Japan
One country only increasing in popularity is Japan, which has been warming up for its moment in the rising sun. In 2019, Japan plays host to the Rugby World Cup, and hot on its heels is the summer Olympics in 2020.
In 2018, Uzbekistan relaxed its visa entry requirements by introducing an e-visa for 51 countries. Interest in the ‘Stans’ shows no sign of slowing down, with G Adventures seeing a 72% increase in travellers to Uzbekistan over the past five years.
Another new destination for G Adventures in 2019 is Taiwan, which is one of the lesser-visited and most underrated countries in Asia. As food and travel become increasingly codependent, Taiwan has a growing reputation with travelling foodies, and the New York Times recently proclaimed it as ‘Asia’s most food-obsessed country’.
West Africa is slowly recovering from a lapse in tourism following the Ebola breakout of 2014. Senegal is currently hoping to stimulate tourism, with a new airport near Dakar opening up.
With sales up 58% year-on-year for G Adventures, Sri Lanka shows no sign of slowing down. This lesser-travelled region was cut off from tourism for decades due to civil war, but it’s now open for business. G Adventures suggests getting there before it becomes as popular as the rest of Sri Lanka.
With year-on-year growth of 71% for G Adventures, it’s safe to say Jordan’s tourism is back, mainly as a result of stability in neighbouring Egypt.
The final season of Game of Thrones will again throw its filming locations into the spotlight and Iceland is no exception. G Adventures continues to see growth in tourism, with trip sales up 127% in the past two years.
Another African nation sneaking increasingly on to travellers’ wishlists is Ethiopia, with G Adventures seeing a 98% increase over the past 12 months. It’s also been in the headlines for all the right reasons, with the prime minister announcing half the country’s cabinet will be female, and the recent announcement of a new peace accord between Ethiopia and its neighbour, Eritrea.
On May 2 2019, Italy will celebrate the 500th anniversary of artist Leonardo da Vinci’s death, and there will be a host of celebrations taking place throughout the country. Despite some of its main sites being tarnished with the overtourism brush, there are still plenty of places to explore outside the major cities.
Demand for G Adventures’ trips to Argentina has been steadily rising over the past five years, with sales up 15% in 2018 compared to 2017. Visitors to parts of Argentina in July will be treated to a solar eclipse on the 2nd of the month.
