Travel Trends 2026: Asia’s Luxury Boom & the Train Renaissance

Travel isn’t just bouncing back — it’s being rerouted.

In this Travel Trends update, we explore two powerful shifts shaping how people are traveling heading into 2026. Long-haul confidence is returning with a surge in interest across the Asia-Pacific region, while closer to the ground, train travel is stepping into the spotlight as a smarter, more seamless alternative to short-haul flights.

Together, these trends reveal a traveler who values ease, experience, and intention over speed alone.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why Asia-Pacific is now the fastest-growing travel market in the world
• How luxury travel in Asia has grown over 90% since 2022
• Why Asia is redefining modern luxury travel through culture, design, and precision service
• The shift away from traditional Western luxury destinations
• What today’s affluent travelers really want from high-value travel experiences
• Why train travel is replacing short-haul flights across Europe and beyond
• How airlines and rail companies are coordinating instead of competing
• What air + rail partnerships mean for seamless trip planning
• How luxury train travel is shaping a new definition of slow, intentional travel

Why this matters:

These trends aren’t just about where people are going — they’re about how and why they travel. Asia-Pacific is setting the global standard for experience-driven luxury, while trains are reshaping mobility by prioritizing comfort, connectivity, and city-center access. Together, they point to a future where thoughtful planning matters more than ever.

Final takeaway:

The future of travel isn’t air or rail — it’s air and rail.
And luxury isn’t about showing — it’s about feeling.

If one of these trends sparked an idea for your next trip, let’s turn that inspiration into a plan.

👉 Subscribe to Cheryl’s Travel Blueprint for more travel trends, insights, and meaningful travel conversations.
👉 Share this episode with someone who loves staying ahead of where travel is headed.

Thanks for listening — and I’ll see you in the next one.

Custom Travel Is the New Luxury: Inside Avanti Destinations with Gina Bang

What does custom travel really mean—and why is it becoming the new definition of luxury?

In this episode of Cheryl’s Travel Blueprint, Cheryl sits down with Gina Bang, Sales & Marketing Manager at Avanti Destinations, to explore how personalized, immersive travel experiences are reshaping the way we see the world.

With over 22 years at Avanti and more than 40 years of company experience behind her, Gina shares insider insights into how custom itineraries are designed, how travelers can avoid overcrowded destinations, and why meaningful connections—not checklists—are the heart of unforgettable travel.

This conversation is a must-listen for travelers who want to go deeper, travel more intentionally, and create journeys that truly reflect who they are.

✨ What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why custom travel is the new luxury—and what that really means
• How independent travel helps combat overtourism
• The rise of blended trips (study abroad drop-offs, destination weddings, business + leisure, pre/post cruises)
• How Avanti partners with travel advisors behind the scenes
• What makes a destination a good fit for sustainable, immersive travel
• Trending destinations for 2025–2026
• Lesser-known destinations travelers often overlook
• Why meeting people and embracing the unexpected makes travel transformative

🌍 Destinations Discussed

• Europe (Italy, Spain, France, Ireland, UK, Germany, Greece)
• Japan & Thailand
• Australia, New Zealand & Fiji
• Iceland
• Vietnam
• Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile & Argentina
• Singapore

🧭 Key Themes

• Customization over cookie-cutter itineraries
• Sustainability and responsible tourism
• Cultural immersion and authenticity
• Small-group and private travel experiences
• Travel as connection, not consumption

✈️ Notable Takeaways

From Aboriginal cultural partnerships in Australia to food tours that open doors to local life, Gina explains how thoughtful travel design creates deeper understanding and lasting memories.

📌 Resources & Links

• Learn more about Avanti Destinations: https://www.avantidestinations.com
• Interested in planning a custom trip? Reach out to Cheryl for personalized travel planning

🔔 Stay Connected

If you loved this episode, don’t forget to subscribe to Cheryl’s Travel Blueprint for weekly conversations with destination experts, travel insiders, and industry leaders.

Have a destination or travel style you’re curious about?
✨ Cheryl would love to help you bring your travel vision to life.

Solo Female Travel: From Fear to Freedom with Amanda Black

Have you ever dreamed of taking a trip completely on your own—only to talk yourself out of it?

In this inspiring episode of Cheryl’s Travel Blueprint, Cheryl Johnson sits down with Amanda Black, founder of the Solo Female Traveler Network, the world’s largest global community of women who travel solo.

This conversation reframes solo female travel—not as something risky or lonely—but as an act of courage, freedom, healing, and connection.

Amanda shares how grief led her to her first solo journey, how a life-changing experience in Honduras sparked the creation of a global sisterhood of over 550,000 women, and why belonging isn’t something you find—it’s something you build.

Together, Cheryl and Amanda explore how meaningful connection, intuition, and off-the-beaten-path travel can transform not just how we travel—but how we see ourselves and the world.

✨ In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why solo female travel is about freedom, not fear
• Common misconceptions about women who travel alone
• How grief and major life transitions can spark transformational journeys
• The importance of trusting your gut while traveling
• What actually helps women feel safer on the road
• Why connection is a critical ingredient in meaningful travel
• How shared experiences (“shared firsts”) build lifelong bonds
• Why supporting women-led and local businesses changes everything
• Great starter destinations for first-time solo travelers
• How travel can foster gratitude, empathy, and global perspective

🌍 About Amanda Black

Amanda Black is an entrepreneur, community builder, and global connector dedicated to empowering women through travel. She is the founder of the Solo Female Traveler Network, the largest community of women who travel solo, and the creator of Kindred Community, which focuses on women-only connection retreats rooted in shared experiences.

Her work centers on helping women travel with confidence, curiosity, and courage—while building meaningful connections across cultures.

🔗 Connect with Amanda

🌐 Websites
• https://meetamandablack.com
• https://thesolofemaletravelernetwork.com

📸 Instagram
• @solofemaletravel

🧭 Free Resource
• Take the Solo Travel Destination Quiz on the Solo Female Traveler Network website (no email required)

🎧 Listen & Subscribe

If this episode inspired you or made solo travel feel a little more possible, be sure to subscribe to Cheryl’s Travel Blueprint for weekly conversations about meaningful travel, cultural connection, and experiences that change us.

And if you know a woman who’s been dreaming of taking a trip of her own—share this episode with her. It might be exactly the encouragement she needs.

Until next time—
✨ Keep exploring
✨ Keep learning
✨ Keep choosing experiences over fear