Travel Trends with Dan Christian
#1 B2B Travel Podcast. If you are looking to stay ahead in the travel industry, this new podcast hits all the highlights! The Travel Trends Podcast is where industry leaders converge to share & shape the future. Whether you're an emerging entrepreneur, a seasoned industry executive, or a dedicated travel professional, you’ll be able to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving landscape.
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Travel Trends with Dan Christian
Travelzoo Best Bets: Where to Go in 2026 with Andrew Young
Ready to travel smarter in 2026? In episode two of our 10-part Travelzoo Best Bets Series, Dan and Travelzoo Senior Editor (and co-host) Gabe Saglie sit down with Andrew Young, Senior Producer, Content & Tourism Board Lead, to reveal Travelzoo’s Best Bets for the U.S. and Canada and unpack the “why now” behind each destination so you can plan trips that feel timely, meaningful, and great value.
In the U.S., anniversaries take center stage: Pennsylvania’s 250th and Arizona’s Route 66 centennial bring fresh energy to American nostalgia, while Chicago’s Obama Presidential Center and Savannah’s living history round out a lineup tailor-made for culture lovers and road trippers.
Globally, Best Bets lean contrarian. Northern Italy’s quieter regions shine, Finland surprises with its happiness formula, Ghana steps forward as flight access grows and heritage travel deepens, and Chile delivers Patagonia peaks, Atacama skies, remarkable wine—and standout value. Across the Pacific, Singapore blends four cultures and world-class food into the perfect first step into Asia, while Saudi Arabia opens wide with Red Sea resorts, AlUla’s ancient wonders, and infrastructure built for global travelers.
Canadian picks add even more depth: Colombia for enormous value, Niagara-on-the-Lake for slow travel and ice wine, Mexico’s evolved all-inclusive scene for “sun with substance,” and Albania as the Adriatic dupe offering blue-water bliss at half the price.
We close with a simple strategy to travel better in 2026: follow shoulder seasons, watch new flight routes, and choose destinations investing in sustainability and authentic local experiences.
New episodes drop every Tuesday, each featuring local experts who bring these Best Bets to life. Become a member at travelzoo.com to access exclusive offers.
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It may be cliche, but it's worth getting off the beaten path, right? You know, if if everyone's digging, maybe you want to zag.
SPEAKER_01:Hello everyone, and welcome back to our Travel Trends and Travel Zoo Best Bets series for 2026. I just wanted to thank Jonathan Jones, the head of publishing for TravelZoo US, for joining us last week in our kickoff episode where he gave us a terrific overview of Travel Zoo and the background on the best bets that just started in 2025, and they were so successful they've brought them back here in 2026, and we're thrilled to be able to partner with TravelZoo to bring each of these destinations to life. I'm going to bring in my co-host, Gabe Saglier, very shortly from Travel Zoo, who is based in LA. As our listeners know, I'm based in Toronto. So between the two of us, we've got a great North American perspective because this list is primarily focused on destinations for Americans and Canadians. But given our global audience, I'm sure many of these destinations will resonate with each of you as well. And following today's episode, every Tuesday, we'll be introducing a new destination. So you'll find out the full list today. And at the end of this episode, you will know who we're going to be interviewing next week. But I also wanted to highlight that all of these deals and all the information about Best Bets can be found at travelzoo.com, which will redirect to whatever country you're in. I strongly encourage you to sign up for TravelZoo, not only to get more information, but also to be able to book deals to these destinations. And for all of our listeners, we have also introduced a blog post on Traveltrendspodcast.com. You can find out the full list and more information on this series. So be sure to check that out as well. And then don't forget, this series is released every Tuesday for the next 10 weeks. So make sure you're subscribed on the streaming platform of your choice. And we will be posting clips and highlights on our social channels as well, which you can find at Travel Trends Podcast, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram. But I'm thrilled to be back in episode two and to bring in my co-host, Gabe Saglier, who will welcome his colleague Andrew Young as we prepare to reveal the full list. Gabe, great to have you back.
SPEAKER_00:Hey Dan, listen, thanks for having me back. Uh had a great time, our first uh episode. Uh got to introduce I think a lot of folks who may not have been familiar with the Club for Travel Enthusiasts that is TravelZoo, and sort of plant the seeds, do a little bit of a teaser around our best bets 2026 list, which I'm very excited about. As I mentioned, this is our second foray into this best bets uh concept. Um we had a great list for 2025. I think we were on the leading edge of a lot of interesting trends and destinations. I think the 2026 list sets us up to do much of the same. And I've got to say, my friend Andrew Young is here, heads the uh and I call this an editorial tour to four stand because at the end of the day, this is editorially uh as as sound a list uh can get, I think, as far as why we are seeing these destinations on this list, both domestic and global. But uh I'm here in Southern California, my friend Andrew Young anchoring us on the other end of the the USA there in New Jersey. Uh AY, great to see you, buddy, and congratulations on another fantastic Best Bets list. Hi, Gabe.
SPEAKER_02:Hi, Dan. I'm excited to be here. Um so yeah, we're we're very excited to release the list and announce the destinations. I've I've been at Travel Zoo for 16 years in a variety of roles in publishing and production, really focused on the best ways to share our content with our millions of travel enthusiasts. And for the last several years, I've worked on a small but mighty team that focuses on destinations and storytelling around travel. Our goal is to inspire members to get up off the couch and see the world, try new foods, experience new cultures, or visit familiar places maybe in a new way. And we've found the best way to inspire our members is to really pique their curiosity and present destinations in a way maybe they hadn't thought of before or look at places they might have overwise otherwise overlooked. And Best Bets really evolved out of that question all of us who work in the travel industry get at the holiday parties. Where should I go next year? Right? And so we developed the list off of that. Um we every year we kind of start the process early in the year by the editors get together and we start discussing kind of trends we're seeing, things that are kind of rising to the forefront from our member interest and other stuff. And we uh we will nominate, we sit down and we nominate destinations across a variety of categories: domestic cities, states or provinces, beach breaks, quick getaways, long haul destinations. And we're looking for places that really stand out across several of those categories and have a variety of factors that might make next year the year to visit. It could be new flights, it could be more hotel rooms, so there's good value for your travel dollar there. It could be big events or anniversaries. It could be that our members are telling us they're interested in it based on their clicks and their searches and their activity, um, you know, booking packages and other things. And it could be that the destination just has outstanding cultural or historical experiences. So this starts in March and it's a really spirited conversation that we meet several times over several months, where we start to narrow that list and start talking about why this destination is great to visit, but also the why now, you know, why this coming year holds special significance. And then we continue to kind of collect industry insights, we learn where new flights are coming, where packagers may be adding product, and we begin to narrow that list down until we end up with our final selections.
