Most people have an idea of where they want to go on holiday, and there are plenty of places such as Australia and America which are usually on a ‘bucket list’ of must-see destinations. However a number of other, more unusual destinations are emerging as popular places to holiday. Here we look at some of these ‘hidden gems’ and why they are worth visiting.
Increasing Visitor Numbers
The Telegraph has recently published a list outlining the 10 destinations that saw the biggest increase in visitor numbers in 2015, courtesy of the United Nations World Travel Organisation. The fastest growing destination based on visitors was Paraguay. The country is home to two UNESCO listed Jesuit Missions as well as historic ruins, and there is also a huge amount of wildlife to see, especially for birdwatchers.
Other countries in the list included some which you would expect to be popular but whose popularity has increased, such as Japan and Thailand. Both destinations have been popular for a while, but for those who want a mix of modern vibrant cities with culture and beaches, then both of these countries are hard to beat. The list also includes some destinations that you may never have heard of such as Niue, an island in the South Pacific, and Tajikistan in Central Asia.
The Rise in Popularity of African Countries
Back in 2014, CNN documented how Uganda was re-emerging as a tourist destination. This has now been borne out by the fact that the World Travel and Tourism Council has published a list of the fastest growing tourism destinations based on the increased contribution of travel and tourism to GDP. Uganda topped this list and in 2015 it saw an increase of almost 37%.
This is largely due to the incredible array of wildlife that there is to see there. The chance to view Mountain Gorillas in their natural habitat is too good an opportunity to miss and this is best done on a gorilla trekking holiday such as one arranged by steppestravel.co.uk.
Other countries listed included Qatar, Georgia, Tanzania and Iceland.
Here we have tried to inspire you to be more adventurous with your choice of holiday destinations. Don’t visit the same place every year, try looking for somewhere a bit different and you might be surprised!
