9. Sri Lanka
From its misty hilltop tea plantations and roaming wild elephants to its ancient temples and rolling surf, Sri Lanka is a country that ticks lots of boxes. In April 2022, the former prime minister announced Sri Lanka's bankruptcy, but a new president aims to rebuild the country's fortunes after it was hit by a pandemic and civil unrest.
The resilient island nation is hoping to get back on its feet through tourism. The city of Kandy will see the opening of its first seven-star hotel, Aviyana Private Chalets, while Aarunya Nature Resort has a new family villa that includes an oculus for stargazing. There's a $1bn megaresort opening in Colombo, and the launch of Sri Lanka's new airline Air Ceilão, which will fly as far as Europe and Australia. The nation also recently launched the Good Travel Seal initiative, which celebrates local businesses who have adopted sustainable practices.
Visitors looking for a coolcation can take a legendary train ride into its mountainous interior, or travel to Colombo and Galle to discover a new generation of mixologists putting their spin on arrack, a 5th-Century drink. The island has also opened the 300km Pekoe Trail, which takes hikers through tea plantations and rural villages in the Central Highlands. For those who want to cover more ground, an innovative startup allows travellers to self-drive a tuk tuk across the island, with the money going directly to the owner. – Claire Turrell
10. Panama
After managing the Panama Canal for decades, the US handed control of it over to Panama at the end of 1999 in a treaty signed by the late US President Jimmy Carter. This year marks the 25th anniversary of Panama's sovereignty over its namesake waterway, and as President-elect Donald Trump hints at the possibility of using military force to reseize it, a series of new permanent exhibits at the landmark's Museo del Canal highlighting its path to Panamanian rule feels especially timely.
Yet, there's more to see in this nation of vast jungles, idyllic islands and mountainous forests beyond the canal. In 2024, the Meaningful Travel Map to Panama launched in partnership with non-profit Tourism Cares to make it easier for visitors to find locally led travel experiences across the country. After embarking on a Localinpty walking tour through Panama City's Casco Antiguo and El Chorrillo neighbourhoods, head south-west to the La Pintada district, where artists weave fibers to make traditional Panama hats by hand – a Unesco-recognised practice known as sombrero pintao. In El Valle de Anton (named one of the best community tourism villages by UN Tourism in 2024) take a hike through a lush cloud forest on the Cerro Gaital Lookout Trail where you can see both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea on a clear day from the summit. This newly opened path is part of Panama's ongoing 1,000 km of Trails project, which seeks to boost sustainable tourism in rural communities while bringing hikers face to face with Panama's staggering biodiversity. – Kathleen Rellihan
11. Rif Mountains, Morocco
Snowcapped mountains, sweeping deserts, ancient cities and rich cultural heritage have long made Morocco one of North Africa's most popular destinations. But the Al Haouz earthquake of September 2023 not only devastated parts of Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains, it also severely impacted tourism. As Morocco continues to build (and rebuild) its tourism infrastructure in preparation for co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup, the nation is aiming to double its tourist arrivals in the next five years.
Bypass the crowds by taking a road trip through the Rif Mountains in Morocco's less-frequented northern region. The planned 2025-2027 expansion of Morocco's High-Speed Rail (HSR) network will create a multitude of new train lines, including a link from Rabat to the ancient, 1,300-year-old walled Rif Mountain city of Fez; home to a Unesco World Heritage medina and the host of several games in the Africa Cup of Nations 2025. From Fez, it's a 65km drive north to Moulay Idriss, an ancient hilltop village once closed to non-Muslims. Pass through olive and almond groves and mountain villages for a stop in Ouezzane – a centre of Sufism – then continue north to Talassemtane National Park to hike through cedar forests, climb craggy red peaks and dive into natural swimming holes. Further north is the town of Chefchaouen, known as the "Blue Pearl" for its blue-painted buildings and streets. Finally, cruise along Morocco's northern coast, unwinding in sleepy Mediterranean fishing villages like El Jebha and the white-washed Spanish colonial buildings of Tetouan. – Alicia Erickson
12. Bradford, England
The northern English city of Bradford is finally poised to step out from the long shadow cast by its giant Yorkshire neighbour, Leeds, as it takes its place as the 2025 UK City of Culture. A fabulous year-long programme of events includes the re-opening of the National Science and Media Museum, plus innovative celebrations of local cultural icons: more than 400 works by Bradford-born artist David Hockney held in a Unesco World Heritage 1850s mill; new digital takes on a fantasy world dreamed up by the famed literary Brontë sisters; and a musical programme mixing an electronic bassline symphony, old factory folk music, brass bands and South Asian sounds.
The diversity of offerings reflects the eye-opening variety of a city whose historic enclaves like Little Germany – where 19th-Century Teutonic wool merchants built an array of neoclassical warehouses – are complemented by a landscape of dramatic moors that play host to an extraordinary open-air immersive sound walk mixing contemporary classical music with a sculpture trail. A special energy also comes from the local residents who represent diverse backgrounds (and youth – a quarter are under 20 years old).
Bradford's historic streets and rugged country setting helped the city become Britain's first Unesco City of Film (an accolade shared with places as varied as Rome, Sydney and Busan) – a setting for screen hits including BBC series like Peaky Blinders and Gentleman Jack, and classic films like The Railway Children and Wuthering Heights.
And this year, there's even an interactive cookbook project, celebrating recipes from local communities and showing that in 2025, Bradford is truly a destination to please all tastes. – Norman Miller
- BBC
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