With its four tour operators, (Inspiring Travel Company, Western & Oriental, Rainbow Tours and Regent Holidays) the Inspiring Travel Company have something of a grip on the luxury holiday market.
This week, the Inspiring Travel Company released their picks for the top destinations in 2018.
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These are the locations that they predict will become huge tourist destinations next year. They’ve made these picks based on upcoming must-watch films, historical anniversaries, and even just cheap air fares.
Plus, as you might expect, The Inspiring Travel Company’s many tour operators have a delightful line-up of specially curated tours to take in the sights and sounds of each of them.
In essence, these are the destinations which will be creating a lot of buzz next year. For travelers looking to humble-brag about their upcoming holidays, a trip to one or more of these places is essential.
So, without further ado, here’s Inspiring Travel Company’s picks for the top destinations to visit in 2018:
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By GlobalData1. South Africa.
Aside from its abundant wildlife and unique culture, there’s another draw to South Africa in 2018. July will mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nelson Mandela. Widely regarded as the founding father of democracy in the country, visitors can expect to see lots of memorials, exhibitions, and other attractions springing up around the country to celebrate. Travelers looking for something of a political and educational holiday will feel right at home in South Africa.
2. The Seychelles.
This archipelago has always been a tourist hotspot, what’s new in 2018? Well, to be fair, not much. However, one of the reasons The Inspiring Travel Company have picked it out is that it’s going to become far easier to access. From the end of March, British Airways is launching a twice-weekly flight from London Heathrow to Mahé. The idea of traveling to these paradise islands with no changes or connections will be a boon to any interested travelers.
3. India.
With a new adaption of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book, directed by Andy Serkis and starring Christian Bale, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hollander and Cate Blanchett, it’s should be no surprise that India will become a popular destination in 2018. Specifically, the Madhya Pradesh region, famed for its tiger safari parks will likely become a huge destination.
4. Abu Dhabi.
This one made the list for one reason alone: the Louvre Abu Dhabi. This new brand new museum is, as one might expect, an off-shoot of the Parisian Louvre. The UAE is leasing the Louvre brand for $463m for 30 years and in return 300 works of art will be lent by several French museums. Amongst the loans will be Leonardo da Vinci’s La Belle Ferronniere from the Louvre, Bonaparte Crossing the Alps by Jacques-Louis David from Versailles, and a Vincent Van Gogh self portrait from the Musée d’Orsay. The museum opened in November 2017, and has already proved a huge draw for tourists.
5. Buenos Aires.
Like Seychelles, this one made the list not for any specific event or attraction, but because it’s about to get infinitely easier to travel to. Low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle will begin offering direct services to the Argentinian capital from February 2018, opening up this locations to visitors who ave never been able to enjoy it before.
6. St. Helena.
A British overseas area, St. Helena has been infamous in years past for being outrageously difficult to get to. In the middle of the Atlantic ocean, 4000km east of Rio De Janeiro and 2000km west of Northern Namibia, it was previously only accessible via a Royal Mail ship on a five-day voyage from Cape Town. Difficult to get to is something of an understatement. However, in recent years, a new airport has been built on St. Helena. This airport receives a plane from Johannesburg once per week carrying only 78 passengers. So while, yes, St. Helena, is opening up to the world, it’s still a seriously exclusive destination. Seals and whales can be viewed from the coasts of the island while whale sharks also swim through the waters between November and April.
7. Mauritius.
This little island in the Indian ocean has a lot going for it in 2018. For a start, 12th March 2018 marks 50 years of its independence from colonial rule. Mauritius has been possessed by the Dutch, the French, and the British over the years. Plus, with Creole and Asian influences, it has a bright, vibrant and totally unique culture. In addition, a new film starring Anne Hathaway and Matthew McConaughey, Serenity, is being filmed on Mauritius and is due out in 2018. Finally, the luxury resort One&Only Le Saint Géran will be reopening for the first time since is $200 million renovation.
8. South Korea.
Anyone with even a passing interest in sport will probably be able to figure out why South Korea is going to be a hot tourist destination in 2018. Or should that be a cold tourist destination? PyeongChang 2018 will mark the 23rd Winter Olympic games. With a budget of $2.5 billion, it’s sure to be a real spectacle.
9. The Caribbean.
After 2017 saw the Caribbean hit by some of the worst hurricanes in recent memory, it’d be understandable that visitors might be put off. However, The Inspiring Travel Company argue that those hurricanes might provide a brilliant reason to visit. Since the storms caused such devastation and disruption, many hotels will be renovating and repairing. This provides them with a great opportunity to upgrade their facilities and services and they might just end up going the extra mile to win back tourists. Plus, with so many put off from visiting, the area might be quieter and more peaceful than usual.
10. Republic Of Congo.
The Inspiring Travel Company note that this one is something of a ‘wildcard’ option, and, honestly, it’d be hard to disagree. The Republic Of Congo, while not as openly hostile to visitors as its neighbour the Democratic Republic Of Congo, is still rather tenuous as a tourist destination. More famous for its human rights atrocities, including the lifelong slavery of indigenous people, civil unrest, and government corruption. Still, for adventurous travelers, the country contains the second largest expanse of tropical rainforest in Africa. There are thought to be around 125,000 Western lowland gorillas within the country’s borders.#
In summary, there’s no denying that these destinations aren’t for everyone. On the other hand, if you’re a traveler looking for a really memorable experience that you’ll be able to boast about until the cows come home, then you’d better add some of these to your list of considerations!
