Retailers push back on ban

, coastal towns, and underrated cities that offer culture, comfort, and a break from global chaos.The bottom line? People are still traveling. But how — and why — they travel is evolving fast.

From personal retreats into eco-conscious glamping escapes, today's vacation is less about crossing borders and more about crossing emotional thresholds. Travel isn't just about escape from reality anymore; it's about seeing the world with intention.As one GGA spokesperson put it: “People are still eager to explore, but they’re choosing experiences that feel safe, familiar, and personally meaningful. It’s not just about where to go—it’s about why we’re going in the first place.”

And that mindset feels like a page straight out of Travelbinger’s playbook.There are rules, and then there are TSA rules, which can feel like a unique blend of logic, caution, and pure mystery. While your half-full water bottle gets tossed, someone else might breeze through with a lobster in a bucket. These aren’t just minor exceptions to the rule, but full-blown head-scratchers that seem wildly out of place.

If you've ever wondered what oddities are allowed past the checkpoint, here’s your answer.

Credit: Getty Imagesto get your social media feed jumping, and mine is packed to the brim with bright, colorful, cream-filled creations from the newest kid on the donut-shop block: I'm Donut? (Yes, the question mark is a part of its name.)

This Instagram-friendly shop has taken Japan by storm since its March 2022 launch in Nakameguro. It has since opened five locations in Japan and grown enough to justify a new, sixth location right smack in the middle of Times Square. Ryouta Hirako, chef and founder of I’m Donut?, has described the Times Square opening as a dream come true, citing a location in the bustling neighborhood as the best way to share his creation with as many people as possible.When I set foot in the shop, the first thing I noticed wasn’t the army of employees in (admittedly very stylish) branded, off-white smocks bustling through the open kitchen or the giant wall display of donut-themed merch (including a donut candle)—it was the smell.

It was a mix of sweet butter, nutty toasted flour, and tangy yeast, three of the staple ingredients in Japanese nama donut dough. Nama dough, which translates to "fresh," is a Japanese dough and the base for I'm Donut?'s signature cream-filled donuts.The second thing I noticed, as they were packing up half a dozen donuts for me, was that they used a tiny wedge (it looks like a door-stopper) to prop the box on an angle while loading in the treats. The wedge makes it easier to get the donuts inside the long, narrow box without smearing them against each other, highlighting a level of attention to detail usually reserved for fine dining restaurants.