Hi from Rick: Kicking Off 2026 Travels
We're throwing our 2026 Travel Festival — a five-night series of free and information-packed webinars from January 12 to 16, designed to get your travel dreaming in focus for the upcoming season. No overblown hype…just solid lessons from experience.
Overblown hype? Yep. It can be a trip-buster.
I can remember way back in 2001, when tourism to the British countryside was devastated by a fear of foot-and-mouth disease. While this was a serious concern for cows, pigs, sheep, and other creatures with cloven hooves, overhyped reporting caused many people — none of whom had cloven hooves — to cancel their English trips out of fear. (To combat this, I did a highly publicized tour of British farms…and survived!)
A quarter century later, clickbait journalism continues to impact travel dreams when it shouldn't. Last year, headlines about anti-tourism protests in Europe created lots of travel anxiety and scuttled many a trip. Nervous Americans didn't realize that these protests were explicitly aimed at "bad tourism" (like cruise mobs that trample a city's charm without staying long enough to buy dinner or stay in a local hotel). But there's also "good tourism": travelers who go to museums, enjoy dining, spend the night, and show interest in local culture…in other words, Rick Steves travelers. Traveling all across Europe last year, I felt totally welcome, even in the most crowded destinations. In fact, I was personally thanked by mayors in tourist-friendly towns for bringing so many "good" visitors, whether through our guidebooks or tours.
The same overblown hype impacted Rome last year as well, when worries about Jubilee Year crowds kept many tourists away…but, apart from the big pilgrimage sites, the city remained much the same as ever. And it's already creeping into 2026: I'm seeing reports that Barcelona's Sagrada Família will soon be "finished" — which is not true. Only the central tower will be complete, meaning these headlines are spurring travelers to book trips to see a still-unfinished church.
Meanwhile, every year, it seems we're bombarded with a list of hyped-up "hot destinations." But commonly, this is just a tactic to generate clicks and fulfill promotional agendas — an effort to make a place popular by saying that it already is. Journalists love to ask me, "What's hot this year?" And I love to disappoint their clickbait hopes by telling them: "What's hot is wherever your travel dreams are taking you."
There's lots of travel content out there that's sloppy and sensationalized — meant to grab your attention more than provide accurate descriptions. Fortunately, at Rick Steves' Europe, our well-traveled team works hard to keep up with the latest news, distinguish between what's real and what's just hype, and help you get ready for your next adventure. Because your trip is important — and those who plan smartly enjoy maximum travel thrills per mile, minute, and dollar.
That's why you're invited to our 2026 Travel Festival. I'll be kicking things off with a mouthwatering hour of tips for foodie travelers. Then, the next four evenings will feature sessions on managing Europe's crowds, packing advice for every season, how to create the perfect itinerary, and what's new (not "hot"!) in 2026. All you have to do is register, log on, and get excited for the year to come.
In this month's Travel News, we're toasting to a new year of travel adventures! We'll help jump-start your trip planning by sharing the 2026 travel trends and key events in Europe, and Cameron Hewitt's annual list of new European discoveries. Plus, we'll take a look at why Barcelona is on an unstoppable roll and marvel at the funky facades in its Eixample neighborhood.
At Rick Steves' Europe, we know that those who take advantage of good information and expect themselves to travel smart can do exactly that. The key is "good" information. And — whether on our TV shows, in our guidebooks, on our bus tours, or at our upcoming Travel Festival — good information is exactly what we're all about.
Happy New Year — and Happy Travels,
Rick