Research summary

As the 2026 World Cup wraps up, ROAST researched which destinations are seeing the biggest surge in demand and where audiences will be planning to visit next. 

World Cup 2026 is fueling a surge in travel search interest for several “lesser-considered” destinations, turning them into serious travel contenders:

• Cape Verde
• Bosnia
• Argentina
• Panama
• Norway

We know that socials like TikTok are increasingly shaping this shift in travel planning:

• 39% of TikTok users have booked travel or made a travel purchase after seeing platform content (source 1).
• 66% say TikTok is the most helpful platform for travel inspiration (source 2).
• The most helpful content types: reviews (60%), tips (60%), educational content (43%), routines (40%), and guides (39%) (source 2).

So, for each surging destination, ROAST analysed the recurring TikTok themes and recommendations driving interest for each destination.

Where to head:

• Sal Island – known for Santa Maria’s beaches, Kite Beach, Pedra de Lume salt crater, Buracona/Blue Eye, and all-inclusive resorts 
• Boa Vista – quad biking, hidden-gem beaches, dunes 
• Santo Antao – repeatedly called the “greenest and most mountainous” island
• Sao Vicente – the cultural hub: nightlife, live music, Carnival 
• Fogo Island – the active volcano hike, plus wine grown in volcanic ash soil 

Ideal time to travel:

• November-June – best for both beach time and volcanic hiking trails
• July-September – specifically the turtle nesting season 

Highlights & activities:

• Turtle watching (guided sunset/night walks, seasonal)
• Snorkeling with lemon sharks at Shark Bay
• The “Blue Eye” natural pool
• Fogo volcano hike
• Pedra de Lume salt crater
• Ziplining and quad biking (Boa Vista)
• Catamaran/boat cruises with snorkel stops
• Cachupa cooking classes (the national dish)
• Santo Antão hiking through terraced mountain valleys
• Mindelo’s nightlife and Carnival scene

Good to know before you visit:

• Flights: ~6 hours direct from the UK 
• Currency: Cape Verdean escudo is the main currency but euros are widely accepted
• Entry: a traveller entry form is required (often bundled into package holidays).
• Food: Cachupa is the essential dish — try both the everyday version and “Cachupa Rica” with meat/fish and a fried egg.

Where to head:

• Sarajevo – often referred to as “one of the most underrated cities in Europe,” 
• Mostar – the second must-see, centered on the Ottoman-era Stari Most (Old Bridge)
• Blagaj – the Dervish Tekke/monastery on a cliff above the Buna River spring
• Kravice Waterfalls –  repeatedly flagged as swimmable and a top nature stop.

Ideal time to travel:

• May–June and September are the sweet spot — warm, fewer crowds, prices haven’t peaked. 

Highlights & activities:

Sarajevo:

• Free walking tour of the Old Town/Baščaršija
• Cable car up Mt. Trebević + the abandoned 1984 Olympic bobsled track
• Sunset at the Yellow Fortress
• Latin Bridge, Tunnel of Hope, and Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide
• Vrelo Bosne (Bosna Springs) and horse riding in the countryside
• Food crawl: burek, ćevapi, Bosnian coffee, baklava

Mostar & day-trip circuit:

• Stari Most (Old Bridge) – watching (or attempting) the cliff jumps
• Blagaj Tekke, Kravice Waterfalls (swimming), Počitelj, Konjic

Good to know before you visit:

• Cash is king, no Uber in Sarajevo, so bring cash for taxis and markets
• Roads are rough, check Google Maps satellite/street view before driving
• Landmines remain a rural risk – stick to marked trails
• People are the highlight – hospitality, strong coffee culture, and locals are mentioned constantly

Where to head:

• Buenos Aires – repeatedly nicknamed “the Paris of South America”. Highlights include Palermo, San Telmo, Recoleta & La Boca/El Caminito
• Patagonia – El Calafate, El Chaltén, Laguna de los Tres and Laguna Sucia, Bariloche, Circuito Chico & Ushuaia
• Mendoza – wine country, Malbec vineyard tours
• Iguazú Falls — shows up on nearly every “must-see Argentina” list

Ideal time to travel:

• Buenos Aires: treated as fairly year-round, but spring (Sept–Nov) and autumn (Mar–May) come up most for pleasant walking weather.
• Patagonia: December to March (the Southern Hemisphere summer) 

Highlights & activities:

Buenos Aires:

• Wander San Telmo’s Sunday market and watch street tango
• Recoleta Cemetery
• Teatro Colón tour
• Café-hopping / “cafecito” and merienda culture
• Try asado (cooking classes are a specific trend)
• Horse racing as an offbeat itinerary add
• Sunset at the Obelisco

