The latest travel trends come with their own new terms and appeal to every generation of traveler. Are any of these approaches to travel calling your name?
Nonna-maxxing: Grandma Knows Best
Move over, celebrity chefs. The hottest new travel influencer may be an Italian grandmother.
Nonna is Italian for grandmother, and "maxxing" is internet slang for taking something to the next level. Put them together, and you have one of the most charming travel trends - coined by younger travelers, but grandmas can inspire us all! Nonna-maxxing travel is about embracing traditional skills, home cooking, family connections, and the slower pace of life for previous generations.
In Italy, that might mean learning to make pasta from a real nonna in a traditional kitchen and village. In rural France, it could be baking bread or making cheese with local artisans. In Japan, traditional crafts offer another opportunity to connect with generations of wisdom.
Gen Z is discovering that what’s old is new again, and travel may be the best way to revive appreciation for traditions.

SKI: Spending the Kids' Inheritance
If you hear your parents talk about going ‘skiing,’ they may not mean swooshing down the slopes.
The latest lifestyle acronym is about newly-liberated empty nesters treating themselves after putting everyone else first for years. In travel, that translates to booking those bucket-list trips they’ve spent a lifetime dreaming about.
Think luxury world cruises, African safaris, Antarctica expeditions, and extended stays in European villas.
Baby Boomers and retirees are increasingly embracing the philosophy that experiences are worth more than money in the bank. After all, you can't take it with you. And you don’t owe your life savings to anyone.
That said, some are still ‘SKI’ing’ on the kids themselves: taking the entire family on multigenerational vacations.
It’s about creating memories together instead of leaving money behind.
Solomaxxing: One Is the Happiest Number
Another ‘maxxing’ trend – and this one is about celebrating the pleasure of your own company.
"Solomaxxing" reflects the growing enthusiasm for solo travel. Women over 60 set the enviable example of seizing the day and traveling whether or not you have anyone to travel with. And the ‘maxxing’ generation has taken that single baton and run with it.
For younger travelers, it's about independence, self-discovery, and not waiting for someone else to share their bucket list. For older travelers, solo adventures can mean newfound freedom and the confidence to explore on their own terms.
Are you solo-travel curious? The good news is that the travel industry is focusing more on accommodating solo travelers.
Small-group adventure tours, hosted experiences, and cruise lines offering dedicated solo accommodations and events make it easier to find fulfillment traveling on your own, and meet like-minded travelers if you wish - all without paying a solo surcharge.

Glowcation: Come Back Glowing
Does your life need a ‘glowup?’ Another growing travel trend draws on internet slang for transformation: a ‘glowup’ for a room, your house, your wardrobe, or your personal appearance… even your health and wellbeing.
A "glowcation" combines travel with wellness, rejuvenation and even aesthetics, turning a vacation into an investment in yourself. It's particularly appealing to younger travelers interested in self-care. But the promise of returning home looking and feeling better speaks to every generation.
South Korea has become a destination for skincare enthusiasts seeking advanced facials and beauty treatments. In Morocco, traditional hammams promise centuries-old cleansing rituals. And European spa towns such as Baden-Baden, Germany, offer mineral baths and thermal treatments in historic surroundings.
Luxury wellness resorts are taking the concept further with personalized nutrition, fitness, sleep programs, and longevity-focused experiences.
Forget coming home needing a vacation from your vacation. The new souvenir from a glowcation? A healthier, happier you.
And whether you're nonna-maxxing, solomaxxing, SKI-ing or glowcationing, one thing hasn't changed: travel continues to give every generation new reasons to explore the world.
START YOUR TRIP!
Images: Getty
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