By Marnie Hunter, CNN
It’s never too early to start planning for next year’s big trips.
National Geographic is getting an early start, too, releasing its Best of the World list in late October with 25 must-see destinations for 2023.
Respect — for the people and their cultures, for the land and its conservation — is an overarching theme of the list, which is divided into five official categories.
The hope is that 2023 will be not just a big return to travel but also to rediscovering wonder, said Amy Alipio, senior editor for National Geographic Travel.
“Because when you are awed by something, you treat it with respect. And that spirit is something we want to encourage with this list,” Alipio said.
The list focuses on destinations that have community-led conservation efforts, healing and heritage journeys and ways for travelers to give back as well as places that are doing important work in ecotourism, sustainability and inclusive travel.
Looking at community
National Geographic has introduced a new category in this year’s list, replacing “sustainability” with a broader “community” category.
“It’s about broadening the focus on the people striving for sustainable destinations and the various ways that manifests, from making travel more accessible to supporting local businesses,” Alipio said.
Sustainability has been woven into every category a bit more. The other four categories are nature, culture, adventure and family.
The five destinations listed under the “community” heading represent a diverse range of strengths.
Ghana is listed as an important destination for Black heritage travelers in West Africa.
Alberta, Canada also makes the list.
“They have been a leader in Indigenous tourism, basically getting travelers out there learning the stories and the ways of life of the First Nations here in North America,” and their vibrant, contemporary cultures, Alipio said.
In Laos, a new high-speed train is making the country more accessible to visitors and bringing economic opportunity to locals.
The Great Lakes city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is listed in part because it has been “really supportive of its creative community,” Alipio said, citing Bronzeville, which is opening a cultural center focused on African American art.
And in Greece’s Dodecanese Islands, Karpathos is a standout for sustainable tourism with female leadership.
Big openings, small crowds
The list is not without big new attractions. The long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum outside of Cairo figures into Egypt’s appearance on the 2023 list in the “culture” category. And Charleston, South Carolina, will soon be home to the International African American Museum, which is set to open in January.
US wilderness features on the list in two categories, with an emphasis on getting away from the crowds.
Utah, where five national parks are a huge draw, appears in the “adventure” category in part for its efforts to direct tourists to some of its lesser-known areas to combat overtourism.
Visit Utah has a page dedicated to responsible travel where it asks visitors to consider their impact with questions including “Am I doing what I can to avoid crowded locations?” State parks including Dead Horse Point and Goblin Valley are located near one or more of Utah’s five spectacular national parks.
Big Bend National Park in Texas appears in the “nature” category. While Big Bend hosted a record 581,000 recreational visits in 2021, it was still far less visited than some of the United States’ most popular national parks. Yellowstone welcomed 4.9 million visitors and Great Smoky Mountains National Park hosted a whopping 14.1 million recreational visits in 2021.
Slovenia, “a longtime leader in sustainable tourism,” is pairing cycling trails with visits to vineyards, cheesemakers and other food producers in a way that earns it a slot in the “nature” category with a culinary bonus.
The Scottish Highlands, Portugal’s dazzling Azores volcanic archipelago and Botswana also make the “nature” list for their efforts toward conservation and sustainability.
Family, adventure and culture
Colombia has been in the spotlight with the Disney movie “Encanto,” making it a timely choice for the “family” category. In California, San Francisco’s Crosstown Trail is another spot perfect for family adventure.
Speaking of “adventure,” that category also includes Choquequirao, Peru, an Inca site to rival Machu Picchu that is becoming more accessible and spurring economic development.
And New Zealand, long an adventure capital, makes the list as excitement builds with travel’s resurgence.
The Austrian Alps also provide great opportunities for adventure within the Bergsteigerdörfer network of 29 mountaineering villages.
Asia, which has been slower to reopen from the pandemic, features prominently in the “culture” category. Busan, South Korea, appears in the category for offerings from craft brews to Asia’s top film festival.
While China remains closed to international tourism, its Longmen Grottoes in Henan Province also make the “culture” list as new technology brings attention to one of the largest collections of stone statues in the world.
For more of National Geographic’s Best of the World list, visit their website.
National Geographic’s Best of the World 2023 list:
CULTURE
Appian Way, Italy
Busan, South Korea
Longmen Grottoes, Henan Province, China
Egypt
Charleston, South Carolina
NATURE
Scottish Highlands
Botswana
Slovenia
Big Bend National Park, Texas
Azores
ADVENTURE
New Zealand
Choquequirao, Peru
Utah
Austrian Alps
Revillagigedo National Park, Mexico
COMMUNITY
Dodecanese Islands, Greece
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Alberta, Canada
Laos
Ghana
FAMILY
Trinidad & Tobago
San Francisco Crosstown Trail, California
Colombia
Manchester, United Kingdom
Switzerland
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