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Last month, Skyscanner published its annual report of destinations around the world that are trending for 2026. To determine the ranking, Skyscanner looked at destinations with the biggest year-over-year increases in searches to which shows where exactly travelers are most interested in heading to in the upcoming year. Skyscanner, in partnership with OnePoll, an international market research company, surveyed 22,000 travelers from June to July 2025. Skyscanner's report found that U.S. travelers are looking to visit under-the-radar destinations. "2025 was about collective experience and 2026 is less about the escape and more about self-expression," Loudres Losada, Director of Americas, Skyscanner, tells CNBC Make It. "Travelers are searching for a place that matters and getting away from the hype and going to lesser-known places that still have a lot of value. It's about choosing the experiences more than just the destination." Two U.S. destinations were ranked in the top 10: Vail, Colorado, and New Haven, Connecticut. Vail saw a 78% increase, while New Haven saw a 39% increase. "Americans are discovering their own backyard. We see these not only as winter destinations but also as summer and fall ones too," Losada adds. Limón, Costa Rica, is ranked as the top-trending for U.S. travelers in 2026 It saw a 286% increase year-over-year. According to the report, Limón is an emerging ecotourism destination that is renowned for its national parks, volcanic landscapes, and lush rainforest. "Limón is the Costa Rica for the travelers who have already done Costa Rica. Americans have been going to Costa Rica for decades now, but it's been more about the Pacific coast," Losada says. "This time we're talking about the Caribbean Coast. Limón is a port city so it's very well connected, but it's also not in your traveler's guide." Jaipur is a popular tourist destination in India and the capital of Rajasthan state in northwestern India. It's over 100 miles from the capital of New Delhi and a busy city with a population of over 3 million people. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and includes several key sites, such as Jantar Mantar, an astronomical observatory built in the early 18th century. According to Google Arts & Culture, the city's economy is based on tourism, gemstone cutting, jewelry manufacturing, and information technology. Want to level up your AI skills? Sign up for Smarter by CNBC Make It's new online course, How To Use AI To Communicate Better At Work. Get specific prompts to optimize emails, memos and presentations for tone, context and audience. Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It's newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life, and request to join our exclusive community on LinkedIn to connect with experts and peers.