SPEAKER_01:That's great. Thanks, Andrew. It's great to have you with us, and obviously, welcome back again to Gabe. But the one thing I wanted to highlight, as Gabe referenced at the uh the beginning there, and also in our episode last week, he talked about the fact that 2025 was the very first year that you introduced this concept, and he specifically mentioned Malta as one of the standout performers from last year. And I certainly love when I see a destination get lifted up. And I there's a few that I know that are on this list that I cannot wait to see positively impacted by being featured by Travel Zoo and now obviously on the Travel Trends podcast as a best bet for 2026. And today, of course, we're gonna reveal the full list. We're not gonna leave anyone in suspense. We only alluded to one destination last week with Jonathan that I hope most people got, but we're gonna announce that and all of them today for the US and Canada. But the one other thing I wanted to ask you, Andrew, before we start revealing the list and getting both of our responses to it is what makes this year's particularly special? Obviously, you gave us some good context there about how you put these deals together, what goes into the criteria to determine these destinations. But given this is only the second year, what makes this year particularly special or interesting with these top destinations?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so for the U.S. list, we really took America's upcoming independence celebration. It's our 250th anniversary. We took that to heart and we focused on the spirit of exploration and the freedom that comes with travel, both close to home and far from it. So if you look at the four desk domestic destinations on the U.S. list, each played a role in kind of shaping the nation and offering travelers unique experiences, but they're also doing something this year that stands out. So there's a bit of nostalgia and there's a bit of curiosity about what's next. And then overseas, we have destinations that maybe travelers haven't explored yet, but should. And for the Canadian list, it's a it's a mix of the known and the and the unknown, right? And so there are so many diverse travel experiences available out there, and so we really wanted to kind of give a taste of, you know, we want some familiar destinations. We don't want it to all be inaccessible or very kind of, you know, bucket list. We want some that people can get to very easily or do very easily, but we also want some that may stretch your your travel kind of legs a little bit.
SPEAKER_00:Aaron Powell What I love about this list compared to the first year is that there it's there's greater breadth here. We we I think we're in most uh of the seven continents with this particular list, which I so I I love the breadth of it. I think it's also some very unique destinations that perhaps have been on people's lips, uh discussions around uh things that are uh more sort of culturally um inspired, but not necessarily destinations that people thought were accessible. Uh and I think there's a the couple of spots here we'll we'll raise uh some eyebrows in a very positive way uh and I think just make the world seem a little bit more accessible at the end of the day.
SPEAKER_01:That's great. Thank you, Gabe. And here we go. It's time, Andrew, for the big reveal. I'm excited for this moment because I want our listeners and I realize that we're gonna have to move somewhat quickly through each of these. But the good news is that every Tuesday for the next 10 weeks, we are gonna be profiling each of these destinations, and Gabe and I will be introducing a local expert to be able to dive deeper into these destinations. So today we're gonna touch on all of them, but only ever so briefly, and then we're gonna dive into these episodes. You can look forward to us unpacking each of these destinations in much more detail. But Andrew, start taking us through them, and obviously Gabe and I will jump in where appropriate. But I'd love to hear the full list for USA and Canada for 2026.
SPEAKER_02:So, and again, if you uh if you want to read more, you can go to our blog, travelzoo.com/slash blog, and the best bets, full best bets list is there as well. Um, so the first one, and these are in no particular order, it's important to mention so that no destination gets their feathers ruffled, but first one, America's turning 250 um in July, and Declaration of Independence was signed in in Pennsylvania. So the state of Pennsylvania is the first on that list. Um, you know, it's it's not only was central to American kind of founding and and its founding story with Philadelphia and Valley Forge and and all of those, but it's remained kind of very essential to American culture. Everything like the childhood home of Taylor Swift, to Heinz Ketchup and Hershey's Chocolate, Gettysburg, it has Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. It's a very kind of diverse state. So that's that's the first one we we put on the list. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_00:And I'm excited about this one, Dan, because finally we get to bring the word semi-quincentennial uh into the vernacular and and get to use that word to refer to the 250th anniversary uh of the U.S. Uh but yeah, and listen, this is to me, this is a tip of the hat to uh what is quintessential uh Americana and and you know we are a very young nation. So as we as we travel across the rest of this list, we're we're talking about parts of the world that go back in some cases thousands of years. We are a young nation, but uh a major milestone here at 250, and I think no state uh across the state uh from uh from border to border, uh north to south, east to west. Uh bevy of activities and uh festivals and events in the new year to embrace this uh this major milestone in the in the history of the USA.
SPEAKER_01:That's great, Gabe. Keep going. Andrew, let's keep running through this list. I know we've got a number to cover, so who's next?
SPEAKER_02:Sure. So we have Sweet Home Chicago. Chicago um is uh city of 77 neighborhoods, all of them very distinct, all of them with kind of their own flavor and feel. And the flavor really is part of that city. The culinary traditions in Chicago are great. I mean, you know, maybe you've seen the bear and you know, and and Italian beef and all of that, but there's so much good food there. But really it's the the 2026 peg, if you will, is kind of the opening of the Obama Presidential Center, which will be kind of um the presidential library for for President Obama. And that kind of will bring some of the focus down to the South Side, which maybe gets overlooked sometimes by tourists, um, down around Jackson Park, which is where the World's Fair was held in um the late 19th century. So um, you know, a city that that has broad shoulders, big appetites, um, and and is a fun place to visit, even in the winter.
SPEAKER_01:I totally agree. I'm based in Toronto, and I feel like Chicago is our sister city, both being on the water and the skyline. And I was delighted last week. We gave a little heads up, and this is actually the big reveal that we were alluding to last week since Jonathan is from Chicago, and I love visiting that city in the wintertime. I got a lot of friends there, and I I I love the blue scene, I love the food scene, and uh while we were there, my wife and I went for a weekend getaway and we went to uh one of Michelle and uh Barack's favorite restaurants. When we were there, I won't give it away because I know we're not promoting restaurants specifically on this, but nevertheless, it's a great food scene in Chicago, and there's so many reasons to visit that city in the summertime. It's great to take a segue around the city. That was one of the because it's uh kind of a sprawling city, so it's actually one of the best ways to experience it. As if you look on uh TripAdvisor, we realized that's the way to do it. And it was the first time us ever doing uh a segue tour through a city, and it was amazing. So, yes, love Chicago, love the museums, the art galleries. Uh, I'm so glad that's on the list. All right, okay, what's next?
