Beach & Islands

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – October 29, 2026 – SHERIDAN, WYOMING – October 29, 2026 – Amadeus and UN Tourism have released the third edition of their Travel Insights report, focusing on travel trends in the Americas for the latter part of 2024. The report offers valuable data and insights to help industry stakeholders understand and adapt to the evolving travel landscape.

Key Trends Shaping Travel in the Americas

The report highlights several key trends, including:

SHERIDAN, WYOMING – October 29, 2026 – SHERIDAN, WYOMING – October 29, 2026 – The Spanish island of Mallorca recently hosted the 2024 meeting of the International Network of Sustainable Tourism Observatories (INSTO), a UNWTO initiative aimed at promoting sustainable tourism practices worldwide.

The meeting, held alongside the III Sustainable Destinations Summit, brought together over 100 participants, including experts, academics, government officials, and tourism professionals. The focus was on developing actionable policies to drive sustainable practices across destinations.

UNWTO's Executive Director, Zoritsa Urosevic, emphasized the importance of placing science at the heart of tourism transformation. She urged the INSTO network to adopt the new metrics for measuring sustainable tourism recently approved by the UN Statistical Commission.

San José, Costa Rica – October 02, 2026 -- Costa Rica has launched a free digital platform called "Discover Costa Rica," an interactive map letting students, teachers, researchers, and tourists explore the country's geography, oceans, and culture online.

The platform maps national parks, volcanoes, and ocean territory

Developed by the Country Brand essential COSTA RICA with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Worship, the University of Costa Rica's Center for Research in Marine Sciences and Limnology (CIMAR-UCR), and the UCR School of Geography, the tool covers national parks, islands, waterfalls, and volcanoes alongside ecosystems, protected areas, and biodiversity data. It is available in both Spanish and English.

Putian – September 24, 2026 -- Meizhou Island, the birthplace of the Chinese sea goddess Mazu in southeast China's Fujian Province, drew about 3.23 million tourist visits in 2025, surpassing 3 million for the first time as the destination shifts from quick temple stops to multi-day stays.

Mazu, born as Lin Mo on the island in 960, is worshipped as a protector of seafarers by more than 300 million followers worldwide. In 2009, UNESCO added "Mazu belief and customs" to its representative list of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

Silver Spring, Md. – September 22, 2026 -- Travel booking platform Tripmasters has identified emerging patterns expected to shape independent travel in 2027, based on traveler search and booking data.

Travelers are shifting away from peak summer crowds

According to Skyscanner's Horizons research cited by Tripmasters, 34% of travelers plan to seek out quieter destinations in the coming year, while 31% intend to visit popular spots during shoulder seasons when crowds thin out. Another 26% say choosing less-touristy locations will help them save money.

Daytona Beach – September 21, 2026 -- The 34th annual Biketoberfest motorcycle rally will run October 15-18, 2026, in the Daytona Beach area and Volusia County, again forming part of the AMA National Gypsy Tour for the third consecutive year.

Riders can collect a century-old tradition's official pin

The AMA National Gypsy Tour, with more than 100 years of history, includes 14 events nationwide in 2026. AMA members who attend can collect official Gypsy Tour pins as proof of participation, along with other materials on AMA and American motorcycling history, distributed at the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau's Official Biketoberfest Welcome Center, located trackside at Daytona International Speedway's Fall Cycle Scene display area.

Huntington Beach, Calif. – September 19, 2026 -- Huntington Beach has become the first destination in California to earn Sensory Inclusive® Certification from KultureCity, a nonprofit focused on sensory accessibility and invisible disabilities.

More than 1,538 staff completed sensory-inclusive training

The certification, led by Visit Huntington Beach in partnership with the City of Huntington Beach, involved training for frontline employees at hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions. Public safety personnel, including lifeguards, police officers and firefighters, also completed the training, extending the initiative into beaches and public spaces beyond typical hospitality settings.

Daytona Beach – September 19, 2026 -- Motorcycle riders visiting the 34th annual Biketoberfest® rally from October 15-18 can earn an exclusive collectible coin by completing a scavenger hunt through the event's free mobile app.

The MotoPassport Scavenger Hunt rewards the first 300 finishers with a coin.

Riders must create an account on the official Biketoberfest® app and check in at all 12 participating locations across Volusia County, including Indian Motorcycle Daytona Beach, Teddy Morse's Daytona Harley-Davidson, the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse and the Florida Motorcycle Safety Program tent trackside at Daytona International Speedway.

Other stops include Copper Bottom Craft Distillery, Daytona Beach Poker, RideNow Powersports in Holly Hill, Rue & Ziffra's tent at Willie's Tropical Tattoo in Ormond Beach, Tanger Daytona Beach, the Progressive Insurance tent at Destination Daytona, and Main Street Tattoo.

Biloxi – September 19, 2026 -- Coastal Mississippi is rolling out 10 Halloween events across its 62 miles of shoreline this October, turning beach towns in Jackson, Harrison and Hancock counties into a monthlong trick-or-treat trail.

A 40,000-square-foot haunted warehouse anchors the season

Terror on the Coast returns to Gulfport from Sept. 18 through Oct. 31, offering Hollywood-caliber sets, live actors, food trucks and a full bar inside its massive warehouse space.

Nearly 500 costumed "witches" take over Ocean Springs on Oct. 24

The Witches Ride of Ocean Springs sends participants through downtown on decorated bikes, golf carts and on foot, with proceeds supporting local animal welfare groups. The same day, Bay St. Louis hosts its own Witches Walk in Old Town, filling boutiques and galleries with shopping specials, contests and photo ops.

Myrtle Beach, S.C. – September 18, 2026 -- The Grand Strand Chef's Table returns Friday, Oct. 16, at the International Culinary Institute of Myrtle Beach, spotlighting the region's chefs as national accolades pile up for the local dining scene. Gullah Geechee chef BJ Dennis headlines the event, hosted by The Local Palate magazine in partnership with Visit Myrtle Beach, the James Beard Foundation and the Culinary Institute.

The evening will feature tasting plates, beverage stations, live cooking demonstrations and interactive culinary experiences, with students from the Culinary Institute working alongside participating chefs. A portion of proceeds will support the institute's study abroad program and the James Beard Foundation's Good Food for Good mission.