One of the questions I get asked most often is, 'Where is everyone going next?'
And while I can't predict the future, there are a few things I pay attention to when deciding which destinations are about to have a moment.
A beautiful new hotel alone isn't enough. Neither is a viral restaurant or a destination suddenly appearing all over Instagram.
What gets my attention is when several things start happening at once: major luxury hotel openings, easier flight connections, and a growing cultural interest in a destination.
When those things line up, it's usually worth paying attention. And for clients who love discovering somewhere before it becomes the next place everyone is talking about, timing can make a big difference.
A single hotel opening, however impressive, rarely convinces anyone to choose a destination for the biggest trip of their year. The same goes for one new restaurant, one museum exhibit, or one sporting event. Travelers tend to book places that feel like a safe, interesting bet, and one headline doesn't create that feeling.
(Image courtesy of Aman At Sea)
Nonstop flights don't tell the whole story either. Sometimes airlines create demand, and sometimes they're simply responding to it. What I really watch for is when several of these changes start happening around the same time. It's not an exact science, but when a destination becomes easier to reach, more interesting places to stay begin opening, and travelers start paying attention, that's usually a sign that something is shifting.
I'm not talking about just another beautiful property. I pay attention when a leading luxury brand enters a market for the first time, or when an established hotel reopens after a major transformation. These openings bring more than rooms. They bring travel writers, photographers, and advisors, plus travelers who hadn't considered the destination before. That's what turns a place from "maybe someday" into "let's look at flights."
Next I look at air service. A new nonstop route can turn a destination that once required multiple connections into somewhere you'd seriously consider for a week away. There's a chicken-or-the-egg question here:
Does increased tourism demand lead airlines to introduce nonstop flights, or do new nonstop flights create more tourism demand?
The answer is usually both.
The first wave of travelers will happily make an extra connection to reach somewhere special, but nonstop service is what makes it realistic for everyone else. When you see that shift, demand tends to follow quickly.
This might be a restaurant everyone is trying to book, a major exhibition, an international sporting event, or a music festival. Occasionally an event is big enough to move travel patterns on its own, and the Eras Tour is the obvious example. Fans traveled across the country and even internationally to see Taylor Swift perform, often turning a single concert into a long weekend exploring a city they might not have otherwise considered visiting.
More often these moments aren't the reason for the trip. They simply put a destination into the conversation, and that's often what gets someone to look at it seriously for the first time.
Crete is one of the destinations I'm watching most closely. With exciting luxury hotel developments, including Rosewood Blue Palace, there's a growing reason for travelers who might normally default to Mykonos or Santorini to consider a different Greek island experience.
What I love about Crete is that you can have beautiful beaches and exceptional hotels without making the entire trip about the beach club scene. There's history, incredible food, charming villages, and so much to explore beyond the resort.
The one thing I'd want clients to understand before booking is the island's size. Where you stay matters, and I wouldn't try to cover the entire island in one short trip.
(Image courtesy of National Geographic)
Sardinia is another destination I'm watching closely, especially as more luxury hotels invest in the island.
It's a wonderful choice for travelers who want some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe but also enjoy getting outside the resort and exploring.
One of my favorite things about Sardinia is the contrast. You can spend the afternoon at an extraordinary luxury hotel and then head into the countryside for dinner at a family-run agriturismo.
But Sardinia is bigger than many people realize, and getting between different parts of the island can take time. I'd rather have clients choose one area and explore it well than spend half their vacation driving between hotels.
If you're someone who loves beautiful beaches, great food, and a little adventure, Sardinia is worth considering.
(Image courtesy of La Colti Agriturismo)
Then there’s Comporta.
For years, Comporta has been a quiet choice for travelers who want beautiful beaches and understated hotels without the scene of Ibiza or the French Riviera. That's starting to change.
New luxury openings and growing international attention are introducing it to more travelers, including Americans who may have skipped it on earlier trips to Portugal. Sandy roads, wide beaches, rice fields, relaxed restaurants, and hotels that blend into the landscape are the draw.
The question is whether Comporta can grow without losing the low-key atmosphere that made people seek it out. If Comporta appeals to you because of its quieter, understated atmosphere, I'd think carefully about when to visit. August brings more visitors, so I'd lean toward a different time of year for clients who want the peaceful experience the destination is known for.
This conversation isn’t limited to destinations.
Luxury cruising is another area I'm watching closely, particularly as hotel brands begin bringing their approach to hospitality onto the water.
Aman at Sea is especially interesting because it has the potential to appeal to travelers who love exceptional hotels but have never considered a cruise.
The appeal isn't simply visiting multiple destinations. It's the possibility of experiencing the privacy, service, and design associated with a brand like Aman while traveling between them.
As with any new hospitality concept, I'd want to understand the actual onboard experience before recommending it solely because of the name.
(Image courtesy of Aman At Sea)
There's no guaranteed way to predict which destination will become the next big thing in luxury travel. But paying attention to hotel openings, flight access, and cultural interest gives us a pretty good idea of where travelers may start looking next.
And while I love discovering somewhere before everyone else does, I don't think a destination needs to be trending to be worth visiting.
The goal is finding somewhere that genuinely interests you, whether that's a destination you've been dreaming about for years or one that wasn't even on your radar until recently.