Last week we talked about how creators are finally getting paid what they're worth. This week, I want to talk about what that means for you… the person actually trying to figure out where to go next.

The way we discover travel has completely changed. You're not Googling "best hotels in Portugal" anymore. You're asking ChatGPT. You're saving a TikTok from someone who actually stayed there. You're booking a trip to Iceland because you binged a Netflix show and the landscapes broke your brain.

The old travel playbook… Trip Advisor reviews, Lonely Planet guides, whatever Condé Nast is pushing this month - yeah, that isn't how most of us make decisions anymore. And honestly? The new way is better.

Let's get into it.

-Jon

Three things happened this week that explain why planning travel feels different now.

First, Skift published a piece about how AI is becoming the new travel agent. When you ask ChatGPT or Perplexity for recommendations, you're getting answers pulled from across the entire internet… not just whatever resort paid for the top Google spot. That's actually great news if you're tired of wading through SEO garbage to find real recommendations.

Second, Trip.com dropped their 2026 forecast predicting "entertainment-led travel" will define next year. Translation: more people are booking trips because of a TV show, a concert, or a viral moment than because of a tourism board ad. You watched Squid Game and suddenly Korea is on your list. You saw that creator's video from the Maldives and now you're pricing flights. This is how we travel now.

Third, Ad Age covered how the best travel content isn't coming from brands anymore… it's coming from people who actually go places and tell the truth about them.

Here's what this means for you:

AI recommendations are getting more useful. Instead of scrolling through 47 "Top 10 Hotels in Lisbon" listicles that all say the same thing, you can now ask an AI to find you a boutique hotel in Alfama with a rooftop bar, under $200/night, with good reviews from solo travelers. It'll synthesize thousands of sources in seconds. The catch? AI is only as good as what's been written online, so newer or lesser-known spots might get overlooked. Use it as a starting point, not gospel.

Creators are your best scouts… if you pick the right ones. The travel creator space is flooded with people who got a free hotel stay and will say anything. But Marketing Week reports that the best creators are moving to platforms like Substack, YouTube, and Patreon where they can be more honest because they're not chasing algorithmic virality. Follow creators who show the bad parts too. Anyone whose trips look perfect every time is selling you something.

Cultural moments are compressing trip planning timelines. A K-pop group announces a Bangkok show, and flights spike within hours. A Netflix series drops, and suddenly everyone wants to visit the filming locations. If you're flexible and pay attention, you can get ahead of these waves… or intentionally ride them if you want to be part of the moment. Trip.com's data shows theme parks, concerts, and franchise experiences (Harry Potter tours, anyone?) are driving more bookings than traditional sightseeing.

The bottom line: You have more tools than ever to find trips that actually match what you want—not what someone paid to put in front of you. The trick is knowing which sources to trust and being willing to dig a little deeper than the first result.

Victoria hit $46 billion in tourism spending through September 2025, and there's a reason: they've figured out how to deliver experiences worth the long flight. Melbourne's food scene is legitimately world-class, the wine regions are less crowded than Napa with comparable quality, and they're pulling major events (Australian Open, F1, concerts) that give you a reason to time your trip. If you've been defaulting to Sydney for Australia trips, it might be time to reconsider.

Chronocations: The wellness trend that's either genius or nonsense (4 min read)

"Chronocations" are trips designed around ignoring the clock entirely—eating when you're hungry, sleeping when you're tired, no itinerary, no alarms. Nearly 1 in 5 UK travelers already do this on vacation. It sounds like what your body actually needs after burning out, or it sounds like paying premium prices to do nothing. Probably both? If you're the type who comes home from vacation needing a vacation, this trend might be worth exploring. If doing nothing stresses you out, skip it.

The best travel creators are leaving Instagram and TikTok for platforms where they can build real audiences: Substack newsletters, YouTube long-form, Discord communities, Patreon. Why does this matter to you? Because the recommendations you're getting on algorithm-driven platforms are increasingly optimized for views, not accuracy. If you find a creator whose taste matches yours, follow them wherever they're posting… even if it's not the main feed you check daily.

Reddit's digital nomad community keeps landing on the same spots: Vietnam, Portugal, and Medellín. The formula is consistent—solid internet, affordable cost of living, enough other remote workers that you're not lonely but not so many it's overrun. If you're testing the remote work lifestyle or just want a longer stay somewhere interesting, these three have the infrastructure figured out.

How people actually land $100k+ remote jobs (3 min read)

The pattern from high-earning nomads is clear: they didn't find remote jobs on job boards. They either negotiated their existing job to be remote or built skills valuable enough that location became irrelevant. If you're trying to fund extended travel through remote work, the move is building leverage in your current career, not scrolling Indeed for "remote" listings.

Luggage: The Lululemon 1L Crossbody - My second favorite cross body bag. If you want something a little more lightweight and at a lower price, this is a solid option!

Place To Stay: Hotel Del Coronado - San Diego - Charm, class and 24/7 access to the beach. Also, amazing restaurants, gelato and entertainment. You feel like you’re at an all inclusive resort (but its not all-inclusive)

Gadget: 6 in 1 Travel Power Adapter - Let’s be real. You don’t want 20 power converters. Get an all in one. save yourself the time and frustration.

Thing to do: Ride a Horse Drawn Carriage in NYC - Winter in NYC is pure magic. Want to take it up a notch? Get you and your loved one a horse drawn carriage ride around all the Christmas sights.

Question of the week:
Has how you decide on travel, shifted?