The Most-Searched Travel Destinations in 2018 Had One Thing in Common
Who doesn’t love sightseeing in San Francisco, partying in Cancun, or lounging on a pink sand beach in the Bahamas? Nobody. But according to a new trend report from Pinterest, those tried-and-true destinations might have a bit of competition in 2019.
The idea-sharing site recently released its predictions for the top 100 trends in the new year, and when it comes to travel, Pinterest’s 250 million users seem to increasingly have one thing on the mind: the roads less traveled.
To evaluate what’s hot, Pinterest analyzes trending search terms. This year, phrases such as “abandoned castles,” “small town travel,” and (our personal favorite), “less traveled islands” are among the few that came out on top—and are predicted to continue to rise.
Related: Our Favorite Warm-Weather Destinations:
But if you’ve been following Pinterest’s trend reports, the results shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Last year, while the common theme in the 2018 travel report was adventure as a whole, one of the top-searched phrases was “secret spots.” And, luckily, the world’s coastlines hold a lot of secrets.
Whether you’re craving an exotic getaway or searching for something a little closer to home, it isn’t too difficult to find a blissfully quiet spot on which to lay down your beach towel. Our Best Secret Islands in the World uncover less traveled gems from a fairytale Danish port town where you’ll feel like you’ve traveled back in time to a private Caribbean oasis you probably didn’t realize existed in the Bahamas.
Sans passport, there are plenty of off-the-beaten-path beach destinations in the U.S., too. We scouted them out in our Best Secret Islands in America story, from a salty Chesapeake Bay atoll famous for its cake to the friendly Hawaiian island most tourists skip on their visits to the Aloha State. (Even the well-traveled Sunshine State has its share of secrets.)
Small towns, too, are attracting attention as more travelers trade in big urban getaways for quainter, quieter escapes. Many of our Happiest Seaside Towns fit the bill of charming little beach town—check out our 2018 list of destinations for inspiration on what to add to your own travel wish list in the new year.
Which beach destinations—big, small, wildly popular, or undiscovered—do you plan on visiting in 2019?
