Wealthy jet setters are flocking to these unexpected countries, travel agents say

According to Virtuoso, bookings for summer trips to Thailand were up 95% from 2023 to 2024. Japan experienced a similar mammoth 110% boost, while China saw 68% ( fall bookings for the latter ballooned 146%).

Belles said the growing popularity of trips to China and Japan was not surprising.

Both East Asian countries were relatively slow to reopen following the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Japan, in particular, was already seeing a growing number of tourists prior to 2020, creating even more pent-up demand further padded by the weak yen.

As for their Southeast Asian counterpart — “brace for Thailand to go crazy next year,” Belles said.

She cited the expected 2025 premiere of “The White Lotus” season three, which was reportedly shot at the country’s luxurious Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui and Anantara Mai Khao Villas Phuket. The first two seasons of the hit HBO series were filmed at Four Seasons resorts in Maui, Hawaii, and Taormina, Italy. Both saw a boom in interest following the show’s debut.

The European hot spots

Vacations to Portugal were similarly up 34% this summer.

Yes, Lisbon has, as Belles put it, “always been there.” But the country’s vibrant culture, lifestyle, and authenticity are starting to attract more people, she said, adding that it’s more affordable than other European countries. “It doesn’t feel like a super touristed destination.”

If you’ve already been to Lisbon, try the three-hour drive north to Porto. Classic Vacations told BI that bookings for the coastal Portuguese city increased by 63% from the first eight months of 2023 to the same period in 2024.

Head north if you don’t want to venture too far from the US.

Virtuoso reported a 40% increase in bookings to Canada for the summer of 2024 compared to the year prior, partly because more travelers are seeking vacations in cooler climates.

Like Ireland and Scotland, America’s upstairs neighbor ticks plenty of boxes for the outdoorsy traveler, such as the iconic Banff National Park and its picturesque Lake Louise.

Or, follow the jet-set crowd and fly to Saint Barthélemy, which, according to the luxury travel company, experienced a 37% gain in summer bookings.

St. Barts has always been a popular destination — even more so now that resorts have been beautifully rebuilt following the devastation from Hurricane Irma in 2017, according to Virtuoso’s spokesperson.

The “piece of the south of France placed in the Caribbean,” as Quintessentially’s Grumbach called it, is also a destination where the firm sees the most repeat business.

“There are gorgeous people, the restaurants are amazing, and travelers are happy because they’re in the Caribbean,” Grumbach said. “You don’t have to drive through poverty to get to your resort, unlike a lot of the islands there.”

Her clients also often seek out neighboring hot spots like Jumby Bay Island and Anguilla. But not the Dominican Republic, she said — unless they’re going to the Aman resort, of course.