Travel in Los Angeles, state California

We’re proud to announce the winners of the 2018 SmarterTravel Editors’ Choice Destination Awards. We’ve scoured the world to find the best places to go in 2018.

Los Angeles, California — The United States has “serious problems” when it comes to international inbound travel that must be resolved if the country is to regain its competitive edge.That’s the assessment of the U.S. Travel Association and its leader Geoff Freeman, the organization’s president and CEO.Freeman delivered his sober take on the problems plaguing inbound travel to the United States during a press conference today in Los Angeles, California where a travel industry convention is taking place.“The United States remains the world’s most desired nation to visit, but at the end of 2019 we had 79 million visitors internationally and in 2023 we had 67 million international visitors," Freeman told the media gathered for the IPW 2024 convention. “That’s only 84 percent of pre-pandemic levels.”“When you look at travel as an export - before the pandemic we had a 12 billion [person] travel trade surplus. At end of last year we had about a 50 billion [person] travel trade deficit,” Freeman added.There's a handful of challenges that the United States currently faces when it comes to attracting international visitors and significantly ramping up inbound numbers, said Freeman. And some of those challenges are within the country’s ability to fix, while others are not.There’s not much that can be done, for instance, about the strength of the U.S. dollar, which makes this country very expensive to visit from many other parts of the world. Similarly, there’s not much U.S. officials can do about the current prohibitions surrounding flights over Russian airspace, which pose a major obstacle for airlines coming to this country from China.However, visa wait times continue to be a significant roadblock for international visitors — and that’s an issue U.S. officials can — and should — be able to fix, Freeman said.“On the visa side, I checked this morning — if you're a Columbian and want to come to the U.S. the wait times are over 600 days to get an interview at a U.S. consulate,” said Freeman. “If you’re in Mexico, the wait times are over 800 days.”By contrast, for visitors from India the wait timeline for visa interviews has recently been reduced to a somewhat more reasonable 150 to 200 days. Similarly, wait times for those visiting from Brazil have been reduced drastically — from what was once 500 days down to just 21 days, according to the U.S. Travel Association.“It shows us that it can be done. When the State Department uses their ingenuity and gets creative and puts resources in the right places, this problem can be solved,” explained Freeman. “But it’s been going on for far too long. It needs to be solved now.”

Viking has officially filed for an initial purchase offering (IPO) with the United States Securities and Exchanges Commission. Finance and investment publication Barrons says the IPO could be valued at more than $US10 billion.

Even celestial events need a backing track—and the April 8 total solar eclipse is no different. Whether you’re road-tripping down to Hot Springs, Arkansas for Atlas Obscura’s Ecliptic Festival or flying over to Cleveland, Ohio, you’ll undoubtedly need some tunes to get you in the mood.

As the world prepares for the 2024 Summer Olympics from Paris between July 26 and August 11, Air France is expanding service to the United States and North America to support the increased demand.

The USA is a nation of immigrants, and there are plenty of places across the country with a distinctly European vibe.

Breeze Airways will add its 50th destination this spring with new flights from the coast of North Carolina, and is putting fares on sale across its network to celebrate.

An orthodontist with an online presence said she's "overwhelmed" by the attention she's received after telling followers she was electrocuted in a "freak accident" while on a trip to Thailand.

Scare actorsat horror theme parks like Universal Studios Hollywood and Orlando often have to deal with assault and harassment from belligerent guests for a job that pays little more than minimum wage, employees told Insider.

Queensland may be best known for its epic surfing and sunny, sandy beaches — but this Australian state also features landscapes of rugged mountain peaks and jungle forests to explore. Brisbane can be a great urban place to set as home base in Queensland, but for those who want to stay in a relaxing spot just steps from the sand or nestled into the jungle of the forest land, these Airbnb options make for awesome spots to spend the night with easy access to the state’s best attractions.

After over a year and a half of litigation, Disney is agreeing to pay out settlements to people who purchased Magic Key park passes in 2021.

After living in London, England, for three years, TikToker Olamide Modupe has created a video series sharing things she "had to learn the hard way" about moving there from the US. 

From applying and getting hired to working on 12-plus-hour flights, many elements of a flight attendant's and pilot's jobs are elusive.

Get the most bang-for-your-buck with a trip to these top value destinations this year. For months we’ve tracked dozens of destinations around the world to find vacation-worthy spots that won’t break the bank. From a cool West Coast city to a Mediterranean Island, here is where you should be going in 2018 if you’re looking to save some money.

Understandably, Virgin America loyalists are an unsettled lot, with their perky, tech-forward airline now set to be absorbed by an airline whose personality is represented by a scowling Eskimo.

Looking for a new museum to add to your travel to-do list? TripAdvisor (SmarterTravel’s parent company) has released the Travelers’ Choice Top 25 Museums of 2018, including the top 10 worldwide and the top 10 in the United States, with some surprising frontrunners. The findings also highlight bookable ways to see each winner—think VIP tours and scavenger hunts—with some offering the added perk of allowing you to skip the lines to get in.

Summer may be in full swing, but it isn’t too late to plan a getaway or snag a travel deal. New analysis from financial servicer First Data highlights some cities that are growing in popularity as summer destinations (and some that aren’t) to help you find the best deals.

May is here, which means Memorial Day–the unofficial start to summer–is just around the corner. Memorial Day isn’t the biggest travel holiday of the year, with many people choosing quick, local getaways (read: driving, instead of flying).

We asked our readers to choose the most overrated places in the world, and the responses encompassed everywhere from Skegness to Sydney. Below are the places you voted into the top ten (for destinations that shouldn't disappoint you, read our month by month, where to go when guide).