SPEAKER_02:So um, as as you know, there are a lot of anniversaries in America next year, but the Route 66 turns 100 years old, and so Chicago is that starting point of Route 66, which goes all the way to the California coast. But one of the best preserved stretches of Route 66 can be found in Arizona, um, just across the state, everywhere from standing on the corner in Winslow, Arizona to the quirky college mountain town of Flagstaff to kind of stretches through the through different um Native American nations. So, you know, we felt like Arizona had a really good story to tell this year and is kind of the best example of kind of Route 66 kind of Americana. Americans love their road trips, and and Arizona is a great road trip.
SPEAKER_00:And Andrew, you know I love this one because I am the consummate road tripper. Um and I think you're right. I mean, I've done the Route 66 in chunks, but that 400 mile stretch across across Arizona, I'd say 97% of it is the OG Route 66. Um on occasion you have to jump off and do the uh I-40. Uh but um I mean th those tiny little towns, uh, you know, 200 to uh some uh some amazing landscapes. I mean, this to me, uh as someone who loves to throw the three kids in the car and just hit the road, Arizona Route 66 for sure is gonna be on our to-do list next year. So very excited to see this on the uh Best Bet's list for sure.
SPEAKER_01:And Winslow, Arizona, take it easy, the Eagles. I mean, that that just rolls off the tongue, right? That's uh yeah, I love Route 66, lived in California near where you are there, Gabe, in LA, and love Route 66. I'm a huge fan of road trips, so cool to see that on the list as well.
SPEAKER_00:Winslow has a uh strip, a driving strip on uh across when you uh actually does uh the song for you, you know, standing in the corner of Winslow. So it's kind of uh they really lean into this and you see a lot of memorabilia. I mean, listen, Route 66 is all about Americana, nostalgia, adventure, spontaneity. Um, and I think the next year is gonna be the a year to to really uh lean into that in a in a big way.
SPEAKER_02:So next on the list we have our final kind of domestic destination um is uh is Savannah, which is actually the oldest planned city in the United States, uh founded in 1733, so pre-revolution. But this is a city that kind of just has timeless appeal and timeless charm, and it's something that our members, every time we publish content, um, whether it's offers or stories about Savannah, they just eat it up. Um it's also a city that, despite having kind of that historic significance, really does a lot of kind of modern twists on on kind of historic historic favorites. I mean, the best example of that is actually the Savannah Bananas, that baseball team that's kind of taken the sport of baseball and turned it on its side. You know, they started, they were kind of a minor league team, and then they that was not doing so well, and they found a new way to kind of bring an appeal to an American classic. So you have that, you have kind of the new appeal on food and the the revitalization of the riverfront there. It's just uh a city that always has a great story to tell.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I love Savannah. I've been there multiple times. Uh one of the things I love about it is the uh the squares, the Spanish mosque that hangs over uh the downtown core, that you know, these beautifully preserved 18th, 19th century buildings. The one thing I have not experienced is the Savannah bananas, and that's a big reason I actually want to get back because I'm a huge baseball fan, and everyone keeps telling me, have you not have you seen them yet? I'm like, no, I haven't. And I'm eager to go because they've they've brought a whole new audience to baseball. So um, so yeah, very cool that Savannah's on the list too. Where are we going? Where are we going next?
SPEAKER_02:We're gonna get the passport out. Um so one of the first places we talked about was um, you know, the Olympics are coming up, the winter Olympics, which brings people to kind of, you know, we'll put the focus on kind of northern Italy. So northern Italy is the region we're featuring. Um, you know, the interesting thing about Italy, it's one of the most searched and most popular destinations for our members. But, you know, I saw a stat that said that 75% of travelers visit 4% of Italy. Um, you know, they're kind of in that Rome, Florence, Venice pattern, and they, you know, they miss a lot of the uh the rest of the country, which is a shame. So, you know, northern the Olympics will be centered around uh Milan and the Alps there. Um and so that region up to the dolomites, the lakes, everything that's up there. There's even kind of a little bit of a Germanic influence in northern Italy. So it's kind of a very distinct culture up there and a place that I think will get a lot of kind of airtime, so to speak, in the coming months, but will be kind of very worth visiting, and especially if you can go kind of outside of that peak summer season and can kind of go in the shoulder seasons to take advantage of kind of the authentic experiences and not being ab a bunch of tourists.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah. As Andrew meant uh mentioned, Dan, uh Italy since uh really since the pandemic year, I think, has consistently been the number one destination, not just in Europe, but period, that Travel Zoo members will s sort of seek out on the Travel Zoo website. So clearly we love Italy. But as AY mentioned, I mean, so much of that energy is centered around these sort of classic cities. Uh huh. Part of the sustainability uh story around traveling in the future is is perhaps uh l spreading that impact uh that we bring to the table when we travel to destinations that are just a bit more off the beaten path. And I think this northern region that that uh the fact that it's at that border, that culturally uh more diverse and more sort of eclectic uh portion of of of that Italian experience, I think, is and the visuals are so dramatic that I think this is uh a no-brainer shedding a spotlight on a place we love, but a portion of that area that perhaps we have overlooked for a very long time.
SPEAKER_01:And are we keeping the passport out for the next one, Andrew? We are.
SPEAKER_02:We are we'll we'll stamp a passport for the rest of these. So uh Finland, Finland, we'll stay in Europe, and Finland kind of made our list because it's one of those places that keeps showing up on the happiest places in the world lists, right? And you always wonder why. Like I love sunshine, you know, and then it gets so dark during the year, but but it's really about kind of their they have a unique recipe for happiness and wellness. Some of it's centered around kind of the sauna culture, which there are nearly as many saunas in Finland as there are people. The tradition dates back 10,000 years. And then such an emphasis on nature, and you know, really you know, you think of it as a winter destination, but there's so much more beyond it. Um I had a colleague who went recently and she said all of the pictures she took of Finland were of the food, right? Like she went back in her phone, and it's just it's just food, food, food. And the strawberries were so red and and you know, just amazing stuff there. So there are 41 national parks protecting. Protected national parks in Finland and they source their food locally. The country is has a goal to be carbon neutral by 2035. It's just kind of a very distinct um culture and experience. And it's also the European category.
