Travel trends in 2015 for US citizens: The big story is legal travel to Cuba. But don’t rush there just yet if you want to travel freely – your itinerary will be limited – and only allowed through State Department-licensed agencies.

Structured tours called people-to-people interactions encourage experiences that bring Americans and Cubans together. Moseying to the beach, doing some scuba diving or wandering off-the-beaten-path remains verboten unless you enter illegally through another country, which may cause other problems at this time. But we wait in hope to see this country before it succumbs to a full blown resort-and-chain-store haven.

Besides Cuba, the top locations for 2015 are Singapore (celebrating its 50th year of independence), Japan (depreciation of the yen), Oman (desert, beaches, green valleys, souks), Romania (castle-hopping), Uruguay (regional wines and whale migration) and close to home, the beautiful Hudson Highlands in NY State. Asia and South America are red-hot places to go this year. The rest of the locations span the globe.

Trends in how we travel: DIY travel is the new norm in favor of pre-packaged tours, in addition to the pairing of natives and locals for meals, and ethical travel (being aware of our impact on the environment) also figure prominently.

We’re off!

The New York Times BIG list of 52 places, is well, all over the map. Here are the top 20 places, some familiar but ready for rediscovery, and others alien, and waiting to be explored.

1. Burgundy, France
2. Bolivia
3. Cuba
4. Durban, South Africa
5. Elqui Valley, Chile
6. Faroe Islands
7. Macedonia
8. Lower Manhattan, New York, NY USA
9. Medellín, Colombia
10. Milan, Italy
11. The North Coast of Peru
12. Oman
13. Orlando, Florida USA
14. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania USA
15. Steamboat Springs, Colorado USA
16. Singapore
17. St Vincent and The Grenadines
18. Tanzania
19. Yellowstone National Park
20. Zimbabwe

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Condé Nast Traveler editors’ suggest 15 different, beyond-the-classic places in which to luxuriate in 2015.

1. Belgrade, Serbia
2. Berlin, Germany
3. Cape Town, South Africa
4. Cartagena, Colombia
5. Cuba
6. Guangzhou, China
7. Helsinki, Finland
8. Houston, Texas USA
9. Mexico City, Mexico
10. Milford Sound, New Zealand
11. Myanmar
12. Nassau, The Bahamas
13. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania USA
14. Rwanda
15. Santa Teresa, Costa Rica

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National Geographic Traveler highlights 20 go-now locations that, in their words, will send you packing. From sea to sky, adventure is on the agenda.

1. Corsica
2. Choquequirao, Peru
3. Esteros del Iberá, Argentina
4. Haida Gwaii, British Columbia
5. Hyderabad, India
6. Koyasan, Japan
7. MaramureÈ™, Romania
8. Medellín, Colombia
9. Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar
10. Mont St. Michel, France
11. Mornington Peninsula, Australia
12. National Mall, Washington, DC USA
13. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma USA
14. Port Antonio, Jamaica
15. The Presidio, San Francisco, USA
16. Sark, Channel Islands
17. Sea Islands, South Carolina USA
18. Taiwan
19. Tunis, Tunisia
20. Zermatt, Switzerland
21. Readers’ Choice Winner: Faroe Islands

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Travel + Leisure’s list of 50 places to go in 2015 has been shortened to 10, but you’ll want to see them all because … “These are the places changing the travel map.” What are you waiting for?

1. Catskills, New York, USA
2. Chengdu, China
3. Fez, Morocco
4. Istanbul, Turkey
5. Milan, Italy
6. Oman
7. Prince Edward County, Canada
8. Puerto Plata, D.R.
9. Rotterdam, Netherlands
10. Wasatch Mountains, Utah USA

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The Rough Guides’ picks for top countries to visit in 2015 is skimpy on words. The stunning imagery envelopes the future traveler in its beauty. I’m inspired, sign me up for any or all destinations.

