indian Himalayas, India; Killarney, Ireland; and Las Vegas, Nevada Capital One Travel: Japan, Italy, and Hawaii Chase Travel: Albanian Riviera; Atacana Desert, Chile; and the Bahamas Expedia: Big Sky, Montana; Okinawa, Japan; and Sardinia, Italy. RVShare: “The Hidden Side of the West” from Flagstaff, Arizona; to Grand Canyon North Rim, Arizona; Zion National Park, Utah; and Cathedral Gorge State Park, Nevada The New York Times: “Revolutionary America” including Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Virginia, New York, and Washington, DC; Warsaw, Poland; and Bangkok, Thailand. Paul and I are sketching the contours of our 2026 travels. As ever, the places, people, and stories which spark our imaginations and inspire our hearts make our short list: Greece to wander through mountain villages and monasteries. Germany to explore new-to-us Christmas markets. US Route 66 to celebrate its 100th anniversary year. Of course, these destinations may or may not happen this year. We’ll see how the planning process unfolds. Reader, whatever destinations spark your imagination and inspire your heart, here’s to your short list. Until next time, Travel on, sparkle on, meaningfully✨ Marilee + Paul Kostadimas PS: Forbes, Condé Nast Traveler, and Travel and Leisure rank their 2026 destinations alphabetically rather than ordinally. If you’d like to read those articles, just reply to this email and we’ll send them over. PPS: Do you know friends or family who’d like a little inspo in their box? Please forward this email. They can subscribe by clicking the button below:
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Slow travel with the Hidden Gemologists
Get travel inspo in your inbox every week from storytellers Marilee and Paul. Discover wonderful places, delightful hotels, and meaningful travel experiences in the USA, Europe, and beyond – currently, GREECE. 100% original content by Paul, the photographer, and Marilee, the writer behind Spotlight Sojourns.
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