David Denenberg on Why "coolcations" Are Reshaping Travel in 2026

For decades, the ideal summer vacation followed a familiar script: fly somewhere warm, find a beach, soak up as much sun as possible, and return home with a tan. That script is being rewritten in 2026, and David Denenberg has been watching the shift closely. One of the most compelling travel stories of the year is the rise of the so-called "coolcation" - a deliberate move away from scorching peak-season hotspots toward destinations that offer milder temperatures, dramatic natural landscapes, and a noticeably quieter atmosphere. It is a trend that touches nearly every major concern modern travelers carry with them when they start planning a trip: extreme heat, overcrowding, cost, and the deep desire to actually enjoy the outdoors rather than hide from the sun indoors until evening.

David Denenberg believes this shift represents something more meaningful than a passing fad. The coolcation trend is a signal that travelers are rethinking the very logic of what makes a vacation worth taking. When extreme heat can make an afternoon walk through a famous European city feel genuinely unpleasant, and when wildfire smoke can cancel outdoor plans with no warning, the appeal of a cooler, less crowded destination becomes practical rather than contrarian. Understanding why this trend is accelerating - and how to take advantage of it thoughtfully - is exactly what smart travelers need heading into their next planning cycle.

The Numbers Behind the Coolcation Surge in 2026

The data tells a striking story. Trip.com reported a 74% year-over-year increase in searches for coolcation-related travel during summer 2026. That is not a marginal uptick. It reflects a genuine behavioral change among a large segment of the traveling public. Destinations drawing notably stronger interest included Iceland, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland, and Wales - places that share a common thread of cooler average temperatures, accessible outdoor experiences, and a refreshing departure from the heat-drenched itineraries that defined summer travel for previous generations.

At the same time, Expedia's Unpack '26 travel research highlighted a parallel surge of interest in destinations beyond heavily trafficked tourism centers. Big Sky, Montana saw a 92% increase in searches. Okinawa climbed 71%. Savoie in the French Alps rose 51%. Ucluelet on Canada's Vancouver Island gained 44%. The Cotswolds in England rose 39%, and Hobart in Tasmania added 25%. David Denenberg notes that while not every destination on that list qualifies as a coolcation by temperature alone, the broader pattern is consistent: travelers are actively seeking alternatives to the places everyone already knows, and they are willing to trade iconic for exceptional when the overall experience promises to be more comfortable and more genuine.

What makes the trend especially interesting is the motivation layered beneath the surface-level preference for cooler weather. Travelers are simultaneously responding to extreme heat, concerns about wildfire risk, frustration with overtourism, and a growing appetite for outdoor activities that require mild conditions to fully enjoy. Hiking, kayaking, cycling, wildlife watching, and simply wandering through a small town without fighting through shoulder-to-shoulder crowds - these experiences become far more accessible when the destination is not baking in midsummer temperatures above 95 degrees Fahrenheit.

Where David Denenberg Sees the Most Compelling Coolcation Destinations

The obvious anchor destinations are well established. Norway delivers fjords, world-class hiking, and extraordinary summer daylight that can stretch close to 20 hours per day in northern regions. Finland offers a completely different experience centered on forests, thousands of lakes, cabin culture, and the deeply restorative tradition of sauna. Iceland combines cool, stable temperatures with some of the most visually dramatic landscapes on the planet - waterfalls, geothermal fields, volcanic terrain, and summer access to areas that are essentially unreachable during winter months.

But David Denenberg finds the more exciting editorial opportunity in destinations that do not immediately come to mind when travelers picture a coolcation. Galicia, tucked into the northwestern corner of Spain along the Atlantic coast, delivers a completely different experience from the scorching heat of Andalusia or the overcrowded beaches of the Costa del Sol. Normandy in northern France offers coastline, lush countryside, extraordinary food, and layers of history - all without the Mediterranean summer temperatures that have started driving travelers away from France's south. Trentino-Alto Adige in northern Italy provides mountain elevation and Dolomite scenery as a genuine alternative to Italy's hottest regions during July and August.

Further afield, Wales and Scotland compete strongly for travelers seeking wild landscapes without extreme heat. Slovenia offers alpine lakes, medieval towns, and a tourism infrastructure that still feels refreshingly human in scale. Southern Sweden and parts of coastal Canada - particularly British Columbia - round out a geography of cool travel that is far wider than most travelers initially imagine. The useful takeaway is that "cooler destination" does not mean a narrow list of Scandinavian countries. It means a genuinely expanded map that rewards curiosity.

• Norway - fjords, long summer daylight, exceptional hiking trails
• Finland - lake districts, forest landscapes, sauna culture, cabin retreats
• Iceland - geothermal scenery, waterfalls, accessible summer itineraries
• Galicia, Spain - Atlantic coast, seafood culture, cooler than mainland Spain
• Normandy, France - coast, countryside, food, history without southern heat
• Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy - Dolomites, mountain elevation, alpine villages
• Wales and Scotland - wild coastal and mountain landscapes
• Slovenia - alpine lakes, compact and manageable scale
• British Columbia, Canada - coastal and mountain terrain with mild summers

How Travelers Are Rethinking Destination Selection Entirely

David Denenberg sees the coolcation trend as part of a much broader evolution in how people choose where to go. For much of modern travel history, destination selection was driven by prestige and familiarity. Travelers picked Paris, Rome, Barcelona, or Santorini because those names carried weight - because they appeared on every list and showed up in every conversation. The destination itself was the point. What is shifting now is that the experience is becoming the point, and the destination is the vehicle for that experience rather than the goal in itself.