SPEAKER_01:I was thrilled to see Finland on the list because Scandinavia was such a popular destination in 2025. There was this big concept of cool cations as people were looking to either uh northern hemisphere destinations to travel to in the peak summer months. And there was also this term that uh uh May is the new July. People were traveling in shoulder seasons. So I'm I've never been to Finland. I'm very intrigued to get there, of course, when you look at the map of Scandinavia and you see Norway, Sweden, Finland. Finland is probably the least traveled of the Scandinavian countries, but it has so much potential. And I'm so I'm I'm I'm I'm keen to do that interview, and I'm sure Gabe is as well, because I want to learn more about Finland, and it's high up on my list of places to travel to.
SPEAKER_02:Finair adds a lot of connectivity as well. They they have a really good network from the States. Um, you know, a lot of times people use it as kind of a pass through Helsinki to get somewhere else, but it's worth kind of spending a few days in Helsinki and then kind of getting beyond into the country.
SPEAKER_01:For sure. That's great. Now we're uh you mentioned we're keeping the passport out for the rest of them. So I'm keen to know after we've been to Italy and Finland. Where are we going next?
SPEAKER_02:So this one's yeah, this one's a little bit new. Um Ghana. Um we, you know, you're when you think of kind of tourism or travel to Africa, there are the usual heavyweights. There's South Africa, there's Egypt, there's Kenya. And they over the years have taken the lion's share, pun intended, of tourism, right? But um we've seen a real increase in the interest in Ghana. We've had um we've seen um packagers like G Adventures and Gate One have added um have added product for Ghana and and it has sold really quickly, they tell us. Um you have uh Delta has added flights from Atlanta to Accra, the capital, which also combines with its flights from New York. So there's a real interest in heritage tourism in the U.S. And you know, for a segment of the U.S. population, their ancestors are from, are from Ghana. So, you know, coming back there and kind of experiencing that, Kente Cloth this just recently earned UNESCO heritage status, which means it's kind of the same thing as Champaign. It's it's only specific to that region, or the you know, that UNESCO recognized it as only specific to that region. So it's just such a cultural experience and a great, great kind of up-and-coming destination for travelers. Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_00:And a slew of festivals also, uh in particular the first half of the year, that I think are a great hook to get uh, you know, Western travelers who have perhaps never been to Africa to look at Ghana as perhaps their first foray into what is so for so many of us a a sort of a far-flung uh and exotic uh destination. But yeah, this added connectivity makes it that much easier. I think prices come down. And again, this is one of those destinations I was mentioning, Dan, that I think folks perhaps are uh, you know, conversationally, peripherally familiar with. But to put it on a list like this really sheds a very important uh spotlight on it and just makes this this type of destination that much more accessible. So I think super excited for for Ghana on this 2026 best betch list.
SPEAKER_01:Well, it's one of those destinations, too, that one of the things that you keep in consideration, you mentioned this already, Andrew, is flight availability. And so as people are looking at West Africa and trying to figure out how best to get themselves to Ghana, this is where you have good air capacity now to these destinations as well, which is so crucial for travelers. And yes, I keep hearing more and more about Ghana. Haven't been yet myself, but know it's one of the most exciting destinations that people are considering traveling to. So yeah, great to go from USA to Europe and now to Africa. And what where are we going next?
SPEAKER_02:We're gonna head, we're actually gonna head um which way would that be? It would be west to uh to Chile. Um which is uh you know that that little ribbon down the down the one side of South America is is a country that has so much geographic diversity. You have you know you have kind of the the dramatic peaks and the landscapes of of Patagonia and kind of in the southern part of the country, and then you have kind of the dry, dry desert up in Atacama in the north. And throughout it all, you have incredible wine. You know, I someone was telling me last week there's there's fantastic wine out of Atacama, you wouldn't think, right? But um, you know, distinct wine regions throughout the country. And it's you have American adding flights from Miami into Santiago this year, and it just it's kind of very just the geographic diversity there is is fan.
SPEAKER_01:So this one is the then there's one more on the list, but Chile, I because I'm very excited about South American destinations, I'm very bullish on that region for travel. I also love traveling to South America. Many of our listeners know I just recorded an event spotlight at the Adventure Travel and Trade Association conference, and I was in Puerto Natales in the heart of Patagonia. I had the most extraordinary five-day cycling trip. I realized that cycling last year was one of those major trends. Certainly, active holidays are very important, especially to retirees that are living longer, healthier than ever, and taking more trips in their retirement. And they're very much taking to cycling trips, but it's not just retirees. And I met people from all around the world that were on this cycling trip, and I never thought I was up for it, but the reason I could is because it was e-bike and uh it was an extraordinary experience, and it introduced me to a whole subculture of people that travel to go on cycling trips. And so that was a big trend, not only for last year, but this year, there's more companies that are into cycling, and Chile is such an extraordinary place. Almost everyone else on the trip had dreamed of going there one day. There was like 10 or 15 years in the making for most of the other guests that were on this trip, and Chile is such a beautiful destination. So there's uh so yeah, this one for me, I couldn't be more thrilled. I've been to Chile twice, cannot wait to get back.
SPEAKER_00:And Dan, if I may throw in my own personal take on this, this is my native country. So I grew up here, 99% of my family is in between Santiago and Valparaíso, they're on the coast. I went back earlier this year with my two teenage sons. I've not been there in 22 years for no other reason that you know life gets busy and you sort of take for granted that this destination is there. But I, as a more seasoned traveler, and going back, uh, fell in love with it all over again. So I mean, from a personal standpoint, from the from an emotional standpoint, for me, this it was such a neat thing to connect with a whole new generation of sagliers, uh, but also um to just experience this country from I mean the c culinarily, culturally, uh, and I think uh it's a real standout. So um I'm very excited to delve deep into Chile as we head into 2026.
