The Destination Channel is expanding its Emmy-winning Staycation franchise internationally, using Dubai as the first step in a broader travel and lifestyle programming strategy.
The Destination Channel is taking Staycation beyond its United States setting with Staycation International, a new chapter of the Emmy-winning travel and lifestyle franchise produced with Making It Media. The premiere episode is reported as scheduled to air on CBS on May 24, 2026, before becoming available through Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Roku TV and Tubi. Dubai is the first destination, giving the series an international launch point while retaining its focus on properties, people and place-based experiences.
The original Staycation centres on extraordinary vacation rentals across the United States, combining access to distinctive homes with stories about design, the people behind each property and the experiences associated with a destination. The international format extends that editorial approach to high-end properties, cultural experiences and the individuals shaping some of the world’s most compelling locations. The shift keeps the programme within travel television while widening the geographic frame of its storytelling.
Hosted by Emmy Award-winning creator and producer Robert Parks-Valletta, the Dubai episode moves between Old Dubai and the city’s modern skyline. The release says the programme will explore heritage, architecture and experiential travel, with access to locations including vacation homes, yachts, desert experiences and a rooftop destination. Named participants and collaborators include Frank Porter Vacation Homes, Skywalker Yachts, Noble Life Dubai, Aura Skypool and Inside Dubai Guide.
The series is produced by Making It Media and The Destination Channel, with direction from Marvin Nuecklaus and Neil Fernandez and executive production by Lane Cheek. That production structure places the announcement at the intersection of television, tourism and branded storytelling, while the distribution plan gives the Dubai episode both a broadcast window and a streaming rollout. The release describes the move as the franchise’s first international chapter and as an expansion beyond the United States.
For The Destination Channel, the project broadens the role of Staycation from a domestic vacation-rental series into a format built around international destinations and cultural access. The company describes its network as distributed across CBS affiliates, Amazon Prime Video, Roku TV, Pluto TV and other streaming platforms. With Dubai establishing the initial international setting, Staycation International presents a measured extension of an existing programme rather than a departure from the franchise’s focus on distinctive stays and the stories surrounding them.
