15 Things Travelers Should Be Thankful For in 2018

There are no two ways about it: so far, 2018 has been a tremendous year for travel. Whether you took to the skies on the regular or only managed to sneak away for a summer vacation, here are 15 things you should be grateful for.

Despite the headline that popped up on your social media feed or that rumor you heard from a co-worker, the world is a very safe place indeed. As they say: if you want to be convinced that the world is a terrible place, stay home and watch the news, but if you want to know how great the planet and its people really are, go out and experience it in person. Especially Mexico which, despite receiving a perpetual torrent of bad press, has proven time and time again to be much safer than anyone expects.

After years of getting an earful from locals and travelers alike about out of control crowds, destinations have started to step up to the plate. The island of Boracay in the Phillippines and Thailand's Maya Beach were both closed in order to have a much-needed break from tourism and Venice even installed a temporary turnstile system to keep things more orderly.

It's not always the sheer volume of tourists in a place that dampens the mood, it's the moronic way that some travelers carry themselves. Cities aren't taking anti-social behavior lying down anymore, with new laws being put on the books this year that outright ban some forms of offensive and/or slightly annoying behavior.

For every overcrowded destination buckling under the pressure of the tourist swarms, there is another waiting to be discovered. People are flocking to places like Malta and Poland and the desire for lesser-known destinations is also being picked up on by tour providers. For example, Intrepid has launched a "Not Hot" list of Asian destinations flying under the radar.

If there's one region that captures our imagination but at the same time feels tantalizingly out of reach, it's the romantic islands of the South Pacific. Not anymore. 2018 saw both low-cost airline French Bee and United Airlines roll out new flights to Tahiti and on the cruise front, both Holland America and Paul Gauguin have announced 2019 cruises to the South Pacific. See, Bora Bora might just be in your future, after all.

Whether it was the re-imagining of existing experiences, rolling out ambitious plans for future attractions, or just throwing a seriously scary-fun Halloween fest, theme parks have definitely upped their game in 2018. And you can expect nothing but bigger and better things to come.

A vexing issue in the skies for years, the emotional support animal debate was finally robustly addressed by airlines in 2018. Not before an emotional support peacock and squirrel made appearances, though.

Traveling with your loved ones is no longer just about piling into a minivan and making a trek across state lines. Family travel is hot and resorts and destinations around the world are catering to this growing niche. In addition, new destinations like Antarctica, Mongolia and Rwanda are emerging as favorites for today's families.

After suffering a so-called "Trump Slump" in 2017, inbound tourism to the USA is growing again. Despite a small loss in international inbound market share, there was healthy growth and this is fantastic news for the economy in general and the travel sector in particular. And with Brand USA putting out cool videos about America's musical heritage-narrated by Morgan Freeman, no less-this trend looks to continue.

Whether you want to live like a local in an apartment, take up residence in a treehouse or stay in a mega-hip new hotel like Moxy, there are more accommodation options than ever for travelers.

2018 was the year we decided to try to pitch our plastic habit and the travel industry played its part in this worthy crusade. Delta announced plans to eliminate single-use plastic items while IHG has said that they will remove plastic straws at their hotels all over the world.

Like every year, 2018 had more than its fair share of naughty passengers. Be especially thankful that you weren't on All Nippon Airways flight from Chicago to Japan back in August. That was the fateful flight that featured a man peeing on a fellow passenger and if you were one of the unlucky travelers, take solace in the fact that your luck is bound to be better in 2019.

One of the funkiest stories in the friendly skies this year was when an entire Transavia flight from the Netherlands to Spain had to be diverted to Portugal due to a pungent passenger. Be thankful this Turkey Day that you have no first-hand knowledge of what he smelled like.

The world's largest cruise ship has arrived in the USA and it is fabulous. Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas is now based in Miami and is truly like nothing else the cruising world has ever seen. The ship holds upwards of 6,600 passengers and features 18 decks stacked with a myriad of modern and futuristic bells and whistles.

Black Friday isn't just for big screens anymore. In 2018, there are scores of deals happening in the world of travel and since the doldrums of January are just around the corner, why not get started on getting rid of them?