SPEAKER_01:That's really exciting. And I love that you guys have actually picked out such a diverse list of destinations. And one of the last things I'll just highlight, and I I knew that about Gabe, so obviously I wanted him to jump in on this one too, because he can speak Spanish. I mean, he's so fortunate that he's you know he's got that history, that background. Yeah, yeah. It's and but the other thing I just wanted to highlight about my experience there, and like likely you saw this too as well, Gabe, is that the travel industry is just about to explode in that region. And if anything, I see the accommodation that's being built. They're getting ready to handle so much more capacity. And it's one of those regions, and there's one other one on this list that uh is in that same uh regard as well, where you there's great value for money and um there's great availability, but it's one of those places you want to get to now. You want to get there in 2026 because it's a it's a destination that's changing. There's places that are on this list where you speak to someone and you say, Oh my god, you've not been on Route 66, or you've not been to Chicago, and there's other destinations where it's just like, oh, you have to go to Chile, and that's one of those places.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I I agree with you. And just Santiago, the capital itself, is I realized I knew this, but I really it came to life for me is a mosaic of all these different sort of culturally inspired neighborhoods. Um it's a very eclectic place, just Santiago in and of itself, great launching pad to go on all these sort of eco-friendly, eco-inspired adventures. And the value for the money, getting around, eating. Um it's just a major uh bang for the buck there. And there's a broad sort of love for the American traveler uh on the ground there. So very much a welcoming scene. Uh so again, I think you're right. We're on the leading edge of something very exciting there in Chile, as biased as I might be. And so uh great to sort of educate, I think, a a group of uh new travelers perhaps to really put that on their on their to-do list.
SPEAKER_01:And are we staying in South America for the next one, Andrew, or are we going somewhere else and coming back?
SPEAKER_02:We are going across the Pacific. We're going over Chile's Easter Island to um to Asia, Southeast Asia. We have Singapore, which um is celebrated its 60th uh year of independence this past year in 2025, and in that in that short amount of time, it's really kind of grown from this trading port to this cosmopolitan city that is is a bit of future and a bit of kind of the past. It it's it's a place that has four cultures, four main cultures, and so there are four actual languages that are kind of spoken there, and English is one of them, which makes it a great kind of first city in Asia for travelers. Shang Yi Airport is so well kind of connected and such a great destination in and of itself, even if you're kind of just flying through Singapore. But we would encourage you to spend several days there to, you know, you can land at three in the morning and find something to do. You can find great food at the hawker centers. It has one of the highest concentration of Michelin-starred restaurants to kind of per capita anywhere in the world. It's got its own Michelin guide a few years ago. And, you know, there's a surprising amount of nature there as well in a 60-square mile, uh 60 square mile city-state.
SPEAKER_00:I think this is very cool. You mentioned the airport there, uh AY. This is probably the one airport where if your flight is delayed, it's okay. Uh it's a destination in and of itself, the uh airport there in Singapore, the biggest indoor waterfall on the planet. There's a movie theater playing movies all you know 24 hours a day. Um it's it's really sort of a destination in and of itself. Uh but as you mentioned, I love the fact that uh there is dense population here to be sure, but half of Singapore is covered in green parks, uh, reserves, preserves, etc. Uh so there is this freshness to to the destination. But because 30 percent of the people who live there are in fact foreigners, I think as an American, especially if you're g doing an Asian trip for the very first time, Singapore has there's an accessibility there to the destination that that I think makes it a no-brainer as a sort of a as a launching pad to the Asian travel experience for many Americans.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and I just want to actually just underline what you said there, Gabe, is it it really is a destination unto itself. A lot of people see Singapore as a great stopover and a hub, especially for people who are flying across Asia Pacific from the UK to Australia, for instance. But one of the things that's really special about Singapore is it is this incredibly futuristic city. It's this incredible blend of business and also a tourist destination, and I just want to highlight two the two standout places within Singapore. When uh my wife and I first went, we went to Sentosa Island, and Sentosa Island Island has grown in its importance and magnificence in the last 10 or 15 years, um, which has these incredible cable cars and beaches and so much to do to check out Sentosa Island. Um but the other thing is the night safari. We actually went and did the night safari, uh my wife and I, before we had kids, and we made a commitment to each other that one day we would come back when we had kids. And eventually we did when our kids were 12. We have twins, and we brought them to the night safari because nowhere else in the world had I seen this concept, because of course, animals come to life at night. It's when they eat and when they're most active. So it's actually the perfect time to go and walk through this incredible trail and it's incredibly safe, but to be able to see all these extraordinary uh animals being active and feeding and and playing, and it's just it was so marvelous. So that and you mentioned food. Oh my goodness, black crab at the hawker stalls is an absolute must. Every time I think I've been to Singapore 10 times, I've been there a number of times for work, and um I love going to Singapore for the food and specifically the black crab. So don't miss that if you go. All right, we're really going around the world here, Andrew. So where to next?
SPEAKER_02:We are. So our final our final spot on the US list, and actually the first spot on the Canadian list, is uh is Saudi Arabia. Um it it is a destination that wasn't really open to international tourists until a few years ago, 2019, but they have they have this these ancient traditions and these modern ambitions, right? They they intend to welcome 150 million visitors by 2030, and we'll be hosting the World Cup in 2034. And a lot of the barriers that may have existed before to travel are coming down. Some long-standing restrictions on dress and gender norms have been relaxed. Um it's still a conservative culture, but the country has roots in Bedouin heritage. That means hospitality is one of the core tenets of the culture. And my goodness, the the things they're building. I mean, you know, Riyadh just has continued to expand. They they put together an 85-station metro in 11 years to get you throughout the to throughout the country. They've, you know, they've built out or they're building out these resorts on the Red Sea that um ultra luxury, you know, Six Senses, um, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons, you know, all of the big brands, like a who's who of luxury brands. And part of it is you think of it as a desert location, but it has amazing scuba diving in the Red Sea. And it has this area of the country. There are these roses that grow on these mountains in in in TAFE uh near Jeddah, that um the rose oil that is produced from these roses is actually more expensive per ounce than gold. Um it's just it has, and then you have kind of these ancient um standing places like Alula and the rock-carved tombs, which is basically a sister city to Petra that people really didn't know about until a couple years ago. So there's so much possibility there. Um, it just is a fascinating destination.
