By Dominique Lamberton
New & Noteworthy
Women travel more than men
Across the globe, women travel more than men: Not only do they make up 64 percent of all travelers, but they more likely to travel solo, too. These are among the reasons more companies are offering trips exclusively for females. Butterfield & Robinson, known for its active journeys, has launched a Women’s Only collection, featuring itineraries like an eight-day biking tour through Cambodia and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Uniworld is setting sail in August 2025 with its first-ever women-only on the Rhone and Saone rivers in southern France. Expect cocktail parties, wine tasting and dancing, wether you board solo or with a cohort of gal pals.
On Trend
Detour Destinations
While 2024 was about destination dupes, a trend whereby travelers swap popular places for lesser-known, more affordable stand-ins like Curacao for Saint Martin, or Taipei for Seoul, 2025 is the year of detour destinations. Rather than seeking out an alternate, this trend encourages travelers to add onto their trip to a major destination and experience even more. So, visit Barcelona, but take an extra day to venture farther into Catalonia, to the colorful city of Girona, just a 40-minute train ride northeast. And, on your trip to Tokyo, tack on a side trip to Fukuoka, five hours away by bullet train, to see the reclining Buddha at Nanzoin Temple and relax on the city’s pristine beaches.
In The Air
An Easier Way to Track Your Bags
If you use Apple AirTags to keep on your luggage when flying, the process is about to get more official. Apple recently introduced Share Item Location, a feature that allows users to securely share the whereabouts of an AirTag with third parties, such as airlines. Apple also announced that more than 15 carriers around the world, including Delta Air Lines, Air New Zealand, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Singapour Airlines, will soon incorporate the new feature into customer-service processes for locating missing or delayed bags, hopefully bearing fruit for more passengers.
Cruise News
Join Ensemble’s Inaugural LGBTQ+ Sailing
Bring on the Turkish baths and Sicilian limoncello: This summer, Ensemble will host its first-ever LGBTQ+ cruise, in the Mediterranean aboard Explora Journeys’ EXPLORA 1. Guests will begin the eight-day voyage in Istanbul, with stops on the Greek islands of Lesbos and Paros, in Palermo, Sicily, and along the Amalfi Coast before disembarking in Genoa. There are plenty of reasons to book an Ensemble Hosted Cruise: You’ll be joined by an onboard host, enjoy a welcome reception and take in an Ensemble Experience shore event (this one is in Palermo). Ask your travel advisor for more details.
Travel Size
New Year, New Luggage
Prepare for a fresh year of adventures with a slick new spinner: the compact and sustainable Cubo Small from Japanese brand Lojel. Crafted with 50-percent recycled polycarbonate and a washable lining, this simple yet functional carry-on features a forward-opening front compartment (perfect for stashing your laptoop and any other easy-access items) and an expandable body for extra storage (so go ahead, buy that sweatshirt).
Cubo Small, 330 $US, lojel.com
Editor’s Picks
Where We’re Headed in 2025
Oman
Robert Liwanag, Senior Editor
“I’ll be starting and ending my eight-day journey in Muscat, and visiting the Bimmah Sinkhole, Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve and ancient city of Nizwa in between. This will be my first in the Middle East, so I’m most excited to stay at a desert camp in the Wahiba Sands”.
Prince Edward Island
Lori Morgan, Photography Director
“PEI is a slow-paced sanctuary, a place where jumping off a wharf for a swim is the best way to kill time between lobster rolls. One of my family’s go-to stops is Brackley Beach, I can’t wait to feel the red sand under my feet this summer”.
Hawai’i
Dominique Lamberton, Editorial Director
“My husband and I plan to take our new baby to Maui this spring. Our first trip as a family of three will be filled with unknowns, but I am envisioning walks on Big Beach in Makena State Park, an outing to Ali’i Kula Lavendar Farm and afternoons spent splashing in the pool”.
Checking In
Wellness-certified Stays
With wellness topping travel trends for another year, the industry is expected to reach a global value of US$1.4 trillion by 2027, Wellness in Travel & Tourism has launched the first-ever wellness certification for hotels and resorts. The independent organization made up of tourism experts assesses properties using a set of criteria that spans five pillars: healthy eating, holistic healing, nature, movement and local impact. More than 100 properties across North America have received certification so far, including Canyon Ranch Woodside, known for its treehouse accommodations, and the Arizona Biltmore, set at the base of the Phoenix Mountains Preserve.
Must-Read
The Making of Rick Steves
Best known for his long-running TV show, Rick Steves’ Europe, which premiered in the early 2000s, best-selling guidebook author Rick Steves now chronicles his life-changing trip along the “Hippie Trail” in his new book. In “On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Kathmandu and the Making of a Travel Writer”, Steves takes readers on his journey between the Turkish and Nepalese cities, a route that gained popularity in the 1970s. At 23 years old, Steves experienced just about everything you could put on a coming-of-age bingo card, from jumping off moving trains to getting lost in the vast city of Lahore, and passages from his 45-year-old journals help to tell the story.
On the Hippie Trail: Istanbul to Katmandou and the Making of a Travel Writer, US$30, hachettebookgroup.com
Earth-friendly
Sustainable Helsinki
Looking to travel more responsibly in 2025? Add Helsinki to your list. The Finnish capital was crowned the world’s most sustainable destination in 2024, in an annual ranking compiled by the Global Destination Sustainability Movement. With roughly 23,000 acres of public green space (that’s nearly 27 Central Parks) per 100,000 people, more than half of its electricity coming from renewable sources and 49 percent of its waste recycled, the city is committed to sustainable infrastructure. What’s more, 88 percent of Helsinki’s hotel rooms and all its event venues hold third-party sustainability certifications, so the tourism industry is making strides, too.
