Many travel brands, guidebook publishers and websites offer lists of places to go in the new year. Here’s a look at some of those lists for 2018. They include destinations from every continent, cities large and small, islands, rural regions and wilderness areas, places in the news and places you’ve never heard of.
Abu Dhabi; Athens; Bhutan; Big Sur, California; Dundee, Scotland; Faroe Islands; France; Guatemala; Haida Gwaii, British Colombia; Kazakhstan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Mexico City; Northern California wine country; Palau; Seattle; Sun Valley, Idaho; Tromso, Norway; Twin Cities, Minnesota. AFAR’s Traveler’s Choice Destination Awards (based on votes from readers): U.S. road trip, California; European city, Barcelona; adventure, Torres Del Paine, Chile; Caribbean/Mexico Beach: Turks & Caicos; wine region, Bordeaux; arts & culture, Cape Town, South Africa; U.S. beach: Manele Bay, Lanai, Hawaii; Asian/Middle Eastern city: Tokyo; U.S. city, Austin; epic trip: overwater bungalow in French Polynesia; global festival, Day of the Dead; sports event, 2018 Winter Olympics; food destination, Paris; ski destination, St. Moritz, Switzerland; water sports destination, Fiji.
Abu Dhabi; Athens; Bhutan; Big Sur, California; Dundee, Scotland; Faroe Islands; France; Guatemala; Haida Gwaii, British Colombia; Kazakhstan; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Mexico City; Northern California wine country; Palau; Seattle; Sun Valley, Idaho; Tromso, Norway; Twin Cities, Minnesota. AFAR’s Traveler’s Choice Destination Awards (based on votes from readers): U.S. road trip, California; European city, Barcelona; adventure, Torres Del Paine, Chile; Caribbean/Mexico Beach: Turks & Caicos; wine region, Bordeaux; arts & culture, Cape Town, South Africa; U.S. beach: Manele Bay, Lanai, Hawaii; Asian/Middle Eastern city: Tokyo; U.S. city, Austin; epic trip: overwater bungalow in French Polynesia; global festival, Day of the Dead; sports event, 2018 Winter Olympics; food destination, Paris; ski destination, St. Moritz, Switzerland; water sports destination, Fiji.Top 10 emerging destinations (highest increase in bookings from 2016 to 2017): Sapporo, Japan; Nashville; Bucharest, Romania; Zakopane, Poland; Taitung City, Taiwan; Brisbane, Australia; Bogota, Colombia; Portland, Oregon; Lima, Peru; Hanover, Germany.
Antarctica; the Bahamas; Guadalajara, Mexico; Minneapolis; New Orleans; Malta; The Azores, Portugal; Georgia (country); Bratislava, Slovakia; South Korea; Chengdu, China; Kolkata and the Andaman Islands, India; Petra, Jordan; Quito, Ecuador; Northern Peru; Great Barrier Reef, Australia; Accra, Ghana; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
First 10 on a list of 52 destinations: Marrakesh, Morocco; Cook Islands; Salar de Tunupa, Bolivia; Split, Croatia; Kuwait; Memphis; Armenia; Mongolia; Dublin; Belize.
Lake District, Cumbria, England; Nicaragua; Mauritius; Malta; County Clare, Ireland; Bisbee, Arizona; St. Helena; Jordan; Gotthard Panorama Express, Switzerland; San Antonio, Texas; Colombia; Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India; New Orleans; Hamburg, Germany; Faroe Islands; Juneau, Alaska; Mekong River; the Caribbean.
Emerging beaches and islands, based on year-over-year growth of geotag check-ins: Miami-South Beach; Boracay, Philippines; Sochi, Russia; Phi Phi Islands, Thailand; San Andres Island, Colombia; Bondi Beach, Sydney; Arraial Do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro; Waikiki Beach-Honolulu; Penang Island, Malaysia; Kuta Beach, Pantai Kuta, Bali, Indonesia.
Top 10 countries: Chile, South Korea, Portugal, Djibouti, New Zealand, Malta, Georgia, Mauritius, China, South Africa. Top 10 cities: Seville, Spain; Detroit; Canberra, Australia; Hamburg, Germany; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Antwerp, Belgium; Matera, Italy; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Guanajuato, Mexico; Oslo, Norway. Top 10 regions: Belfast & the Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland; Alaska; Julian Alps, Slovenia; Languedoc-Roussilon, France; Kii Peninsula, Japan; Aeolian Islands, Italy; Southern U.S.; Lahaul and Spiti, India; Bahia, Brazil; Los Haitises National Park, Dominican Republic. Top 10 best value: Tallinn, Estonia; Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain; Arizona; La Paz, Bolivia; Poland; Essaouira, Morocco; United Kingdom; Baja California, Mexico; Jacksonville, Florida; Hunan, China.
Top 10 countries: Chile, South Korea, Portugal, Djibouti, New Zealand, Malta, Georgia, Mauritius, China, South Africa. Top 10 cities: Seville, Spain; Detroit; Canberra, Australia; Hamburg, Germany; Kaohsiung, Taiwan; Antwerp, Belgium; Matera, Italy; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Guanajuato, Mexico; Oslo, Norway. Top 10 regions: Belfast & the Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland; Alaska; Julian Alps, Slovenia; Languedoc-Roussilon, France; Kii Peninsula, Japan; Aeolian Islands, Italy; Southern U.S.; Lahaul and Spiti, India; Bahia, Brazil; Los Haitises National Park, Dominican Republic. Top 10 best value: Tallinn, Estonia; Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain; Arizona; La Paz, Bolivia; Poland; Essaouira, Morocco; United Kingdom; Baja California, Mexico; Jacksonville, Florida; Hunan, China.Harar, Ethiopia; Jujuy Province, Argentina; Tbilisi, Georgia; Sydney, Australia; Oaxaca, Mexico; Vienna; North Shore, Oahu, Hawaii; Malmo, Sweden; Jordan Trail; Dublin; Madagascar; Santiago, Chile; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Cleveland, Ohio; Tetouan, Morocco; Seoraksan National Park, South Korea; Albania; San Antonio, Texas; Labrador, Canada; Friesland, Netherlands; Ruaha National Park, Tanzania.
Napa Valley; Buenos Aires; Burgenstock, Switzerland; Shanghai; Rwanda; St. Barts; Pyeongchang, South Korea; Antarctica; New Orleans; Cambodia; Mexico City; Iceland; Toronto; Hamburg, Germany; Malta; Israel; Botswana; St. Kitts; Marrakech, Morocco; Newport, Rhode Island; Russia.
Top 15 from survey of luxury travel agents: Italy, European river cruise, Mediterranean cruise, U.S., Ireland, Australia, Mexico, Caribbean cruise, France, Iceland, Jamaica, South Africa, England, Greece, New Zealand and Spain (last two tied for 15th)
First 10 on a list of 50: Solta, Croatia; Greenville, South Carolina; Grenada; Buenos Aires; Los Cabos, Mexico; Walla Walla Valley, Washington; Uzbekistan; Egypt; Marrakesh, Morocco; Fiji.
Off-the-beaten path: Iceland, Colombia, Vietnam. Most popular: Australia, Spain, Iceland and Italy (tied for third), France and Japan. U.S.: California, Florida and Hawaii (tied for second), New York, Alaska and Nevada (tied for fourth) and Washington, D.C.
