The world is filled with countless travel destinations. With so many options out there, let’s try a different approach to choosing your next stop.
The World’s Best Festivals & Parties
Visiting a country in the midst of a festival is a great way to meet locals, observe culture, and have a lot of fun. The Rough Guides World Party website provides a comprehensive search function for the best festivals from across the globe. It allows visitors to explore by specific festival, month, country, or culture (including music, food, parades, drink, and religion). Have a week off in April? Try the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Headed to Spain this August? Visit Buñol on the last Wednesday of the month for La Tomatina.
Do note that festivals bring in lots of locals and tourists, so be to book your accommodations well in advance.
Roof Top @ Bangkok, Thailand
Throw a Dart at a World Map
That’s exactly what I did back in 1998. With so many great destinations, I was looking to select a place for a study abroad trip. A friend dared me to toss a dart at an oversized world map on the wall. A small hole in that friend’s wall resulted in a summer of study in the Czech Republic. Prague offering a fascinating city along with informative courses in Central European politics, the Holocaust, and Czech literature. The works of Milan Kundera were notable on that trip.
X
Searching for the latest hotspots or newly uncovered gems? X (formerly Twitter) has thousands of travel experts sharing their wisdom. It’s a unique opportunity to join a conversation with a travel blogger, innkeeper, or travel-industry specialist. Read their post for ideas or send a mention for a specific suggestion.
Let’s connect on X: @GennaroSalamone
Huacachina. Peru
UNESCO World Heritage List
The UNESCO World Heritage list includes over 800 cultural and natural sites across the globe. World Heritage Committee works to preserve and promote places that showcase human creative genius or natural wonders, focusing on those with outstanding universal value. Italy holds the highest number (61) recognized sites, while the committee also maintains a List of World Heritage in Danger. This inventory includes high-profile locations like the Galápagos Islands (removed from the list in 2010) and Old City of Jerusalem, with the Democratic Republic of the Congo hosting four endangered locations.
Let Your Travel Magazine or Blog Readers Decide
While this is easier task for travel bloggers who already have an audience interest in the topic, any writer can use their platform to elicit suggestions. Simply ask readers to fill the comment section with their ideas. While keeping in mind that a few jokers might try to send you to the Gulag, take the submissions and narrow them down to a few realistic recommendations. Then, use the most popular entries to run a final poll. This strategy builds significant reader anticipation for details of the upcoming trip.
Minor updates and edits were made from the original article.
Photos © Gennaro Salmone
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Gennaro Salamone is the founder and editor of Enduring Wanderlust. Please contact him with questions regarding article or photo submissions.