About 91% of Americans are planning to travel in 2026, according to Marriott Bonvoy. "CBS Saturday Morning" explores some of the best places to travel next year, according to CBS News partner the BBC.

BBC.com has unveiled a list of the 20 best places to travel in 2026, selected through extensive research and input from local experts and travel organizations. The list emphasizes destinations that use tourism to protect heritage, promote sustainability, and offer unique cultural experiences. Featured locations include Philadelphia, which will host major events for the U.S. 250th anniversary, Montenegro for its unspoiled wilderness and community tourism, Chile's Colchagua Valley as a top wine destination, Kenya's Samburu County for conservation and astro-tourism, and Algeria for its diverse landscapes and new visitor-friendly policies.

Travel trends for 2026 identified by the BBC include a preference for road trips over flights, cultural immersion over hedonism, and seeking quiet, immersive experiences. The full list of recommended destinations can be found on bbc.com.

Best places to travel in 2026

as many of us start planning our time off for 2026. According to Marriott Bonvoy, 91% of Americans are planning a trip next year. And two thirds say they're prioritizing travel over making big purchases. But where to go? The BBC has some ideas. They're out with a list of 20 best places to visit in 2026. And this morning we're joined by BBC.com travel editor, Elliot Stein. Elliot, thank you for being here. Good morning. Good morning. I love these kind of lists. I'm very curious about them. First of all, how did you come up with yours? Oh gosh. It's something that takes months and months to research. The BBC obviously has bureaus and journalists all over the world. So we lean on these local experts. And then we also work with some of the world's leading travel organizations to identify places that are actively using tourism for good. These are places that are protecting local heritage, protecting the environment, promoting culture, actively welcoming travelers in an age of over-tourism. And then on top of that, creating immersive, incredible experiences for visitors. Your top spot in the U.S. is Philadelphia. Why Philly? Philadelphia is a really interesting one. Next year, a big moment in the U.S. is obviously the 250th anniversary of the U.S. So cities across the country are gonna be celebrating this. But the best place to experience this milestone is the place where it all started. Philadelphia is unveiling a different festival every Saturday across the city. There's a massive citywide mural project dedicated to the themes of independence and freedom. And then on top of that, in addition to this milestone, it's just a huge year for sports. So the city is hosting FIFA World Cup matches, the PGA Championship, the MLB All-Star Game. And then this fun thing called Rocky Fest, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Rocky films. I've run up those stairs. It's very fun. Let's head to Eastern Europe. And you chose Montenegro. Montenegro is another interesting one. It's one of the youngest sovereign nations on the planet. It's just turning 20 years old in 2026. And few people realize that just south of one of the world's most over-touristed places, which is Dubrovnik, Montenegro is also home to similarly stunning seaside settlements, these medieval walled fortresses, and almost no crowds. But the real draw of the country is in its mountainous interior, where a series of new hiking trails are leading travelers to one of Europe's last unspoiled wildernesses. And also along the way, encouraging local communities that have lived there for centuries to profit from tourism, from homestays, and to have a lifeline. Let's go down to South America now. And you've picked a very specific spot in Chile. Yeah, most travelers who arrive in Chile will quickly touch down in Santiago and beeline to either the Atacama or to Patagonia. But two hours south of Santiago is an area called the Colchigua Valley. And the Colchigua Valley is quickly emerging as one of the world's leading wine destinations. There was a vineyard there that was actually just named the best winery on Earth recently. And so this entire area, from the snow-dusted mountains of the Andes Mountains to the wave-crashing area of the Pacific Coast, it's dotted with these award-winning wineries. And increasingly, visitors can sleep among the vines. This is everything from humble mom-and-pop vineyards to luxury, award-winning villas perched dramatically on the sides of cliffs. The pictures are gorgeous. Yeah. All right, now you wanna highlight two spots in Africa. Yes, the first one is in Kenya, specifically an area called the Samburu County. So Kenya's long been known as kind of the ultimate safari destination, but in the northern corner, Samburu's really pioneering conservation and sustainability. There are two new ecolodges opening up there this year, both of which are run by the local Lakot people. There's a pioneering astro-tourism initiative there where visitors can now hear ancient star lore from indigenous elders. They can peer up at the cosmos and see constellations in two different hemispheres in these unique things called star beds. And then there's just fun citizen science initiatives too. So travelers can work with orphaned elephants. They can help protect and track endangered rhinos with local guides. It's really fantastic. Yeah, and quickly, what other travel trends are you seeing for the coming year? Well, we've identified seven, and these include everything from roads over runways, culture over hedonism, and my personal favorite, quiet over everything. It's the idea that in an ever-connected world, it's sometimes beneficial to sit in silence, to really immerse yourself in the destination. And we feel like our list reflects this. Everything from road trips along the lonely Oregon coast to walking slowly in British Columbia's Slocan Valley and immersing yourself in the wonders of the Komodo Islands in Indonesia. I'm a big fan of silence myself. Yes, just put down the technology for a good day. Tell me a little bit about Algeria before we go. Algeria, it's Africa's largest country, and it's also one of the most diverse. It's home to sunny Mediterranean climates and cities. It's home to windswept Sahara sand dunes, and also immaculately preserved ancient Roman ruins. Similar to Montenegro, you don't need to book weeks in advance. There's not a whole lot of tourism there, but the country has also really made it easier for visitors to arrive. There's a new visa on arrival program, and they're funneling tourism money into helping to support artisans and protect cultural heritage in a really meaningful way. All right, all the pictures are absolutely stunning. Elliot Stein, thank you for being here. Thanks for having me. You can see the full list of 20 places to go in 2026 on bbc.com.

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