Unpacked: Editor-in-Chief of Travel & Leisure Magazine, Jacqui Gifford on travel trends + hot destinations for next year

Hello and welcome to The Travel Diaries Unpacked, the show where we bring you the latest travel news, trends, inspiration and insider tips from some of the most knowledgeable people in the industry. Today, I'm joined by someone who really does have her finger on the pulse of the travel world: Jacqui Gifford, Editor-in-Chief of Travel + Leisure, one of the world's most influential travel magazines. Jacqui first joined me on The Travel Diaries back in 2020, and goodness, how much has changed since then! She's been in London for Travel + Leisure's inaugural international World's Best Summit, held at The Dorchester this week, bringing together some of the biggest names in hospitality and travel to explore the trends shaping the future of the industry. And that's exactly what we're diving into today. From the rise of coolcations and the return of slow travel to multigenerational holidays, the impact of AI and what truly exceptional hotel service looks like. Jacqui also shares some of her most memorable recent trips, including a spectacular escape to Brazil, a very special journey aboard Britain's newest luxury sleeper train, and the London hotel that reminded her what great hospitality is really all about. It's a fascinating conversation packed with travel inspiration and some genuinely brilliant insights into how and why we're travelling. Destination recap London, England The Bahamas Albany, The Bahamas Rosewood Baha Mar, The Bahamas Alaska, USA India Rome, Italy Rome Cavalieri, Rome Britannic Explorer, A Belmond Train, England The Lake District, England Cornwall, England Wales Cartmel, The Lake District Brown’s Hotel, London Raffles London at The OWO Sweden Denmark Norway Iceland Vancouver, Canada British Columbia, Canada Stockholm, Sweden Toronto, Canada Muskoka, Canada Italy Greece Spain Portugal St. Moritz, Switzerland Grand Hotel des Bains Kempinski, St. Moritz Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, St. Moritz Santa Catarina, Brazil Awasi Santa Catarina, Brazil São Paulo, Brazil Palácio Tangará, São Paulo San Miguel de Allende, Mexico Oaxaca, Mexico Mexico City, Mexico Cabo San Lucas, Mexico Tulum, Mexico Cartagena, Colombia Four Seasons Hotel Cartagena, Colombia Bermuda Hamilton, Bermuda Passalacqua, Lake Como, Italy Mandarin Oriental Mayfair, London Africa Egypt Easter Island, Chile Machu Picchu, Peru Australia Peru Uzbekistan A huge thank you to Jacqui Gifford for joining me again on The Travel Diaries. I always find it so fascinating hearing her perspective on where the travel industry is heading, and I particularly loved what she said about there being no right or wrong way to travel. Sometimes the most meaningful experiences are the simplest ones. As always, if you enjoyed today's episode, please do follow the podcast and leave us a five-star rating or review. It really does make such a difference. And don't forget, I'll be back on Tuesday with another episode of The Travel Diaries. Until then, happy travels! With thanks to... SANI - Discover what’s new at Sani Resort for 2027, including stunning new family suites and exclusive early booking offers, with savings of up to 15%. Explore the offers here. UNA - Discover your next Italian short break with UNA Italian Hospitality at unaitalianhospitality.com If you’d like to find out who’s joining me next Tuesday, come and follow me on Instagram and TikTok. I’m @hollyrubenstein and I’d love to hear from you. I’ll be back on Tuesday. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.