Staying Chill: Destinations Are Tapping into the Coolcation Travel Trend

One of 2025’s hottest trends is pretty cool. So cool in fact, it has shifted the focus on summers spent vacationing in warm, tropical islands and sunny locales in southern Europe to less-crowded areas with more gentle temps like Canada, Iceland, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, Finland and Sweden. In the United States, top cool climate vacation spots include the Pacific Northwest and Alaska.

Meaning a mix of “cool” and “vacation”, the coolcation travel trend is putting the heat on destinations in both warmer and colder climates. The term first entered travel vernacular around 2023 but really took off in 2024. In June of this year, Forbes reported that search interest in related terms has grown 300% year-on-year.

The Rise of the Coolcation

According to luxury travel network Virtuoso, interest in cooler climate vacations continues to climb, a move reinforced by Booking.com, which noted 42% of global travelers now prefer cooler-weather destinations. Climate has become a deciding factor for many travelers, including a large number of outdoorsy baby boomers and experience-driven first-time travelers.

What Cool-Climate Vacation Spots are Doing

For destinations blessed with a cooler climate, the trend can mean an economic boom, an influx of travelers, increased hotel bookings and a surge in traffic for restaurants and local businesses. For some of these less-crowded locations, however, coolcationing can often be a real adjustment, complicated by the pressures of overtourism possibly outweighing a sustainable capacity.

On the plus side, cooler destinations already have the built-in selling point — the comfortable temperatures coolcationers are seeking. To enhance their place in the arena, these locations are directing marketing efforts toward their cool mountain resorts, quiet lakeside retreats and breezy oceanfront cottages. Savvy destinations are also delving into nature-rich outings such as scenic hikes and bicycling tours, as well as curating packages that bundle experiences and accommodations to catch the eye of those setting their sights on a cool-temp getaway.

How to Attract Coolcationers to a Warm Locale

But what if you’re not cool? For destinations located in warm or even hot climates, navigating the coolcation travel trend can be trickier, but not impossible. Playing up the cool moments found in a warmer destination is a strategic way to take what you have and pivot the messaging: spotlighting more shaded areas and water-adjacent spots to breathe in crisp oceanfront air.

Stepping up focus on experiences that happen early in the morning or at sunset when the sun’s rays aren’t at their peak is another smart move. Now is the time to spotlight sunrise hikes, stargazing tours and late afternoon kayaking adventures. It’s also a best practice to dive into water-based offerings like pools, paddleboarding, snorkeling and lazy rivers where guests can chill out at any time of the day. Indoor experiences like natural history museums, exhibits geared toward wildlife and nature-focused events can also be a win-win.

Wellness ranks high with the climate-motivated market, so emphasizing meditative and de-stressing experiences, whether in the form of hydrotherapy, ice baths, shaded yoga or cool spa rituals are good ideas to share with your audience. Many cooler, forested areas also offer the immersive Japanese practice known as shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, during which trained forest therapy guides help participants engage all their senses to fully connect with the natural world.

Dialing in on the rays of the sun can also be beneficial to marketing destinations in warmer climates. A mindset that embraces the idea that when the sun shines, we chill is another tactic. Offering a lineup of relaxing indoor things to enjoy during the hotter hours of the day, followed by evenings filled with exciting dinners and action-packed nighttime activities, is a good place to start. Many warmer destinations also encourage visits during the cooler shoulder season by offering off-season rates and attractive packages.

The takeaway for destinations: although some of us prefer to make a beeline to sun-drenched beaches and tropical shores, for a growing number of travelers, a coolcation is much, much cooler. The key is tailoring your marketing efforts so you can tap into this hot tourism trend.

Heat up your marketing strategy with cool ideas powered by Dana Communications, named Travel Marketing Agency of the Year for 2025 by Hospitality Business Review. Break the ice and contact Lynn Kaniper at 609.466.9187 ext. 117 or lkaniper@danacommunications.com today.