South Lake Tahoe tops Expedia's 2027 Destinations of the Year with 195% search surge

Expedia and Hotels.com's 2027 Destinations of the Year list, picked up widely by travel desks on 17 October 2026, crowns South Lake Tahoe in California after flight and hotel searches between September 2025 and July 2026 jumped 195% — nearly triple the previous year's winner, Big Sky, Montana (92%). Hyogo in Japan came second (+95%), followed by Punta del Este in Uruguay (+65%), Sedona in Arizona (+55%), Busan in South Korea (+50%), Holbox in Mexico (+45%), Perugia in Italy (+35%), The Tweed in New South Wales (+35%), Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada (+35%) and Chichester in the UK (+30%). Six of the ten — Hyogo, Sedona, Busan, Perugia, The Tweed and Chichester — were given Expedia's new Smart Travel Health Check certification, flagging places that offer rich cultural and natural experiences without the crowding of the world's busiest cities. The spread across five continents, Expedia said, confirms a shift away from traditional honeypots toward lesser-known second cities and nature escapes.