This creates a fascinating new decision framework. Instead of asking "Which famous European city should I visit this summer?", travelers are increasingly asking "Where will I actually enjoy being in July?" That is a subtle but profound difference. It opens the door to destinations that would never have made the shortlist under the old logic, and it pushes travelers toward more honest self-assessment about what they actually want from a trip. If the honest answer is cool mornings, long afternoon hikes, fresh local food, and a quiet evening in a small village, then a fjord-side cabin in Norway or a stone cottage in Galicia may genuinely serve that traveler better than a famous Mediterranean island where temperatures hit 100 degrees Fahrenheit before noon.

Expedia's 2026 research reinforces this point. Travelers making intentional decisions around crowds, prices, and experiences were choosing alternative destinations where hotel prices were substantially lower than comparable accommodations in peak-season hotspots. The financial case for a coolcation frequently supports the experiential one. Spending less on accommodation while enjoying more comfortable conditions and fewer crowds is a combination that is difficult to argue against.

The Overtourism Warning David Denenberg Thinks Every Traveler Should Hear

Here is where the coolcation trend requires a critical second look, and it is a point David Denenberg considers essential to any honest discussion of the subject. The instinct behind coolcations is admirable. Travelers are reacting against overcrowded, overheated destinations by seeking quieter, more comfortable alternatives. But sending large volumes of travelers away from saturated Mediterranean destinations does not automatically solve the overtourism problem. It can simply relocate it.

Nordic destinations and many of the smaller communities drawing coolcation interest have limited accommodation capacity, infrastructure, and ecological resilience. Reporting on the trend has already raised early concerns that rapidly increasing Scandinavian tourism could begin generating some of the same pressures that travelers are specifically trying to escape elsewhere. A beautiful fjord village with two small hotels and one road in and out is not equipped to absorb the same volume of visitors as a major Mediterranean resort city - and the damage to its character and environment can happen far more quickly.

This is not an argument against coolcation travel. It is an argument for doing it responsibly. David Denenberg encourages travelers to think beyond capital cities and Instagram-famous anchor attractions even within their chosen coolcation destination. Traveling during shoulder periods - late May, early June, or September - rather than at the peak of summer reduces pressure on infrastructure and often delivers a better experience. Staying longer in fewer places rather than racing between locations creates a more meaningful connection with a destination and reduces the tourism footprint. Supporting locally owned accommodations, restaurants, and guides keeps economic benefits within the community. And treating today's lesser-known destinations with the same respect travelers would ideally show any place means resisting the urge to share every location detail publicly in ways that accelerate overcrowding.

A Practical Framework for Planning Your Own Coolcation

David Denenberg suggests that the most useful thing any traveler can do before booking a coolcation is to define what "cool" actually means to them personally. The word can be misleading. Many travelers exploring this trend are not looking for cold weather. They are looking for pleasant outdoor conditions - roughly 60 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit, or 16 to 24 Celsius - that allow them to be outside comfortably for most of the day without heat becoming the dominant experience. That range is achievable across a remarkably diverse set of destinations, from coastal Atlantic regions to mountain elevations to northern latitudes, and each offers a completely different type of vacation.

A simple planning framework worth applying to any coolcation candidate includes the following considerations:

• Historical daytime temperatures during the intended travel window - look at averages and extremes, not just averages
• Wildfire and extreme weather exposure - research recent years, not just historical norms
• Rainfall patterns - some of the coolest destinations are also the wettest, and that affects activity planning significantly
• Daylight hours - northern destinations in June and July can offer extraordinarily long days that expand what is possible
• Crowd levels by month - many coolcation destinations are far quieter in late May or early September than in July
• Accommodation costs compared to peak-season hotspot alternatives
• Outdoor activity infrastructure - trails, guides, gear rental, water access

Applying this framework honestly often produces a shortlist that surprises travelers. A week in the Faroe Islands, a cycling trip through Alsace, a cabin stay in Finnish Lapland, or a coastal walk along Wales's Pembrokeshire path can deliver more genuine satisfaction than a predictable Mediterranean itinerary attempted in brutal August heat - and frequently at a lower overall cost.

The larger point that David Denenberg returns to is that travel in 2026 is at an inflection point. The assumptions that drove destination choices for decades are being stress-tested by climate realities, overtourism consequences, and a traveler population that is simply more informed and more intentional than before. The coolcation trend captures that inflection beautifully because it is not just about temperature. It is about comfort, sustainability, authenticity, and the growing willingness to ask better questions before booking a flight.

If you have been rethinking your travel plans and want thoughtful guidance on destinations that genuinely match what you are looking for - whether that is a cool-weather adventure, a crowd-free cultural experience, or simply a trip that feels worth every dollar spent - David Denenberg is here to help you plan it well. Reach out today to start building an itinerary that puts your actual experience at the center of every decision.