Cirque Du Soleil Star Jenna Beltran Talks All Things Travel

“I feel like we’re at the house of rich friends with impeccable taste…and they’ve given us run of the place,” I said to my partner during our stay at Inn the Ground, which opened in Oregon’s Willamette Valley this year. We were seated around a sleek concrete fire bowl on the patio, wearing plush white robes on loan from the Inn. Sipping pinot from glasses we grabbed after being told we could help ourselves to anything in the ultra-modern kitchen, we relished the quiet, and watched the last of that day’s light disappear from the profile of Mt. Hood.

In the U.S. state of California, the northern valley named Napa includes a wine scene under constant transformation. Establishments change ownership, new talent arrives and well known names depart. During 2023, for example, Rombauer Vineyards sold their brand (as well as many of their facilities and more than a square mile of vineyards—located not only in Napa Valley but at other northern California regions) to E&J Gallo’s Luxury Wine Group; Miljenko (Mike) Grgich, who crafted the iconic Chardonnay that brought fame to Chateau Montelena in the 1970’s, passed away; the Napa Valley Wine Train celebrated its 30th anniversary, while the Napa Valley Wine Trolley (a replica of a tram car from San Francisco) reopened at Castello di Amorosa after years of Covid-19 related closure. Also in 2023, the county approved the first ever proposed ‘micro-winery’ (Goel Estate Vineyards) with criteria that include that it not produce more than 5,000 gallons of wine per year and that the owners grow 75% of grapes used for fermentation onsite.

Sun Valley, Idaho is practically synonymous with skiing and winter snow sports—and for good reason. Interest in skiing surged in the decades after the first Winter Olympics in 1924. Sun Valley Resort opened in 1936 with the goal of becoming America’s premier ski resort—debuting the world’s first chairlift, adapted from a system used to haul bananas onto ships in Panama.

The travel industry has made enormous progress in its rebound from the pandemic this year, but it still faces several hurdles in its quest to make a full recovery — such as Chinese outbound travel not yet hitting pre-Covid levels.

The principals of the innovative London and New York-based travel company Black Tomato made their name by assembling detail-oriented and sometimes very out of the way travel plans for exceedingly curious, adventurous clients. Having surveyed the market to ascertain what their clients are interested in now and the changes they see in the travel landscape, they’ve come up with the ways they see that travel happening in the next year and in what parts of the world those ambitious travelers could be.

This was the year that all the occupancy gains from the short-term rental boom went away. Demand for short-term rentals declined in the U.S. as Americans opted for overseas trips and cruises.

Motor Valley Fest, the free event celebrating Italian motoring excellence, will return to Emilia Romagna from 2-5 May, 2024. The sixth edition of the festival will once again take place in Modena, the capital of the most famous Motor Valley in the world. This event, which has attracted thousands of classic car and motor enthusiasts since its first edition, allows attendees to discover where the fastest cars and motorbikes in the world are “born” and to experience Italian motoring excellence first-hand through a series of dedicated events for the public and professionals.

Homes & Villas by Marriott Bonvoy recently relaunched its Curated Collections – hand-picked selections of incredible homes and destinations from around the world – to inspire travelers as they begin planning their 2024 journeys. For the nearly four out of 10 prospective travelers for leisure in the next 12 months who are still deciding where they want to travel 1 in 2024, according to a recent YouGov study (conducted on behalf of Marriott), Curated Collections will spark and satisfy wanderlust for travelers with their new collections.

Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) will turn 50 in January 2024, and it's marking the milestone with a year-long celebration that will include special events, activities and surprises.

Vibrant orange and black wings fill the skies above coastal California each winter as thousands of western monarchs take flight. But these iconic butterflies are disappearing. A new trail brings attention to their decline and invites travelers to help protect them. 

2023 has been a challenging year for air travel, with the aviation industry plagued by strikes, system hiccups and disruptive weather conditions.

One of the most rewarding ways to plan a trip is by building it around a specific event connected to a deep interest or passion. Taking part in something meaningful on your travels creates a unique connection with a destination that can lead to memories that will last a lifetime. Whether it’s testing your athletic derring-do in an ultra-marathon in Peru or whipping out your spray cans at a graffiti festival in Bristol, we’ve rounded up some of the most exciting events for you to participate in for 2024.