1. Bangladesh
2. Canada
3. Egypt
4. Greece
5. Haiti
6. Iran
7. Malaysia
8. United Kingdom
9. Uruguay
10. Zambia

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Fodor’s Go List has a little something for everyone. The 25 don’t-miss spots include emerging hot spots and value destinations. There’s grand or sedate in every price range and length. Take off.

1. The Arctic
2. Barbados
3. Bourbon Country and Louisville, Kentucky USA
4. Cleveland, Ohio USA
5. The Florida Panhandle, USA
6. Guadalupe Valley, Mexico
7. Guatemala
8. The Hudson Valley and the Catskills, New York USA
9. Iceland
10. Jackson Hole, Wyoming USA
11. Melbourne, Australia
12. Newfoundland, Canada
13. Namibia
14. Norway
15. Oman
16. Paris
17. Patagonia, Chile
18. Piedmont, Italy
19. Pilsen, Czech Republic
20. Punta del Este, Uruguay
21. Romania
22. The Silk Road, China
23. Singapore
24. Sri Lanka
25. Vietnam

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For the Lonely Planet’s Budget Traveler, economy doesn’t have to mean sacrifice. Here are the best places to go to get the best bang for your buck, or pow for your pound in 2015.

1. Bali
2. Portugal
3. Romania
4. Samoa
5. Shanghai
6. South Africa
7. Uruguay
8. Taiwan
9. Tunisia

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Travel bloggers, those lucky many who live and breath travel 24/7, picked a wide range of travel locations. They’re all desirable, but yay for the Scottish Highlands – one of my favorite places.

1. All Over Europe
2. Barbados
3. Cambodia
4. Cape Town, South Africa
5. Cascais, Portugal
6. The Caucasus
7. Chengdu, China
8. Guatemala
9. Hudson Valley, New York USA
10. Istanbul to Beijing and beyond (Marco Polo route)
11. Korea
12. Koh Wai, Thailand
13. Krabi, Thailand
14. The Maldives
15. Mons, Belgium
16. Mount Everest, Nepal
17. Nozawa Onsen, Japan
18. Playa del Carmen, Mexico
19. Santa Fe, New Mexico USA
20. Scotland’s Highlands
21. Sri Lanka
22. Umbria, Italy

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Eco travelers – check out what five experts on ecotourism have to say about these top destinations offering responsible, sustainable culture.

1. Barbados
2. Cape Verde, Africa
3. Gwaii Haanas, British Columbia
4. Iceland
5. Kaikora, New Zealand
6. Kelmtu, British Columbia
7. Ladakh, India
8. Northeast Kingdom, Vermont
9. Norwegian Fjords
10. Palau
11. Pembrokeshire Coast, Wales
12. Samoa
13. Sierra Gorda, Mexico
14. Tortuguero, Costa Rica
15. Uruguay

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Interest appears to be waning in space travel. Last year, with Virgin Galactic so close to blast-off, that horrific crash sidelined the fleet for an unknown amount of time. With so many delays, people are looking elsewhere for the ultimate adventure.

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And finally, for those of us who love off-the-beaten-path travel, this photo essay includes stunning images and destinations. Deception Island, Antarctica is way off and way cool and on my to-see list.

1. Pipiwai Trail, Maui
2. Kingsmere Lake, Saskatchewan, Canada
3. Chobe River, Namibia/Botswana
4. Crespi d’Adda, Italy
5. Deception Island, Antarctica
6. Hamelin Pool, Western Australia
7. Taroko Gorge, Taiwan
8. Overberg, South Africa
9. Passau, Germany
10. Dinosaur Provincial Park, Alberta Canada

Have your passport at the ready. What’s your first stop?

Map design + animation: © 2015 Janet Giampietro. Photos: Cuba: Lisette Poole for NYT; Corsica: Marc Dozier; Oman: Robert van Waarden; Uruguay: Globetrotter Girls ; Japan: Turnipseed; Deception Island, Antarctica: LandLopers.

This entry was posted Wednesday, January 21st, 2015 at 5:13 pm and is filed under culture, travel. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.