This Summer Travel Trend Samantha Brown Says Will Have Travelers Leaving Hot Beaches Behind

For as long as many people can remember, summer has been a time for beach vacations in hot and sunny destinations. It's the time of year when people start searching for the most under-the-radar beach destination or flock to this Florida beach paradise with serene snorkeling. But these summer vacay traditions have shifted drastically in 2025, according to renowned travel show host and guru Samantha Brown. She recently revealed in an article for Parade that "coolcationing" is the latest summer travel trend that's seeing vacationers ditching beaches for colder destinations.

Coolcations first appeared in the travel zeitgeist in 2023, thanks to Condé Nast Traveller, and have quickly risen in popularity. Taking a coolcation during the summer essentially means traveling to a cooler destination. Unsurprisingly, the trend has gained traction around the same time that climate change has caused many traditionally popular summer holiday spots to become unbearably hot, and at times, dangerous. "Summer these days means record high temperatures and almost unbearably hot days ... I'm more interested in coolcations ... where you can spend the afternoon sitting outside at a café without leaving a sweaty imprint when you stand up," Brown writes on her travel blog. 

Just how popular are coolcations in 2025? According to travel PR and content agency Lemongrass, there have been 300% more searches for cooler holidays in 2025 compared to 2024, when industry professionals thought the trend was hitting its stride (via Country & Town House). Summer bookings for Finland and Norway tours have increased by 26% for one luxury operator. At the same time, Samantha Brown highlighted a trend towards more elevated or northern places in the U.S., such as Arizona's mountain city of Flagstaff. "All bets are off," Brown said in the Parade interview about this culture change.

This movement has also come about from people becoming more aware of overtourism. Instead of fighting for space among hordes of people at the beach, these eco-conscious travelers are opting for quieter and cooler vacations. Internationally, certain European destinations have become known as coolcations. Flights to Norway have increased by almost 40% from places experiencing hotter summers, including France, Spain, and Italy. Scandinavia as a whole offers the perfect climate and relaxed style for coolcationers. "Sweden and Finland, which are less busy than the more popular neighbors of Iceland and Norway, offer a huge diversity of summer travel options, without record-breaking temperatures or prices," said Fora travel agent Nadia Bess in a Pop Sugar interview.

Samantha Brown has also highlighted Norway, specifically the peaceful coastal region of Helgeland, for a coolcation. Moreover, Brown recommends Southern Hemisphere destinations, including the artsy cities of Melbourne, Australia, and Auckland, New Zealand, both surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. Within the U.S., Brown lists Maine as one of her favorite spots for a cooler holiday, while Seattle's outdoor attractions and foodie scene earn it her tick of approval. Travel experts are also promoting destinations that offer cool and refreshing mountain scenery, such as Jackson Hole, Alaska, and Glacier National Park.

There are some concerns about coolcations, particularly the impact of overtourism on these newly popularized destinations. Many of them, whether in the U.S. or abroad, lack the capacity or infrastructure to handle such a large number of visitors at once. Visiting these places can also require more money and planning compared to spending a week by the beach. But for many, the cost and admin are worth avoiding scorching temperatures and crowds. If you're not ready to abandon your beach vacation yet, here's why you should start "heat training" your body weeks beforehand.