One Lagoon, Three Resorts: The Best Of The Maldives In One

Skift’s Megatrends for 2024 were released at the beginning of the year, our 12th annual reporting on the trends defining the travel industry.

With glamorous overwater bungalows, five-star resorts, and a decadeslong reputation for indulgence and luxury, the Maldives are known as a vacation destination for the rich and famous.

Lionel Messi is back promoting Saudi Arabia in a campaign that says it wants to dismantle “walls” of “misconception” and break “outdated stereotypes.”

Spirit Airlines is expanding its presence in South Carolina, adding flights from Charleston to Boston and New York City this spring.

Experience the ultimate in barefoot luxury this year by seeking out 2024’s most highly anticipated new island resorts.

Holland America is taking inspiration from the 1920s again for its latest over-the-top Mediterranean cruise.

Mark your calendars: On April 8, 2024, a rare total solar eclipse will cut a path across the continent beginning with Mexico, passing through the US, and exiting through Canada. The line of totality for this celestial phenomenon will cross through 13 US states with some areas seeing a maximum totality of over four minutes (including Bloomington, Indiana, and Mesquite, Texas). So, there are plenty of chances to observe the eclipse as it arches from Texas to Maine, hitting Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, and New Hampshire on the way.

I began my exploration of the countless bike paths in New York City as soon as I arrived. As a longtime cyclist in London, I knew that cycling is a satisfying way to get to know a city as a newcomer, and it’s no different in New York: you whip through neighborhoods, witnessing the landscape changing character dramatically between blocks. (My first ever bike ride took me past the copper-colored mansions of Brooklyn Heights, along the tourist-crowded cobbled streets of Dumbo, through Hasidic South Williamsburg and ended outside a crummy dive bar on Grand.) Riding a bike also requires a certain mindset, a kind of calm hyper awareness as you assess your surroundings. It means that you really notice things on a bike: potholes and perfectly flattened rats that need dodging, but also scraps of conversations, or the gauzy silhouette of the Empire State Building peeking out behind skyscrapers to signpost where you are.

Luxury cruise expert Mundy Cruising has launched an extraordinary programme, The Ultimate Luxury Cruise, which combines iconic destinations, amazing travel experiences and superlative accommodations to create a 105-day journey, departing Tokyo on 14th April 2025 and finishing in Dubrovnik on 26th July 2025. Customer research at the top end of the market by Mundy Cruising has revealed a range of travel trends and priorities for its discerning client base, including longer trips, slow travel, iconic experiences, bucket list destinations and a desire to return to gentler (and arguably Pre-Covid) times.

Many bucket lists include a trip to Egypt.

The Maldives is a dream destination for many travelers, including honeymooners, wealthy families, and even budget explorers like me.

To continue with JA Manafaru’s 2024 visiting VIP practitioner program, the island team has announced that from the 31st January to the 13th February guests can experience the wisdom and positive energy of internationally-acclaimed healer Vandana Mendonca.