DESTINATIONS TRENDS | WHERE TO GO IN 2020
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Azores, Portugal; Borneo; Sri Lanka; and Nicaragua PICTURES: Shutterstock
PORTUGAL The Portuguese tourist board has gone to great pains to reassure the trade that UK visitors will receive a warm welcome post-Brexit – even coining the phrase #Brelcome – and it seems to be paying off. Whether cycling in the Algarve or surfing off the coast, hiking in the Azores or visiting ancient ruins in the Alentejo, Portugal is benefiting from a growing appetite for adventure. On top of that,
Jet2.com has introduced twice-weekly flights from Manchester and Birmingham to Lisbon, starting in April.
UK
As the no-fly revolution gains traction and poor exchange rates mean holidays at home offer better value, it’s no surprise to see the UK earn its spot on this list. Expedia reported 10% growth in year-on- year demand for domestic breaks in July, August and September, with South Wales the fastest-growing region overall and the Cotswolds and Yorkshire the best-performing areas in England. Prestige Holidays is backing the region for 2020 with a much-expanded Closer to Home programme that now covers
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Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Channel Islands and Isles of Scilly among a mix of city breaks, self- drives and group tours.
SRI NKA After a tumultuous year for tourism – devastated by the Easter bombings and subsequent Foreign Office advisory against travel – demand is slowly creeping back. Sam Clark, co-founder of Experience Travel Group, says: “Against all the odds, Sri Lanka is rebounding from the setback it suffered in 2019 to once again be the in-demand destination for 2020. With the England cricket team touring in 2020 and more of the country becoming accessible due to road openings, 2020 looks like being a bumper year for this incredible country.” Book now to make the most of free visas until the end of January.
NICARAGUA It’s on the other side of the world, but Nicaragua’s fortunes have followed a similar path to Sri Lanka’s. It was the rising star of central America with operators reporting their best-ever bookings until, in April 2018, anti-government
protests prompted a Foreign Office ruling against all but essential travel. That was lifted in February this year, and the upswing has already begun, with several adventure operators reporting a resurgence for 2020. “Journey Latin America is seeing an increasing level of pent- up demand return to Nicaragua,” says head of product Stuart Whittington. “We have it completely back on sale and numbers are swiftly returning to the levels they were seeing before the troubles.”
ANTARCTICA For years, expedition cruising lurked at the fringes of the ocean-going gang, a more expensive, more intrepid alternative open only to those willing to brave the vagaries of the Drake Passage on a dreary, ex-Russian trawler. Not so now, with Clia holding its first Expedition Cruise Forum this year and luxury lines falling over themselves to get into Antarctica. Among the new vessels this year were the game- changing Scenic Eclipse and hybrid- powered Roald Amundsen, and with more on order for 2020 from the likes of Seabourn, Silversea Cruises and Ponant, Antarctica is on the up.
GEORGIA Tipping the Silk Road for success is rather like saying Game of Thrones is the next big thing – true, but about five years late. Yet where attention previously fell on the ‘Stans in central Asia, Georgia and neighbouring Armenia are starting to grab the limelight, with the former nabbing a sought-after spot on Abta’s list of destinations to watch in the Travel Trends Report 2020. G Adventures has seen a 44% increase in travel to Georgia over the past three years, and believes low-cost flights with Wizz Air and Ryanair, along with global attention as host to the World Tourism Organization in June, will secure its ascent.
BORNEO What Joanna Lumley did for the Silk Road, Judi Dench did for Borneo with her ITV series, sparking a surge in enquiries from customers wanting to recreate her wildlife- filled journey. Titan Travel product manager Cassie Stickland says: “Titan is seeing an impressive 345% year-on-year increase in passengers travelling on its 13-day Wild Borneo escorted tour. Following Judi Dench’s recent trip to Borneo, ²
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