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10 Top Vacation Spots for 2024

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Retirement Planning > Spending in Retirement > Lifestyle Planning

10 Top Vacation Spots for 2024

By Michael S. Fischer

Slideshow December 11, 2023 at 05:11 PM Share & Print

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December is the time that many Americans ponder New Year’s resolutions. It’s also the time they plan a winter vacation.

American Express Travel’s annual Trending Destinations list for 2024 goes beyond traditional, well-known vacation spots to uncover less-visited places and new experiences that travelers are looking for. An AmEx survey earlier this year found that 89% of respondents want to travel to destinations they have never visited before.

Researchers selected this year’s destinations based on global American Express Card Member bookings through American Express Travel, looking at year-over-year travel growth between 2019 and 2023, as well as on recommendations from AmEx Travel’s team of 6,000 travel consultants.

This year’s trending destinations range from ski slopes to rainforests to art colonies, something to appeal to every traveler’s tastes.

See the accompanying gallery for 10 destinations that are sure to be popular with travelers in the new year, according to American Express Travel.

Michael S. Fischer

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

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10 Top Vacation Spots for 2024

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Adelaide Hills, Australia
A three-hour flight from Sydney, this South Australian region produces some of the continent’s finest cool-climate Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays, as well as delicious fruits and vegetables. Its many excellent restaurants, cellars and tasting rooms make it a palate-pleasing getaway. You can drive winding roads among vineyards and bushland, take nature hikes and wander through historically German settlements with stone buildings, outdoor cafés and craft shops — and enjoy German-style microbreweries as an alternative to the region’s wine options.

Credit: Adobe Stock

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Bodrum, Turkey
Sometimes called “Little Istanbul,” this city of 50,000 features bustling bazaars, fresh seafood, active nightlife and beaches on the sparkling blue Aegean. Bodrum is an ideal base for exploring the Turkish Riviera, which gets less crowded and more glamorous the farther you travel from town. And be sure to hire a traditional wooden sailboat, or gulet, for blissful hours of sunbathing and swimming surrounded by the sea on all sides.

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Santa Fe, New Mexico
Perched at the foot of the majestic Sangre de Cristo Mountains in the U.S. Southwest, Santa Fe beckons with a blend of culture, history and natural beauty. The city's distinctive adobe Pueblo-style architecture forms a picturesque backdrop that has long inspired artists, writers and creative folks from around the world. In the historic district, you’ll find galleries filled with work inspired by Santa Fe’s distinctive natural setting, while the Museum of International Folk Art on Museum Hill boasts the world’s largest collection of international folk art. The city's vibrant culinary scene takes cues from its multicultural heritage.

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Niseko, Japan
Located about two hours away from Sapporo on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, Niseko offers skiing terrain to suit all levels. Niseko United comprises four resorts, serviced by 30 lifts, and some 2,000 skiable acres. Going off-piste is encouraged here — unlike elsewhere in Japan — and that enables advanced athletes to swoosh through tree groves and thigh-deep champagne powder. The area’s infrastructure is world class. The collection of friendly ski villages runs the gamut from less touristy Annupuri to bustling Grand Hirafu, with its international après scene.

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Porto Servo, Italy
This northeastern section of Sardinia, situated midway between Europe and North Africa, has a rugged landscape of Mediterranean scrub, gnarled junipers and rocky coastlines overlooking turquoise-green waters. Its harbor is filled with yachts, its cityscape dotted with terracotta roofs. Designer boutiques cater to well-heeled visitors. Inland are Bronze Age ruins and wineries, while the surrounding area offers seaside pleasures. You eat well in Porto Servo: Local specialties include everything from handmade pasta and fresh sardines to spit-roasted suckling pig and a paper-thin flatbread called pane carasau.

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San Miguel de Allende, México
Located 170 miles north of Mexico City, San Miguel de Allende was built on silver-mining fortunes and reborn in the mid-20th century as an artist colony. The small city is an expat favorite, with flower-draped historic buildings lining cobblestone streets; live performances and English-language art workshops; and textiles, pottery and other artisanal products sold at craft shops to support the local community. Parroquia San Miguel Arcangel, the rosy-pink neo-gothic church, is the city’s most famous landmark. San Miguel’s restaurant scene is a medley of skilled chefs and cuisines. The lively nightlife is fueled by a mix of locals and visitors and, of course, by tequila that flows freely at rooftop bars.

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Seychelles, Indian Ocean
Situated about 1,000 miles off the coast of Kenya, this Indian Ocean archipelago comprises 115 islands. Some are hilly and rocky, others (including the best ones for snorkeling) are low-lying outcrops of coral. The crystal waters and white-sand beaches make for romantic getaways, while rainforest hikes and many nature reserves are great for adventure and family travel. Most Seychellois descend from the island chain’s original European and East African inhabitants, and they proudly maintain a Creole culture that also incorporates Arab, Chinese and South Asian influences to be enjoyed in the local cuisine.

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Udaipur, India
The biggest single attraction of “the white city” in the western Indian state of Rajasthan is its main palace complex, a granite-and-marble riot of cupolas and balconies. Like many of Udaipur’s celebrated buildings, it sits on one of the city’s seven canal-connected lakes. The most swoon-worthy of these, a 17th-century island palace called Jag Mandir, rises from the glassy waters as though it’s floating. Beyond photogenic architecture, the city is renowned for its handicrafts, everything from silver to fine saris, and wooden furniture to the region’s famous miniature paintings. Udaipur offers little in the way of bars, but the food is delicious and heavier on meat dishes than in other parts of India. It’s worth briefly leaving the city for tours of the sprawling fort at Kumbhalgarh and the 48,000-square-foot temple at Ranakpur.

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Zermatt, Switzerland
Home of the iconic Matterhorn, Zermatt has been welcoming visitors since the earliest days of skiing — and tourists in summer who flock there to enjoy the scenery. The town is famously car free; non-walkers get around by electric taxis and buses. Zermatt’s standards for everything are high, including food. Besides signature Swiss dishes like raclette and fondue, you’ll find a wide range of international cuisines. Some of the best spots for meals, hot cocoa and end-of-day champagne are on-mountain. For a taste of the pulsing nightlife, start on Bahnhofstrasse, where those who wish can stay out into the morning, just as the adjacent cafés and luxury boutiques are opening.

Credit: Adobe Stock

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St. Kitts and Nevis, Caribbean Sea
St. Kitts is the busier and more built-up island of this two-island nation, while Nevis has more lush nature — and not a single traffic light. Both are great places to do some “limin,’” local slang for sipping rum drinks and hanging out. After a day on the beach in St. Kitts, the Strip on Frigate Bay beckons with lively oceanfront bars and restaurants. The cuisine on both islands is a tasty mix of French, Indian and Caribbean influences. You can hike rainforest nature trails of either island, keeping an eye out for chattering vervet monkeys, and you can see the wild side of St. Kitts by train. Also worth a visit is the museum on Nevis devoted to Alexander Hamilton, who was born on the island.

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