This week in travel news: Italian pastries are causing a stir, a university city makes a compelling case for pizza, and younger Britons are moving away from the classic evening at the pub.

Buon appetito!

Italy is celebrated for rich regional cooking and irresistible sweets, with visitors happily queuing for gelato across the country. Yet one Italian specialty can receive less attention than it deserves: the humble pastry. Now, one fluffy treat has become a major draw for travelers, frustrating residents who never expected their quiet corner to become so busy.

A mountain hut in a tranquil, isolated part of the Italian Dolomites has been flooded with guests hoping to try a pastry called a krapfen, or bombolone. The filled sweet is much like a doughnut, though it has no hole in the middle.

Prompted by recommendations from food creators and social media personalities, enthusiastic visitors have descended on a rifugio, or mountain refuge, in Italy’s Val di Fassa valley in pursuit of the traditional dessert.

Actor Stanley Tucci also enjoyed Italian pastries, without attracting unwanted attention, in an episode of “Searching for Italy.”

South Korea’s first foreign haenyeo

Could you dive beneath the waves without an oxygen tank to gather seafood? Most people probably could not, but on South Korea’s Jeju Island, it is a longstanding way of life. An American woman has now become the first non-Korean to receive a license as a haenyeo, the island’s celebrated women free divers.

Kylie Genter is an unusual figure within this tradition. “As a foreigner doing this, especially as a person who is not a Korean citizen, it’s a big responsibility,” she tells CNN.

Genter lives in Youngrak-ri, a small fishing community at the western edge of Jeju Island. Many villages have their own haenyeo collectives, whose members share a close connection. They eat, dive, wash and spend downtime together, while looking after one another in the water.

Her story offers a closer look at Genter’s life and the enduring haenyeo culture of Jeju.

No olive branch for Canada

During another period of trade tension with Canada, President Trump signed an executive order renaming Lake Ontario as Lake America.

The move has raised concerns that even more Canadian travelers may decide to avoid visiting the United States. Over the past year, CNN Travel explored a section of Florida’s coastline nicknamed “Little Quebec,” where tourism had already fallen sharply amid tariffs and political disputes between the neighboring countries. Many Canadian winter visitors have also chosen to spend the season elsewhere.

A cultural oasis in New England

As our countdown of America’s Best Towns to Visit in 2026 continues, New Haven takes the No. 2 position.

New Haven combines the familiar character of an old New England settlement, built around a historic green and colonial-era street grid, with the international energy and stylish appeal of Yale University.

Connecticut’s cultural center is ideal for exploring on foot, with plenty of history and excellent food along the way. Visitors can see major works by Rodin, Van Gogh and Turner at no cost, then stop for coffee or choose among classic hamburger spots, food trucks, taco counters and Ethiopian restaurants.

Pizza is another reason the Connecticut city has earned such a devoted following. To borrow the spirit of Yale graduate and Revolutionary War hero Nathan Hale, visitors may wish they had more than one weekend to devote to New Haven.

Also worth exploring are the towns already included in the list: Roanoke, Virginia, at No. 10; Lawrence, Kansas, at No. 9; Iowa City, Iowa, at No. 8; Juneau, Alaska, at No. 7; Burlington, Vermont, at No. 6; Fort Collins, Colorado, at No. 5; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, at No. 4; and Greenville, South Carolina, at No. 3.

Next week, we will reveal the destination ranked No. 1. Suggestions for the 2027 list are always welcome.

In case you missed it

Britain’s Gen Z is stepping away from the usual evening spent at the pub.

Many younger adults are just as likely to head to a running track after work.

A man known as the “Beast Runner” searches the mountains of Taiwan for hikers who have disappeared.

He keeps following the trail long after others have stopped looking.

A Bangkok restaurant has a simple message: focus on food, not phones.

Led by a celebrity chef, the restaurant encourages guests to enjoy dinner without staring at a screen.

A revered figure remembered. Rising measles cases. A devastating flood.

How much do you recall from the week’s events?