Patagonia:

• Perito Moreno Glacier — ice trekking or boat viewing
• Hiking Laguna de los Tres / Laguna Torre / Loma del Pliegue Tumbado from El Chaltén
• Estancia (ranch) day tours near Puerto Natales/Calafate

Good to know before you visit:

• The “blue dollar” exchange rate is the single most-repeated tip. Bring USD or EUR cash and exchange it locally, or use Western Union, to get a much better rate
• Nightlife runs very late – dinner often doesn’t start until 9-10pm; bars later still
• Getting around Buenos Aires is easy (metro-based), but Patagonia requires  driving/logistics planning 

Where to head:

• Panama City / Casco Viejo – the historic old town is the most-featured city sight
• Bocas del Toro – the standout beach destination; described as a “tropical hidden gem” 
• San Blas / Guna Yala – the 300+ island archipelago is a huge recurring highlight
• Boquete – the mountain-town/coffee stop, famous for Geisha coffee tours 
• Volcán Barú – the hiking pilgrimage spot
• Playa Caracol / Punta Chame – the closer, easy Pacific beach day-trip from the city

Ideal time to travel:

• Panama has a dry season (roughly December–April) that’s most recommended for travel,

Highlights & activities:

• Explore Casco Viejo’s streets, rooftop bars, and nightlife
• Panama Canal viewing (Miraflores locks) 
• Hike Volcán Barú for the sunrise/two-ocean view
• Island-hop in Bocas del Toro (dolphin watching, mangrove sloth tours, snorkeling)
• Boat tour to San Blas/Guna Yala for snorkeling and beach-hopping 
• Coffee tours and cool mountain air in Boquete
• The Lost Waterfalls hike (Bocas del Toro) 
• Amador Causeway biking, Punta Culebra Nature Center
• Carnival in Las Tablas — a big recurring cultural event, not just a sightseeing stop

Good to know before you visit:

• Currency is the US dollar (locally called the Balboa)
• Vaccinations are a real planning point
• Tipping is discretionary but common 
• Transport differs by region  public transit works fine within Panama City, but a rental car (or domestic Air Panama flights) is recommended for reaching Boquete

Where to head:

• Lofoten Islands – an Arctic paradise of “deep fjords, jagged coastlines and crystal clear waters,” 
• Tromsø – the Arctic hub for northern lights hunting and general unreal views
• Bergen- consistently called the “gateway to the fjords,
• Oslo – the cultural/city stop
• The Flåm Railway –  one of the most scenic train journeys in the world

Ideal time to travel:

• Northern Lights: roughly September through March, with Tromsø, Lofoten, Senja, and Alta as the prime viewing zone
• Midnight Sun / hiking / fjords: June–August, when the sun doesn’t set in the Arctic north and hiking trails are fully open

Highlights & activities:

• Northern lights hunting (Tromsø, Lofoten, Senja, Alta) — the dominant content category by volume
• Fjord cruises/kayaking (Geirangerfjord, Nærøyfjord, Sognefjord)
• Ride the Flåm Railway
• Hike Trolltunga, Preikestolen (Pulpit Rock), Kjerag, or Reinebringen in Lofoten
• Whale/orca safaris around Tromsø and Andøy (RIB boat and silent electric-catamaran tours are both mentioned)
• Wildlife/Arctic experiences — reindeer, king crab safaris, ice hotels (Alta)
• Wander Bergen’s fish market and old town
• Explore Oslo’s Vigeland sculpture park and Munch Museum
• Midnight Sun hiking/photography in Lofoten during summer

Good to know before you visit:

• Norway is expensive
• Norway is a card-based society 
• Extreme seasonal light swings — Midnight Sun (24-hour daylight) in summer and Polar Night (near-total darkness) 
• Ferries are a genuine part of getting around 
• Tipping isn’t expected 
• Norwegians speak excellent English

Sources & methodology

Sources

• Source 1 | https://travelweekly.co.uk/in-depth/comment-how-tiktok-is-shaping-travel-trends-in-2025 
• Source 2 | TikTok Marketing Science US Custom Travel Destination Survey via AYTM, April 2024.  

Methodology

• Cape Verde searches | Source: Google trends & Glimpse data, last month vs. YoY (worldwide) 
• Bosnia, Argentina, Panama & Norway  | Source: Google trends & Glimpse data, year so far vs. YoY (worldwide) 
• To identify the TIkTok recommendations we scraped the existing content on TikTok through the use of an AI agent (worldwide)