CNN
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Grab your passport and your sunscreen, Lonely Planet has just revealed its 30 must-see destinations for 2025 as well as a brand new summary of the top 10 travel trends.
The travel publishing giant's list spans multiple cities, countries and regions, with Bansko in Bulgaria, Osaka in Japan and Edmonton in Canada all featuring among the urban hotspots.
Cameroon, Lithuania and Fiji were named as destination countries, while Chiriqui in Panama and Valais in Switzerland were classified as rizz regions.
For cities, “number one on the list this year is Toulouse, FranceNitya Chambers, Lonely Planet's senior vice president of content and editor-in-chief, told CNN. It’s “a great weekend destination, a veritable maze of a city with art galleries, recycled industrial sites (and) cafes.”
It's a perfect addition to a France travel itinerary, says Chambers, and the Indian city of Pondicherry (formerly known as Pondicherry) is also an ideal addition, as it is an easy train journey from the best-known tourist destination of Chennai.
Pondicherry is reinventing itself to become “a destination of choice for sand and surf, with a vast project aimed at reclaiming beaches eroded by the sea,” explains Chambers.
Train Jump is the main travel trend identified by Lonely Planet in this 15th edition of its best-selling book “The best of travel” book. The most beautiful beaches is at No. 10, although, as Lonely Planet admits in its press release, “offering relaxation, unspoilt beauty and connection with nature, beach holidays will always be in style.”
Local Flavors and Outdoor Adventure
The city in northern Thailand Chiang Mai fits into that of Lonely Planet local flavors travel trend. “Whether you are a seasoned food traveler or just curious and eager to taste, there is a culinary landscape out there that is simply fresh, new and exciting,” says Chambers.
The country of Vanuatu isn't the first name that comes to mind when travelers think of the Pacific Islands, but, Chambers says, “for us, that rawness was really the key to its appeal.” The archipelago has a national sustainable development plan “which prioritizes nature protection and travelers can dive on wrecks and watch lava spewing from an active volcano, but also know that a huge effort is underway there to protect the natural environment for future generations. »
In Englandthe region of East Anglia is under-explored even by domestic tourists, but Chambers says it's a “sampling platter of old England, with unexpected villages (and) art towns, on a coastline dotted with beaches and reserves of birds”.
Extreme bird watching – which Lonely Planet defines as a vacation planned entirely around observing our feathered friends – is #4 on the trending list. During the Covid-19 pandemic, people “took up hobbies like bird watching and hiking, which continue to this day. And I think we’re seeing that in how and where people travel,” Chambers says.
In the north Türkiyethe seaside towns of Giresun and Ordu are a “gateway to the coast and mountains” in the less visited region of the Black Sea, says Chambers.
Finally, one of Chambers' favorite American picks is Netherlands and coastal Georgia. It’s “so picturesque,” she enthuses, “marked by beaches, marshes and ancient towns.” Today it's home to one of the best African-American museums in the country, and its unique culinary culture “tells the story not only of the area, the nature and the landscape, but also its history,” Chambers says.
Cities
Toulouse, France
Pondicherry, India
Bansko, Bulgaria
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Genoa, Italy
Pittsburgh, United States
Osaka, Japan
Curitiba, Brazil
Palma de Mallorca, Spain
Edmonton, Canada
Country
Cameroon
Lithuania
Fiji
Laos
Kazakhstan
Paraguay
Trinidad and Tobago
Vanuatu
Slovakia
Armenia
Regions
Netherlands and coastal Georgia
The Terai, Nepal
Chiriquí, Panama
Launceston and the Tamar Valley, Australia
Valais, Switzerland
Giresun and Ordu, Türkiye
Bavaria, Germany
East Anglia, England
Jordan Trail
Mount Hood and Columbia River Gorge area, Oregon
Trends
Train Jump
Take things slowly
Follow the music
Extreme bird watching
Wonderful markets
What a hassle
Underrated Parks
Local flavors
Arboreal adventures
The most beautiful beaches