SPEAKER_01:Well, I just love that we went from Singapore to Saudi Arabia because Singapore certainly served as the model for cities like Dubai to become these incredible international hubs and really to diversify into tourism. And one of the things I love about our industry, and most of our listeners know how passionate I am about the fact that tourism can really lift up communities, it can change societies, and it's one of the things, and it connects us globally when we go and experience a new destination and we meet people, we realize they're not so different than ourselves. And we also get to experience some incredible heritage that we wouldn't otherwise have had access to. And that's one of the exciting things. I've not been to Saudi yet. I'm sure every one of our listeners has heard about the Neon project, the line, some of these huge, major infrastructure tourism projects, this sustainable luxury Red Sea project, heritage sites like Doria, entertainment hubs like uh Cadilla. I keep hearing travelers going to Saudi, coming back and raving about their experience. I've got many American friends that are even living in the region, living in Dubai, that are going scuba diving on the weekends to Saudi. And it's like their parents back in the US can't believe what they're hearing because they're just not used to hearing Saudi being a tourist destination, but it is now, and there's so much it has to offer. So it's definitely, I think, at the top of many people's lists, myself included. So I'm thrilled that Saudi is part of this. What is your uh take on that, Gabe?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I mean, I'm 100% with you there. This is again a conversation piece as a destination, but have we really thought about physically going there? And now uh, you know, the fact is we uh we are going, we're go we're going there. I mean, if the modern makeover that uh Saudi Arabia is going through is amazing. The ambitiousness behind trying to welcome the rest of the world, a Western world that that is different in so many ways, but at the end of the day, perhaps there are more similarities than we might imagine. The newness of it all, the fact that we're just now realizing there are uh there are landmarks there. There are there's a rich history that we perhaps only peripherally had heard through the grapevine about now. We are physically aware of a of a destination that just a couple of years ago, before 2019, was simply uh off the radar and not accessible. So to me, I I'm I'm with you. My goal is to make it out there in 2026. I know that by the by Q4 of next year, Delta will be adding a flight out there as well. So slowly but surely that infrastructure is starting to grow. And um to me, this is uh a just a beautiful spot for a variety of reasons to include on a 2026 best bets list.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, and I think it's terrific. It's on the U.S. list for 2026, and I know we're gonna get into Canada here in a moment, uh, but I just wanted to highlight to all of our listeners, since half of our audience is in the U.S. and about 20 to 30 percent is in Canada, and then we've got audience as well in the UK and Australia, so our global audience will be picking up on this. But obviously, those are the destinations that we've covered for the U.S. And we're gonna get into Canada now because there is a difference. Where are you based in the world? Some of these destinations, of course, are gonna be incredibly appealing as well for people from Europe or people from Australia. Um, but let's just recap, Andrew, just give us the rundown one more time, top to bottom, of all the U.S. cities we just covered.
SPEAKER_02:Sure. The the U.S. list had Pennsylvania, Arizona, Chicago, Savannah, Finland, Northern Italy, Ghana, Chile, Singapore, and Saudi Arabia.
SPEAKER_01:Perfect. There we go. That's the rundown. And I should highlight too northern Italy, because this is where there's so many parts of Italy to see. There's Sicily, there's southern Italy, but northern Italy is the place for 2026. But let's get into Canadians. Um Canadians are very keen to know where they should travel in 2026. It's really interesting. One of the things I would like to highlight to our audience as we talk about Canada, I know it's such a big destination for travel zoo as well, the Toronto office. Gabe's in LA, I'm in Toronto, and you know, uh, I love traveling to the U.S. I'm in the U.S. a lot. Canada, US, obviously, we're great friends and neighbors. One of the things I find really interesting about the difference between the U.S. and the Canadian market is that although the U.S. is 10 times the market size, the actual travelers, when you look at companies when they sell into USA and Canada, it might be four times the size of the business opportunity in the US compared to Canada. And why I'm highlighting that is because Canada really punches above its weight as an outbound destination for travel. So I would to all my fellow Canadians out there that are making their plans for 2026, I'm really excited now to share the list that is special for you. So, Andrew, take us through the Canadian top destinations for 2026.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so um we touched on one of the first the first ones, which was Saudi Arabia. In addition to the flights that they're adding out of the U.S., Saudi flies out of Toronto, and there's so much connectivity into Saudi Arabia from Canada through either London or Dubai or Doha. Um and so you can you can visit this country and and because Canadians travel for longer periods of time generally, um, you can kind of see more of it, right? It it works very well into kind of a small group tour that might hit Riyadh and Jeddah, get you up to Alula, maybe over to the Red Sea if you have a little, if you want to splurge a little, um, and and really kind of have that experience. So we're we we we felt like Saudi is just such a fascinating destination. It's really fascinating and it's accessible for so many, so many of people.
SPEAKER_01:And uh I just highlight too, you mentioned G Adventures, but you know, it's based in Toronto. Adventure travel is something that Canadians certainly love, and some of the businesses you work with obviously are very active in that space, and they you know more of these organizations are taking to people, taking people to destinations like Saudi Arabia. So there is group travel, there's independent travel, um, but I love that Saudi Arabia is on the Canadian list as well. All right, what else where else are our Canadians going?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so we um we'll jump across back to South America to Colombia. Um it's a country of kind of juxtapositions, it's there's the blend of old. New, there's coasts and mountains, progressiveness and tradition, and it's got world-class biodiversity. But really the reason for um you know the reason for including it for Canadians is it's it's getting much, much easier to get to. Several major airlines offer flights from Toronto and Montreal into Bogota. Um and from there it's an easy domestic hop. And then Quebec City actually also offers um, there's also nonstop seasonal flights out of Bogota with um with Air Canada, um, and as well as flights to St. Saint Andres on WestJet. So just much easier to get to. And once you get there, the experience that's available, you can have any kind of vacation in Columbia. So it's really a one-stop shop.
SPEAKER_00:And I think, yeah, a lot of, I mean, culturally rich, obviously, um, and I think for the Canadians in particular, that exchange rate between the Canadian dollar and the Colombian pay, so very, very favorable. Uh, an amazing uh amount of cultural festivals throughout the course of the year. So if you want uh and and and and again, the the the easy access, not a flight that's all that that long out out of some of the major airports in in Canada. Um Cartagena is all also you know uh seeing increased buzz. I think a lot of interest uh culturally around Cartagena. Uh so yeah, to me this is uh exotic but not all that far-flung and a a major value proposition, I think, for a lot of Canadian travelers in 2026.
SPEAKER_01:This is the one I couldn't wait for us to get to because I love Colombia. I've recently discovered in the last few years I sit on the board of a tour operator in Colombia, and I've traveled to Colombia twice, and I cannot this is like I cannot wait to get back. I'm a huge fan of South America, but Colombia in particular, for the reason that Gabe just mentioned, one of the things that people travel for is value, and the value for money in Colombia is extraordinary. You'll see when you're in Medellin's how many global nomads are there living their best life because they can live so well for such a reasonable uh amount of money in the grand scheme of things, but how much opportunity it's providing to the people of Colombia. It's a safe destination, it's incredibly diverse. And then, of course, the air capacity. I've flown into Bogota, Cartagena, Medellin, and there's now direct flights. Air Transat, Air Canada, as you mentioned, are flying direct in these destinations. So if you want a sun holiday to Cartagena, that's an option. But if you want to go and experience some more of the culture and more of the city life, uh, that's an option too. So yeah, I'm I'm very bullish on Colombia. So when I saw that on your list, I was absolutely thrilled and I'm excited to see how Columbia will be lifted up over the course of 2026, specifically for Canada, um, by virtue of this list. So this is great. Now, I know we've got a few more left to go, and then we'll uh we're gonna wrap up. And Columbia, we're doing a special episode on as well. But tell us the last couple of Canadian destinations that we have here, Andrew.
