Advertisement

The top 25 emerging travel destinations to visit in 2020

Tripadvisor has revealed its top 25 emerging travel destinations and beautiful Saranda in Albania came in second (Getty)
Tripadvisor has revealed its top 25 emerging travel destinations and beautiful Saranda in Albania came in second (Getty)

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.

Read more: Bhutan travel guide: where to stay, how to get there and why to go

Ipswich was the only UK destination to make the top 25 (Getty)
Ipswich was the only UK destination to make the top 25 (Getty)

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.”

Read more: Forbes Travel Guide reveals 2020 Star Awards

Kaliningrad was voted the top emerging travel destination in the world (Getty)
Kaliningrad was voted the top emerging travel destination in the world (Getty)

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:

  1. Kaliningrad, Russia

  2. Saranda, Albania

  3. Beirut, Lebanon

  4. Luxor, Egypt

  5. Naoussa, Greece

  6. Rugen Island, Germany

  7. Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam

  8. Monopoli, Italy

  9. La Paz, Mexico

  10. Curaçao, Caribbean

  11. Ile d’Oleron, France

  12. Guayaquil, Ecuador

  13. Tulsa, United States

  14. Ipswich, United Kingdom

  15. Franschhoek, South Africa

  16. Tangier, Morocco

  17. Takamatsu, Japan

  18. Cala d’Or, Spain

  19. Petropolis, Brazil

  20. Antwerp, Belgium

  21. Mirissa, Sri Lanka

  22. Alvor, Portugal

  23. Winnipeg, Canada

  24. Darwin, Australia

  25. Agra, India

Read more: Disneyland Paris’ new Frozen Land is all kinds of magical

Beirut came second on the list (Getty)
Beirut came second on the list (Getty)

Top 25 trending destinations according to Tripadvisor:

  1. Kochi, India

  2. Luzon, Philippines

  3. Porto, Portugal

  4. Porto Seguro, Brazil

  5. Gramado, Brazil

  6. Lombok, Indonesia

  7. Da Nang, Vietnam

  8. Zakynthos, Greece

  9. Tel Aviv, Israel

  10. Krakow, Poland

  11. Island of Malta, MaltaI

  12. Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

  13. Cusco, Peru

  14. Buenos Aires, Argentina

  15. Vienna, Austria

  16. Fuerteventura, Spain

  17. Mexico City, Mexico

  18. Chiang Mai, Thailand

  19. Fes, Morocco

  20. Budapest, Hungary

  21. Zanzibar Island, Tanzania

  22. Cartagena, Colombia

  23. Edinburgh, United Kingdom

  24. Cebu, Philippines

  25. Moscow, Russia