Charles Alan

The “Cowboy Core” trend has taken over, filling festival grounds and social media feeds with a romanticized vision of the American West. You see the distressed boots, denim tuxedos, and oversized belt buckles everywhere, presented as a “fearless attitude”. But this popular aesthetic has a dark side. It fuels a destructive form of tourism that … Read more

That perfect itinerary ChatGPT just created for you has a 90 percent chance of being wrong. You could be sent to a museum that closed last year or a restaurant miles out of your way. For millions of travelers, AI promises an easy fix to the headache of vacation planning. The reality is a mess … Read more

That dream vacation you saved up for is starting to feel more like a nightmare, isn’t it? Your wallet is lighter, your patience is thinner, and the crowds are bigger than you ever expected. The post-pandemic “revenge travel” party is officially over, and you’re stuck with the bill. That mad dash to make up for … Read more

You book the solo trip with one hand and text your mom “I’m safe” with the other. This is the reality for millions of women who want to see the world. The desire for freedom is strong, but the fear is real. A huge 66% of women who travel alone worry about their personal safety, … Read more

That perfect travel photo you just saved is probably a lie. A stunning beach, a secret mountain path—it could all be a digital ghost, created by AI to trick you into booking a trip to a place that doesn’t exist. This isn’t just about edited photos anymore. We’re talking about “phantom destinations,” entirely fake places … Read more

Your vacation photos probably feature beaches or mountains. For millions of others, the new must-have shot is in front of a bombed-out building in Ukraine or inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. This is dark tourism, and it has exploded from a strange hobby into a multi-billion-dollar industry. Younger generations are leading the charge, turning sites … Read more

A splash of cold water on a hot day can be refreshing. But on the streets of Barcelona, it’s a declaration of war. Locals are arming themselves with cheap plastic water guns and taking aim at tourists, not as a game, but as a desperate act of protest. The city’s sun-drenched boulevards have become a … Read more

Your brain feels like a browser with too many tabs open, and another night of restless, broken sleep isn’t going to fix it. For a growing number of exhausted Americans, the answer isn’t a new mattress—it’s a $1,700-a-night hotel room where the only goal is to finally get some rest. This new travel trend isn’t … Read more

That sun-drenched Mediterranean trip you’ve been dreaming of is now a high-risk gamble. Record heatwaves and wildfires are turning relaxing beach getaways into survival missions, forcing you to trade sightseeing for shade-seeking. The days of predictable sun, sea, and sand are over. A new travel trend, the “coolcation,” is taking over as savvy travelers head … Read more

That perfect Bali photo in your feed—the one with the sunset, the infinity pool, the impossible calm—is selling a beautiful lie. Behind the billion-dollar brand of pristine beaches and spiritual retreats, a grim reality washes ashore every single day. During the monsoon season, Bali’s most famous coastlines are buried under a sickening tide of plastic … Read more