The top 25 emerging travel destinations to visit in 2020
Grab your passport because the World’s top emerging destinations for 2020 have been revealed, and you might be surprised at some of them.
Choosing where to go on holiday is a tricky decision. Tempting as those Insta-famous destinations may seem, sometimes it is nice to go somewhere that’s a little less discovered.
Thankfully, the experts at Tripadvisor have totted up the trip reviews to reveal its annual ranking of the up-and-coming destinations that could put you ahead of the travel curve.
“Emerging” destinations were defined as up-and-coming places with a year-on-year increase in positive TripAdvisor review ratings, which had also seen an increase in “saves” in travellers’ trips.
And you won’t even have to leave the UK to visit one of them.
Yep, Britain’s most on-trend travel hotspot is Ipswich in Suffolk, coming in at number 14 in top emerging destinations list, making it the only UK destination on the 2020 Travellers’ Choice Destination list.
Apparently travellers were impressed the town’s picturesque waterfront and “historical charm” with some claiming it provided a “cultural hub of activity”.
Tourist highlights include Christchurch Park, Regent Theatre and Christchurch Mansion.
“With superb transport links, an excellent range of accommodation options and ever-growing list of theatres, dance houses and things to, Ipswich is attracting some well-deserved traveller attention,” Tripadvisor added.
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If you’re looking for something slightly more, er, exotic, the Russian province of Kaliningrad came top of the list, followed by Saranda in Albania and Beirut in Lebanon.
Kaliningrad was described in the poll as “a tiny sliver of Russia between the Baltic Sea, Poland and Lithuania”
The simplified e-visa process introduced by Russia in 2019 was cited by TripAdvisor as making it easier to visit Kaliningrad.
“Travellers are taking full advantage, exploring a stunning city that blends the culture and architecture of eastern Europe and Russia together like nowhere else,” Tripadvisor said.
Commenting on the emerging destination list TripAdvisor spokesperson Emma Shaw said: “Based on TripAdvisor reviews, ratings, and opinions from millions of travellers around the world, the winners highlight the destinations that should be on your travel radar now.”
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The awards also highlighted the top 25 trending destinations that were already getting their fair share of attention.
Kochi in India, Luzon in the Philippines and Porto in Portugal were first, second and third respectively.
Of Kochi the travel experts said: “This Indian port city has earned its bucket list status, seeing the biggest spike in top reviews, ratings and traveller interest on Tripadvisor over the last year.
“A blending of small villages on the southwestern coast created the current incarnation of Kochi (or Cochin), where sunset strolls, sampling fresh fish from seaside vendors and boat rides through the islands just offshore are all part of the charm.”
The only UK trending destination was Edinburgh, which scraped into the list at number 23, and was praised for its heritage, culture and festivals.
The top 25 emerging destinations in the world, according to Tripadvisor:
Kaliningrad, Russia
Saranda, Albania
Beirut, Lebanon
Luxor, Egypt
Naoussa, Greece
Rugen Island, Germany
Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
Monopoli, Italy
La Paz, Mexico
Curaçao, Caribbean
Ile d’Oleron, France
Guayaquil, Ecuador
Tulsa, United States
Ipswich, United Kingdom
Franschhoek, South Africa
Tangier, Morocco
Takamatsu, Japan
Cala d’Or, Spain
Petropolis, Brazil
Antwerp, Belgium
Mirissa, Sri Lanka
Alvor, Portugal
Winnipeg, Canada
Darwin, Australia
Agra, India
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Top 25 trending destinations according to Tripadvisor:
Kochi, India
Luzon, Philippines
Porto, Portugal
Porto Seguro, Brazil
Gramado, Brazil
Lombok, Indonesia
Da Nang, Vietnam
Zakynthos, Greece
Tel Aviv, Israel
Krakow, Poland
Island of Malta, MaltaI
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Cusco, Peru
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Vienna, Austria
Fuerteventura, Spain
Mexico City, Mexico
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Fes, Morocco
Budapest, Hungary
Zanzibar Island, Tanzania
Cartagena, Colombia
Edinburgh, United Kingdom
Cebu, Philippines
Moscow, Russia