If you’ve been following along lately, the Travel Off Path team hasn’t been hyping up Cancun, New York, or Paris — we’ve been living up to our name.
On the downside, venturing too far into the unknown can lead to some sketchy situations, so we decided to round up 6 safe travelers are flocking to in record numbers.
Ranging from up-and-coming Caribbean islands to Australia’s new hotspot and a white-sand African island much easier to reach than you might imagine, travelers worldwide have spoken — the household names we’ve all grown to love have been put on the back burner.
There may be no further proof than Cabo’s slow summer.
But these 6 lesser-known, safe destinations speckling the globe are seeing massive surges in tourism.
PLUS: We’ve created an interactive quiz for you at the end of this article to find your perfect match!
Saint Kitts & Nevis 🇰🇳
When you think of Caribbean islands, you likely think of the common trio of Jamaica, The Bahamas, and the Dominican Republic, in no particular order.
But travelers have scoped out another cultural paradise with one-of-a-kind experiences and fewer footprints in the sand.
Saint Kitts & Nevis is seeing a record-breaking year, welcoming a tick under 42,000 passengers the first few months of the year — and that’s not counting cruises.
Maybe it’s the history with UNESCO-protected fortress, maybe it’s a laid-back luxe resorts, maybe it’s such welcoming locals, or maybe its even one of the Caribbean’s few worthwhile train rides (St. Kitts Scenic Railway).
All in all, Saint Kitts is never a bad idea and more people are catching on.
State Department designation: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
Safety Index score: 85/100
While you’re planning out logistics, you might as well double-check travel alerts and entry requirements for your trip.
2) Busan, South Korea 🇰🇷
The K-Pop frenzy has taken over the world and one could argue ground zero of the craze is Busan, South Korea.
But it’s not just sub-par music (yeah, I said it) that’s put Busan on the map — this vibrant city boasts phenomenal beaches, immense culture, and a breezier, laid-back atmosphere than Seoul.
For a country that somehow made 7-Eleven cool to visit, travelers have talked themselves into venturing outside the bustling capital to check out its second-biggest city, full of colorful hillside villages and seaside temples.
Busan has already welcomed over 1 million visitors in 2026 and continues its pace for a record-setting year for tourism.
State Department designation: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
Safety Index score: 83/100
3) Gold Coast, Australia 🇦🇺
You know Sydney, Melbourne, and one too many Crocodile Dundee quotes, but the Gold Coast gives travelers a new line to steal: “now THAT’S a beach.”
Despite the long-haul, and I mean looonnngggg, Australia isn’t terribly hard to plan a trip around with ample connections from major U.S. cities.
But it’s so off-path most travelers tend to plan around Sydney or Melbourne.
Gold Coast has something to say about that, setting an all-time record for April tourism, pushing toward 600,000 passengers.
Located in Queensland, Gold Coast is one of Australia’s easiest places to enjoy an authentic beach vacation with extra layers, with its long sandy shores laden with surfers, high-rise hotels, theme parks, and rainforest day trips all close together.
State Department designation: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
Safety Index score: 82/100
4) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 🇲🇾
There’s a reason digital nomads have fallen in love with Kuala Lumpur, and it’s not just safety.
Insanely affordable, packed with eye-popping attractions, and one of Asia’s most diverse cities, Kuala Lumpur feels like Singapore’s cooler, cheaper cousin — only with cheaper street food, rooftop pools that don’t require a trust fund, and neighborhoods where Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Islamic influences all collide.
Even with no nonstops from the U.S., that’s not stopping this megacity from having its best year ever, as it’s now more popular than Bangkok, believe it or not.
Over 27.4 million have already flocked to Malaysia this year to see why it’s become Asia’s best-value city break.
State Department designation: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
Safety Index score: 80/100
5) Albufeira, Portugal 🇵🇹
Well, this is about to take a turn…
I’ve had the privilege of exploring Portugal’s famed Algarve region, but Albufeira was one of my absolute least favorite beach towns I’ve ever been to.
I’d return to Portugal in a heartbeat, but you’ll never catch me on the receiving end of pesky vendors, overpriced sangria, overcrowded beaches, and impenetrable walkways through its timeless townscape again.
But…I’m not married to my ideas either.
Fellow travelers have to see something I don’t given its record year thus far, whether it be its postcard golden beaches or buzzing Old Town.
To me, I’d rather go back to Quarteira instead for high-end resorts at bargain bin prices, sangria that won’t break the bank, and open shores where other people’s selfie sticks are the furthest thing from your mind.
State Department designation: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
Safety Index score: 90/100
6) Cape Verde 🇨🇻
Want to really earn bragging rights this summer?
Visit one of Africa’s best-kept secrets that’s surprisingly an easy flight away.
Often referred to as the “Maldives” of Africa, it’s not as far-flung as you might think, thanks to Cabo Verde Airlines.
We recently announced the first flight to St. Croix from NYC in years, but there’s an even more exciting flight launch from a smaller East Coast airport — Providence, R.I. to Praia, Cabo Verde.
That’s right — instead of following literal crowds to Cancun only to be disappointed by sargassum, you can fly just 7 hours away to an entirely different continent with white-sand beaches, volcanic backdrops and magnetic Creole culture.
We’re not talking sketchy streets of Durban or far-reaching paradises of Tanzania, Cape Verde is a haven of island bliss on the Atlantic side with crystalline waters and colorful coastal towns surely to surprise you with how much you’ll love it.
Proof is in the pudding. The lesser-known island nation is seeing a record influx of travelers.
State Department designation: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions (Praia is listed as Level 2)
Safety Index score: 85/100
Now take this quiz to find your perfect escape!
Stacie Harris is a local resident and reporter of the Maple Grove area. Stacie reports on medicine and science for the Maple Grove Report.