SPEAKER_02:Sure. So we'll go back to Canada and stay in the country with uh with Niagara on the lake. Um it's it's just this destination that, you know, it's maybe it's more for the people in the Greater Toronto area, but it's really a destination that Canadians across the country can visit. Um it's just such a cool little spot. And and a lot of people think of the Shaw Festival that runs April through October, but there's really a lot of reasons to go there in winter as well. Um, you know, you can sip ice wine by the fire. There's such great food. The wellness and spa scene is is fantastic there. So it's just it's one of those places that that, you know, you whether you're in Toronto and it's a quick getaway or you're coming from Vancouver, it's it's just worth your time to spend a few days there and and just kind of get away from it all.
SPEAKER_01:And I have to add, because obviously I am in Toronto and I'm so close to Niagara on the Lake. I love Niagara on the Lake. And because of the wineries, but also there's great little restaurants and shops. It is so quaint. Most people go to Niagara Falls, and I always tell them, you have to go to Niagara on the Lake. It's like 20 minutes away. If you're gonna stay somewhere, stay in Niagara on the Lake. There's these beautiful bed and breakfasts, and it's one of the things that wellness for sure has a big trend in 2026 and beyond. It's all about these little spas and little retreats and getting massages and really kind of treating yourself and doing a great getaway. But you can do all of we've done, I think three times now, we've done wine tours now in the Niagara Lake area, and it's a beautiful little town, a beautiful region. And of course, you just highlighted one of our signature exports that we created there, which is ice wine, which is a great dessert, sweet wine. It's not for everyone, but it is. I do I do love ice wine. Uh but Gabe, have you been to Niagara on the Lake?
SPEAKER_00:Uh you know, I it was it's been a long time, and I it it was the ice wine that drew me there, because as you know, one one of my side hustles is exploring primarily the California wine scene, but ice wine, the best uh wine of its kind on the planet. So I think there's a source of pride there for Canadian travelers. I also think, especially because of that proximity to Toronto and therefore the easy access, uh we we discussed last um last episode what that one of the growing trends we're looking at in 2026 is that silent travel trend that slowing down, that you know, digital detox. And I think that this is a destination super close to Toronto from that uh sort of uh metropolitan buzz that that city has to offer, and yet a wonderful chance to sort of escape, slow things down, disconnect, and then return to reality, recharge. So I think uh on that front, Niagara on the Lake offers some really exciting options in 2026.
SPEAKER_01:Well, it's great timing too. I like this little segue because uh my friends from Columbia who are in Bogota and Cartagena are coming to Canada for a visit in May of 2026, and I already plan to take them to Niagara on the Lake. So there's a really I thought they've got to see this. And it's like that's a great cultural exchange there. Uh but yeah, awesome. This is great, Andrew. Tell us the last couple of Canadian destinations.
SPEAKER_02:We got two left, I believe. So um, Mexico is on the list, but not just Mexico. We're talking about all-inclusive resorts in Mexico, which again, you know, you talked earlier about kind of value for the travel dollar. It is hard to beat the value from a travel dollar perspective that you get at all inclusive resorts, especially kind of within that Marriott Bonvoy brand. There's there's just a lot of different options. There's a lot of different options across the country. Um, you know, whether it's kind of surfer paradise in Los Cabos or, you know, exploring kind of the white sand beaches in Cancun and Riviera Maya. So it it really gives you a chance. We know Canadians love their sun holidays. This is like primo sun holiday, right? And you just show up, sit down, put your hand out, and a drink appears, right? And uh and that's that's kind of the you know, everyone needs one of those vacations a year, every year.
SPEAKER_00:That's my kind of magic, and you stick your hand out. But what's great about this is that, and I've done a lot of all-inclusive uh resorts south of the border, uh, but coast to coast, what's going on in Los Cabos, amazing uh focus on culinary and wellness, but under that all-inclusive umbrella. Puerto Vallarta, um Punta de Mita, another exciting destination. Obviously, what's going on uh in the uh on the uh east coast there. But if you've not been to an all-inclusive in a in a while, it there's a whole new generation. This is a you the experience is a whole new thing now. It's it's less about excess, it's more about options and and and uh uh at a high-end level. So um always value for the for the money, always a a value proposition, but even at these higher price points and um just the the fact that this is not much much more about bespoke options and and things that that can cater to your own likes and desires is what uh the all-inclusive reality, I think, now is compared to say five, ten years ago, and certainly what's going on south of the border in Mexico is leading that charge.
SPEAKER_01:And what's really interesting for me about this one, guys, is because I've never been to Mexico. I've been to more than uh 55 countries, and I've never been to Mexico. It was always one of those destinations I figure when I live in Canada again that I would get there, and we haven't. And in 2026, we're gonna be going for our kids' spring break. Our kids are at their first year of university, they've been pleading to go to Mexico, they want to get another country in. My wife is incredibly keen to do an all-inclusive. The kids are all about all-inclusive. We did our very first one last year and they loved it. And so I am delighted this is on the list because I'm about to find out for myself why it is. And so I'm very keen. I love Mexican food, I love the culture. I want to see a little, I want to do a little bit of sightseeing while I'm there. Um, if we end up in Tulum and uh go see uh Chichenitza, and that's sort of my, you know, for me, I need to get off the resort, so I know I'm gonna plan for that. But I know that's the drink in the hand, my wife's gonna love that, and the kids by the pool, so we'll all have something that we can look forward to. That's that's great. All right, so bring us home, Andrew. Last one on the list for Canadian.
