American Express Travel has released its annual "Trending Destinations" list for 2024, including the 10 must-visit vacation spots based on global American Express Card Member travel bookings and recommendations from Amex Travel’s team of 6,000 expert travel consultants. This year’s list—"2024 Trending Destinations: Off the Beaten Path"—goes beyond the traditional, well-known vacation spots to uncover hidden gems and new experiences that travelers, particularly Millennials and Gen-Z, are looking for.
The Trending Destinations list offers a trip for all kinds of travelers. For example:
- Instead of the popular Blue Mountains of New South Wales, consider the Adelaide Hills with its charming villages and bustling culinary scene for your Australian rural retreat.
- If you love the history and energy of Istanbul, Bodrum, Turkey is home to beaches on the Aegean, bustling bazaars, fresh seafood, and active nightlife.
- Pastel-hued Porto Cervo, Italy on the island of Sardinia is a more exclusive alternative to the iconic Amalfi Coast that is still known for celebrity glamour and its cuisine.
- The sparkling seas, friendly locals and historic culture of St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean make it the ideal destination for those who love the laid-back vibes and white-sand beaches of St. Thomas and St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
- Travelers who love to ski in Sapporo can head farther afield to Niseko, Japan on the northernmost island of Hokkaido, for winter-sports experience.
- Those who flock to Mexico’s Riviera Maya for its beautiful scenery and vibrant food and culture will find a similarly colorful and urban experience by travelling inland to San Miguel de Allende.
- Santa Fe, New Mexico offers a similar blend of American Southwest culture, history, and natural beauty as popular Sedona.
- The Maldives have come to symbolize the exclusive "end-of-the earth beach vacation." The Seychelles offer a similar paradise, along with expansive biodiversity and multicultural vibrancy.
- Udaipur, India, an uber-romantic city of lakes and palaces, is a great alternative to Agra, home to the Taj Mahal.
- For those who love skiing the Dolomites, picturesque Zermatt, Switzerland offers a similar, charming feel.
American Express Travel’s travel consultants have additionally identified the best places to explore, eat and stay for each destination, so that travelers can get a taste of the local culture, including seeing koalas in the wild in Adelaide Hills; shopping for Turkish towels at the bazaars in Bodrum; and visiting a museum devoted to ceremonial masks in San Miguel de Allende.
To learn more, visit www.americanexpress.com.
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