The destinations gaining ground with Americans this winter

During the winter months, do Americans prefer the idea of holidaying in warmer spots or do they double down and start romanticizing the idea of snowclad destinations? Impression scores on YouGov DestinationIndex reveals which international destinations saw the biggest shifts in public perception among Americans compared to the previous winter. Using our Impression metric — which measures whether consumers hold an overall positive or negative view of a destination — we can identify where sentiment has strengthened year on year.

Looking at the US public overall, South Korea recorded the largest improvement in Impression score this winter, rising by 5.9 points to 12.9. Mexico followed with a 5.4-point increase, although its overall score remained relatively low at 6.7. Iceland ranked third, pairing a strong positive score of 32.6 with a 3.2-point lift compared to winter 2024–25. Italy and Scotland completed the top five most improved destinations, both building on already favorable perceptions.

Further down the list, China, Sweden, Canada, and Hong Kong saw only marginal changes, while Thailand was the only destination in the top ten to experience a slight decline in Impression score over the period.

Year-on-year changes vary considerably by generation. Among Gen Z, Iceland saw the largest improvement compared to last winter, rising by 11.5 points. Sweden and Scotland followed closely, with gains of 9.2 and 8.5 respectively. Australia and South Korea also posted notable increases, indicating growing interest across both long-haul and culturally distinctive destinations.

Millennials showed a different pattern. Italy recorded the largest improvement in this cohort, increasing by 11.2 points to reach an Impression score of 46.1. Canada and Iceland also saw strong gains, followed by Scotland and South Korea. In contrast to Gen Z, Millennials’ biggest movers tended to be destinations that already score well overall.

Among Gen X consumers, Mexico stood out clearly, recording a 13.0 point increase — the largest year-on-year gain for any destination across any generation — although its overall score remained modest at 6.9. South Korea followed with a +6.7 increase, while China, Thailand, and Singapore rounded out the top five. Despite remaining negative overall, China’s improvement suggests a modest softening in perceptions versus last winter.

Baby Boomers showed another distinct profile. China saw the largest increase among this group (+9.7), despite continuing to hold a negative Impression score. South Korea and Hong Kong also recorded meaningful gains, while Mexico and Saudi Arabia completed the top five. As with Gen X, several of the biggest improvers among Boomers remained net-negative overall, highlighting that improved sentiment does not necessarily equate to widespread approval.

Overall, while some established favorites strengthened their positions especially among younger generations, several less positively viewed destinations saw meaningful rebounds compared to last winter.

Methodology: Data is from YouGov DestinationIndex, which tracks public perceptions of international travel destinations on a daily basis. Impression scores measure whether respondents have an overall positive or negative view of a destination. Figures referenced compare Impression scores among US adults during winter 2025 with the same period in winter 2024–25. Generational analysis is based on net score change within each age cohort over the same year-on-year period. Scores are net figures and can range from -100 to +100. A positive change indicates an improvement in overall perception.