SPEAKER_02:To bring us home, I'm actually gonna take you out of the country. We're gonna go to uh we're gonna go to Albania. So this is one of those places that's kind of off the beaten path still. Um, you know, there's Greece and there's Croatia, and you know those beaches and all of that, and the the amazing blue water. Well, Albania has the same beaches, the same blue water, and is half the price, right? Um and you have kind of, you know, maybe there isn't as much kind of polish to the destination as some of those others, but it is kind of up and coming, and five, ten years from now, it will be mentioned in the same sentence as as those other destinations, is just kind of the Adriatic coast. And um, you know, it it's just it's it's such good value right now, and you can kind of say I was there when or I was there before, and be the first among your friends to kind of do that and see that. You have the coast, you have the mountains, you have just cultural experiences, galore in that destination.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I have not been yet, and it is high on my list because a good friend of mine came back from Albania this year and said exactly that. Like they they went hiking, it's a great active destination, I know that, for cycling trips. I know what he highlighted to me was that it was just filled with Europeans and there weren't many North Americans there yet. He was saying to me, it hasn't been discovered by Canadians and Americans, and part of that is the it is so reasonable, but also it's still developing. And I know it is a developed destination, but it's still developing as a tourist destination, and it's another one of those places to see while it's going through that exciting phase of growth. What about you, Gabe? I know this is for Canadians, you're an American living in America, but Albania, does it interest you as well?
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, well, absolutely. To me, this is a great travel dupe option. I mean, you know, some of the history, uh just as rich and long-standing as so many of our Western European favorite places to go, uh, but there's that exotic element of, hey, this is a part of Europe perhaps that I need to start to explore. Also, great bang for the buck, whether that's the American or the Canadian buck. Uh, and I think um, yeah, very excited to have this. But I think it's also a bit of an exotic option for a lot of American travelers on this list.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, this is awesome. I've loved covering all of this, guys. I want to ask one more question as we recap that Canadian list, which started with Saudi Arabia as a follow-on from US, and we had Columbia, which is unique for Canada, and I'm thrilled about that. Niagara on the Lake, uh, Mexico at all inclusive resorts, and then Albania, a great way to round it out. And uh so we've got a number of incredible destinations here for 2026 that are all travel zoo best bets. Tell us, Andrew, in closing, as you look at the big trends for 2026, and we've sort of highlighted a few of them as we've been having this conversation, whether it be wellness or cuisine, how tied are those trends to these destinations? And just summarize for us, if you will, kind of what the big takeaways are for our listeners about all the destinations we've covered for Americans and Canadians.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. So I think there's there's a few things that are kind of tying to trends. One is it may be cliche, but it's worth getting off the beaten path, right? Um, you know, if if everyone's zigging, maybe you want to zag, right? Or and that could be as easy as going kind of in the off-season or in the shoulder seasons. Go in April or May, go in September or October, and you'll see a lot less tourists and a lot more of the destination. You'll have that authentic experience. Um that's just a trend across all of them. I think the the rise of accessibility, just kind of the the the addition of flights to places, just making places more available than maybe they were in the past. And then we're seeing destinations really try to grow in a way that's sustainable and you know, in a way that that will kind of protect the destination for the future, but also kind of make sense as they as they grow. They don't want just, they don't necessarily want a volume of travelers, they want the right travelers. Right. And so, you know, what I would say finally is, you know, there's that curiosity factor. It it travels you 90% of our of our members tell us they don't have a destination in mind when they come and interact with our content. We're really there suggesting things, and and part of that is inspiring them to visit places maybe they hadn't thought of and kind of piquing their curiosity around different destinations. So if you if you travel and you're curious, um you'll see a lot of different places. You'll you'll eat a lot of different foods and you'll come back with a lot of new memories.
SPEAKER_01:That's awesome. Thank you, Andrew. I'm thrilled that you've brought this list together. Thank you for joining us today, sharing it with us. I'm really excited to continue this series with Gabe. But yeah, thanks for being a part of this second episode revealing the list. I look forward to keeping in touch with you and we'll recap at the end. But thanks again, Andrew. Thank you, Dan. And Gabe, I'm keen to get your take now as we close out this episode. We've announced the full list. Every episode from here going forward is going to be on one of these destinations. Tell us your big takeaways from this and what our listeners can expect next Tuesday from us.
SPEAKER_00:Well, I always love entering a new year with a couple of trips already on the calendar. That just makes me feel good. So I think with this list, I've already a few folks can start mapping out what they'll be doing in uh in the uh course of uh 2026. Also a great reminder uh get those passports renewed. You want at least those six months of validity to your passport if you want to head to some of these uh international destinations. But yeah, listen, very excited. Uh, this is a project that, as I mentioned last week, won Travel Zoo, a Travel Weekly Magellan Award. Uh the uh and I feel like we are in uh similar territory now with an even more eclectic uh and more um widespread list here that's bringing the world a little bit closer to uh, you know, our our fingertips. And um as you meant, yeah, I think we'll we have our couple of favorites here on the list for sure, but I mean I think we can't go wrong with any of these spots. And what will be neat over the next couple of weeks, Dan, as you know, we've got we've identified experts on the ground who are gonna help bring these destinations to life, give us some insider tips on how to maximize our travel there, peel back the curtain on what makes these destinations so special, in particular in 2026. So uh I'm gonna be looking forward to our uh continued conversation with you over the next several Tuesdays.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, me too. Absolutely, Gabe. And I'm thrilled you're gonna be continuing to join us, join me and our listeners. And I just want to highlight, too, our next episode is going to be on Arizona, and then we're going to Chicago and then Savannah. So we've got a wonderful series planned for you. And I just want to thank Andrew again. Thank you, uh, Gabe, for being a part of this conversation ongoing. And make sure that of course, and all of our listeners, make sure that you are subscribed on the streaming platform of your choice to be notified when these new episodes go live. And also make sure that you are subscribed at travelzoo.com so you can start taking advantage of these travel offers as we reveal them. Thanks again for joining us on episode two of our 10-part series in partnership with our friends over at Travel Zoo as we reveal the best bets destinations for 2026. Thanks again to Andrew Young for joining us to run through all these incredible destinations. I couldn't be more excited to keep bringing this series to life with my co-host Gabe Saglier. And as you would have just heard, our next episode, now that we have revealed the full list, is going to be focused on Arizona and Route 66. So think road trips as being a big trend for next year. And for domestic US travel, this is the hundredth anniversary of Route 66, and of course, the 250th anniversary of America as well. So many reasons for Americans to explore their own backyard, and no better place to do that than Arizona, as well as some of the other incredible destinations like Chicago that are on our list as well, which of course directly connects to Route 66 since it's the beginning of that journey. Lots of exciting developments to follow in this series. Don't forget that you should be subscribed on the streaming platform of your choice to be notified when new episodes go live every Tuesday. We do post clips and highlights on our social channels as well at Travel Trends Podcast, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram. And of course, you need to make sure that you are registered on travelzoo.com to be notified of the deals from these destinations as they go live as well. Thanks again for joining us, and until next week, safe travels.
