Wish You Were Here

When it comes to travel

for 2018, cold is hot. According to data compiled by travel network Virtuoso in its annual “Luxe Report,” affluent travelers looking for adventure are packing their bags for Iceland (27 percent), Antarctica (23 percent), and Alaska (15 percent), especially now that many luxury outfitters have made these journeys more comfortable. “This year, we noticed that the colder the climate, the hotter the destination. Iceland’s rapid rise in popularity is matched by an increased interest in Antarctica and Alaskan cruises,” says Misty Ewing Belles, managing director for global public relations at Virtuoso. “We’re seeing demand for adventure travel escalating. The desire to explore undiscovered, untouched, and even untamed territory is driving visitors to destinations previously thought to appeal to the more intrepid traveler.”

Italy remains a favorite for families, honeymooners, and globe-trotters and is second only to Thailand for millennials. Iceland, which wasn’t even on the radar in 2015 for top international destinations, is just behind Italy in popularity this year, while France and England have dropped a few places. Both Turks and Caicos and Peru dropped off that top-10 list completely. For domestic travel, New York City and Maui crown the list—as they have since 2015—but Miami has risen to No. 3. Perhaps the exploding culinary scene (food and wine travel has jumped to No. 4 in the trend category) is responsible for Los Angeles’s place in the top 10—the first time since 2015. L.A. is the third California location on the list for U.S. excursions, along with Napa Valley and Sonoma (No. 5) and the San Francisco Bay Area (No. 6). It seems California is maintaining its sheen as the Golden State. —JANICE O’LEARY