Everyone Orders the Burger. Then Someone Orders the Special.

Why the best travel stories often begin in the places you weren’t planning to visit.

You know the scene. You’re out to dinner with friends. Nearly everyone orders the burger. It’s reliable. Familiar. You know it’ll be good.

Then someone orders the chef’s special. When the meals arrive, suddenly everyone at the table is leaning over asking, “Wait… what is that?”

Travel has a habit of working the same way.

The destinations everyone already knows earn their reputation for a reason. But sometimes the trip you remember most isn’t the one you planned around the biggest attraction. It’s the place just outside the spotlight — the unexpected stop that surprises you, slows you down and makes you wonder, “Why didn’t I come here sooner?”

As destination marketers, we’ve been noticing something exciting: travelers are starting to think this way, too.

It’s not about being the biggest destination. It’s about being the one people can’t stop recommending after they get home.

Travelers are looking beyond the obvious

For years, tourism marketing centered around bucket lists and iconic landmarks. Today, many travelers are asking a different question: Where can I find an authentic experience without the crowds?

Industry research points to a growing interest in what Expedia calls “Detour Destinations” — lesser-known places near popular destinations that offer many of the same benefits while delivering a more relaxed, authentic experience. Expedia identified Detour Destinations as one of the defining travel trends for 2025 after analyzing traveler behavior and surveying 25,000 travelers.

That shift continues and is being driven by several factors:

• Travelers want experiences that feel more personal and less scripted.
• Rising travel costs encourage visitors to make the most of every trip.
• Many travelers are intentionally avoiding crowds and long waits.
• Visitors increasingly value local culture, neighborhood restaurants and authentic experiences over checking famous attractions off a list.

In other words, people aren’t simply looking for another destination. They’re looking for a better story.

The opportunity for destination marketers

This trend creates an exciting opportunity for destination marketing organizations.

Instead of competing head-to-head with world-famous destinations, communities can embrace what makes them different. Unexpected doesn’t mean second best. It means offering something visitors didn’t know they needed.

For destinations near major tourism hubs, this can become a competitive advantage rather than a challenge. Rather than saying, “We’re close to…” the story becomes, “Here’s what you’ll discover when you venture just a little farther.” That’s a much more compelling invitation.

A case study: Helping travelers Find Their Way in Federal Way

That thinking became the foundation for our recent work with Visit Federal Way.

Located just south of Seattle, Federal Way could easily position itself as simply a convenient place to stay. Instead, we asked a different question:

What if the destination itself became the reason to visit?

The result was Find Your Way — a campaign built around curiosity, exploration and the joy of discovering experiences travelers don’t expect.

Instead of trying to imitate nearby destinations, the campaign celebrates what makes Federal Way uniquely Federal Way:

• A nationally recognized Korean dining scene.
• Miles of Puget Sound shoreline and waterfront parks.
• Peaceful gardens and immersive nature experiences.
• Easy access to Seattle without feeling like you’re in the middle of the crowds.
• Unexpected adventures waiting just around the next corner.

The creative platform encourages visitors to “find their way” to flavors, outdoor adventures, cultural experiences and moments of discovery that often become the highlight of an entire Pacific Northwest vacation.

It’s not about being the biggest destination. It’s about being the one people can’t stop recommending after they get home.

Curious how it all came together? Explore our work on the Visit Federal Way case study.

Great destinations don’t have to be famous. They have to be memorable.

There’s a lesson here that extends beyond tourism.

Whether you’re building a destination brand, launching a campaign or telling your organization’s story, the goal isn’t always to be the loudest voice in the room.

Sometimes it’s to be the unexpected one. Because people remember discoveries. They remember the restaurant they stumbled upon, the trail with no line, the neighborhood they almost skipped and the city they decided to explore because someone challenged them to take a chance.

Just like that chef’s special. Sometimes the best choice isn’t the one everyone else ordered. Sometimes it’s the one you’ll still be talking about long after dinner is over.