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Tribune News Service

Travel trends in 2026 include immersive, experiential, mindful and off-peak travel, and a strong focus on authenticity, nature and cultural engagement.
Add one more to the mix: the skillcation.
Skillcations blend skill and vacation. While a regular holiday tends to focus on relaxation or sightseeing, a skillcation adds some structured learning or practice to the equation.
The “why” of this type of holiday has to do with travellers looking for personal growth and relaxation combined, where they can network with like-minded learners and return home with a tangible new ability or an improvement in their current skill set.
Here are 11 destinations around the world stepping up to the plate to give travellers a taste of what they are looking for.
1. Kitesurfing in Baja

About 45 minutes south of La Paz, the small beach town of La Ventana in Mexico has become one of the best places in North America to learn kitesurfing.
Set along the Sea of Cortez, this former fishing village is known for its steady El Norte winds, especially in winter, when consistent breezes create ideal conditions for building real skills on the water.
For travellers looking for a more immersive experience, ChiloChill Glamping Resort pairs kitesurf lessons with easy, comfortable lodging just steps from the beach.
2. Fly fishing

The Meadows on Rock Creek, a 10-cabin, all-inclusive resort in the US state of Montana, offers the perfect destination to learn fly fishing.
With direct access to an incredibly well-stocked creek, sporting one of the best fly-fishing conditions in the Big Sky state, guests can join walk-and-wade fishing trips led by skilled guides that include all necessary equipment.
3. Learn to play the ukulele
At Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach Resort in Hawaii, guests have the opportunity to take a little “aloha” spirit back home with them to share with family and friends by taking a complimentary ukulele class on the property with a Hawaiian cultural teacher.
4. Learning to surf












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A post shared by Hotel del Coronado (@delcoronado)



There is nothing better than learning to surf on gentler waves.
At the historic Hotel del Coronado in Southern California, top instructors hand-picked by world-famous pro-surfer Jamie O’Brien guide beginner surfers in the calm Pacific waters of the bay in this first and only O’Brien surf school on the US mainland.
5. Capture destinations like a pro
From snapping breaching whales in Alaska to chasing the Northern Lights, travellers are turning their holidays into photography masterclasses as searches for “travel photography” surge 5,000 per cent, according to Google Trends.
Natural Habitat Adventures offers over 30 new trips in ultra-photogenic settings. National Geographic-Lindblad Expeditions offers sailings with National Geographic Photographers and on-board pro gear, giving guests hands-on coaching in some of the world’s most dynamic marine environments.
6. Beekeeping
Travellers can step into the fascinating world of the honeybee through a hands-on beekeeping experience at The Inn at Stonecliffe on Mackinac Island, in the US state of Michigan.
Led by local beekeeper Dave Zimmerman, the experience includes guests suiting up in beekeeping gear to learn about the raw honey-making process, from nectar to jar.
7. Learn to be a cowboy or cowgirl

Saddle up! Booking a package stay at Tombstone Monument Ranch in Tucson, in the US state of Arizona, includes lodging, meals – such as a chuckwagon breakfast – horse riding, and ranch activities like gathering and driving cattle, branding, ear tagging and branding calves, fixing fences, and checking wells, cattle ponds and more
8. Banana winemaking

Traditional urwagwa, or banana wine, is a staple in Rwanda at social gatherings. From weddings to traditional ceremonies, the process has a long history in this African region, made from fermented bananas.
At Hemingways Retreat Kigali, guests can opt to participate in their hands-on banana winemaking experience to learn the process and craft their own urwagwa.
The workshop offers cultural insights into the quintessentially Rwandan experience, providing cultural insights and a unique skill to bring home.
9. Regenerative farming
Spier Hotel and Wine Farm in Stellenbosch, South Africa, offers participants the chance to explore the farm’s Food Garden and learn how permaculture and regenerative farming principles can restore soil health and improve food quality.
Guided by members of the garden team, guests are introduced to natural techniques such as companion planting, crop rotation and cover cropping, as well as the use of worm compost and foliar sprays that enrich the soil.
Informal workshops focus on practical skills such as composting kitchen scraps, improving soil at home, and growing herbs and vegetables using these methods.
10. Pasta making
Nestled in an expansive and stunning estate in California’s Sonoma County, Bricoleur Vineyards allows guests to enjoy immersive experiences that include a gardening class and the very popular pasta-making class, led by Bricoleur’s pasta chef, River Robinson.
Attendees will learn how to incorporate natural ingredients to create coloured pasta and transform their dough into shapes and ribbons in this hands-on culinary offering.
11. Forest bathing and mindful nature immersion

Nestled in the heart of California wine country, Alila Napa Valley is both quiet luxurious farmhouse and modern retreat, where restorative wellness rituals and nature immersions are thoughtfully designed to connect guests to Napa’s landscape.
Home to the largest collection of coastal redwoods in Napa Valley, the hotel gets visitors to reconnect with the grounding rhythms of the natural world through guided forest bathing in nearby Bothe-Napa Valley State Park.


