From hot paradise islands to quiet ‘Falafel City’

WANT to know where’s hot (not literally) this winter? Expedia has just revealed its top trending destinations.

From far-flung islands in The Bahamas to famous UK university cities, all of these spots have seen a surge in interest, and for good reason.

Expedia has used data from lodging searches made on its website between July and October 2026 for travel this winter, compared to the same period in 2025, to find the rising spots.

The top trending international destination this winter is Exuma in The Bahamas, which is up 115 per cent from last year.

Exuma is made up of over 365 islands and cays – the largest being Great Exuma, which is only 37 miles long.

The islands which sit at around 25C in winter, are surrounded by bright blue waters and are well-known for having spots where you can swim with pigs.

In second spot is Quebec City in Canada, where interest is up 75 per cent.

The French-speaking destination is much cooler in the winter months with average highs during the day of around -5C.

But there’s plenty to do including wrapping up warm to explore its enormous castle called Fairmont Le Château Frontenac.

Or take a walk through historic Old Quebec which makes for a pretty picture spot thanks to its cobbled streets and historic buildings.

In third spot is the city of Malmo in Sweden which is up 45 per cent.

It’s considered a quieter alternative to Stockholm and has an enormous Turning Torso skyscraper as well as pretty castles.

Thanks to its Lebanese and Palestinian immigration history, Malmo has a thriving falafel street food scene too giving it the nickname ‘Falafel City’.

It’s not just far-flung destinations either, there’s plenty of close cities for Brits to visit that have seen a surge in interest.

At the very top of the list of trending places in the UK is Cardiff, which is up 45 per cent.

The capital of Wales is regularly voted the UK’s best city and has a thriving restaurant and nightlife scene.

There are lots of independent eateries, or head to Cardiff Market filled with stalls selling fresh Welsh cakes and cheeses.

The second on the list is Oxford which is up 35 per cent.

The city is steeped in history and one popular activity is to take a tour of Oxford University – after all, it’s one of the most prestigious in the world.

Riverboat cruises are popular, and for any Harry Potter fans, check out the tours which go behind the scenes of some of the locations you’ll recognise from the films.

Also on the list are Harrogate, the Cotswolds and Torquay.