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Tourism

Latest ‘skillcation’ travel trend blends relaxation with self-improvement

Skillcations blend travel with learning, such as at the Tombstone Monument Ranch in Tucson, in the US state of Arizona, which offers experiences like horse riding and ranching. Photo: courtesy of Tombstone Monument Ranch

People kitesurf and kitewing in the waters of La Ventana in Mexico. Photo: Getty Images

The Meadows on Rock Creek, in Montana, offers the perfect destination to learn fly fishing. Photo: TNS

Take part in horse riding at Tombstone Monument Ranch in Tucson. Photo: courtesy of Tombstone Monument Ranch

Discover the art of banana winemaking at Hemingways Retreat Kigali. Photo: courtesy of Hemingways Retreat Kigali

Alila Napa Valley offers guided forest bathing in the nearby Bothe-Napa Valley State Park. Photo: Alila Napa Valley

How frequent fliers are beating jet lag using apps like Timeshifter and StopJetLag

The Timeshifter app focuses on resetting the circadian rhythm using light and dark scenarios and calculates a personal schedule based on your itinerary and whether you are a “night owl” or “early bird”. It is one of many apps of the market designed to help people get over jet lag. Photo: timeshifter.com

Timeshifter co-founder Mickey Beyer-Clausen says if you can reduce circadian disruption, you are likely going to live longer – and studies support this. Photo: timeshifter.com

Frequent flier Richard Hough uses the Timeshifter app so jet lag does not “knock him sideways for days”. Photo: Richard Hough

The Uplift app shows users how and where to apply a five-minute pressure-point routine upon landing to reset their body chemistry. Photo: facebook.com/EndJetLagNaturally

Culture clash in Niseko? How a third-culture COO navigates Japan resort’s complex terrain

Niseko, with its ski slopes and onsen resorts that attract both local Japanese and visitors from around the world, is a place where cultures intersect – and not always harmoniously. Photo: The Luxe Nomad

Patrick Ohtani, COO of Luxe Nomad Japan, has worked in Niseko for 12 years. Photo: The Luxe Nomad

The Niseko Kyo hotel in Niseko, a famous ski resort on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido. Photo: The Luxe Nomad

The interior of The Masonry at Niseko Kyo hotel. Photo: The Masonry

A pulled Wagyu burger at The Masonry. Photo: The Masonry

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Tourists pose for photos at the Tiantan (Temple of Heaven) Park in Beijing. Photo: Xinhua 

6 of Singapore’s best hidden speakeasy bars that will take you back in time – and how to find them

Bartenders at Chandu create drinks with a narrative that are loosely based on history. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

A bartender mixes a drink at Chandu, one of our picks of six of the best hidden speakeasy bars in Singapore. Photo: The Robertson House by the Crest Collection

The Mizuwari whisky highball at Live Twice uses Hokkaido soft water rather than soda to accentuate the malt notes of the Japanese Nikka whiskies. Photo: Instagram/@livetwicesg

Chandu is inspired by Singapore’s colonial era, when opium dens flourished in the city state. Photo: The Robertson House by The Crest Collection

Chandu’s Mata Hari cocktail is named after a Dutch dancer and courtesan. Photo: Facebook/Chandu

Oriental Elixir, located in a Peranakan rowhouse, is a dimly lit watering hole for nonconformist cocktails. Photo: Philipp Meier

Oriental Elixir’s Malabar Tamarind cocktail combines the sour ingredient with roasted cherry tomato gin, dry vermouth. Photo: Instagram/@oriental.elixir

Junior the Pocket Bar is a small, 25-seater speakeasy that tasks itself with changing the menu completely every few months. Photo: Philipp Meier

A cocktail titled Sesame from the Korea-inspired menu at Junior the Pocket Bar. Photo: Junior the Pocket Bar

Jade Harbour is part of The Bund menu currently offered at Junior the Pocket Bar, inspired by the Shanghai district. Credit: Junior the Pocket Bar

For its Korean Joseon dynasty-inspired menu, the interiors of Junior the Pocket Bar featured dragons. Photo: Philipp Meier

Roxy is a hip-hop-inspired speakeasy hidden inside the Miss Fitz restaurant in Singapore’s Marina Bay. Photo: Facebook/Roxy

The drinks at Roxy are based on classics, but are given their own spin. Photo: Facebook/Roxy

Last Word has finessed tipples that were invented in the 1920s. Photo: Philipp Meier

Last Word’s eponymous cocktail is a classic, blending gin, maraschino liqueur, green chartreuse and lime. Photo: Instagram/@lastwordsg

Lifestyle

Travel & Leisure

From winemaking and beekeeping to kitesurfing and ranching, ‘skillcations’ add structured learning or practice to relaxation or sightseeing


From winemaking and beekeeping to kitesurfing and ranching, ‘skillcations’ add structured learning or practice to relaxation or sightseeing.


Latest ‘skillcation’ travel trend blends relaxation with self-improvement

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}From winemaking and beekeeping to kitesurfing and ranching, ‘skillcations’ add structured learning or practice to relaxation or sightseeing

From winemaking and beekeeping to kitesurfing and ranching, ‘skillcations’ add structured learning or practice to relaxation or sightseeing