What is a trip without a little turmoil, right? With understaffed airports, high oil prices and other global issues, the huge returns for tourism have been bumpier than we all hoped for as Covid restrictions ease.
But while the skies haven't completely cleared yet, it's not impossible to find a silver lining. On the one hand, borders have been reopened almost everywhere. On the other hand, a strong dollar means that American vacationers will find more affordable prices in Europe, Japan, Mexico, India, etc.
Despite all the lingering uncertainty, consumer surveys and those endless TSA lines show that the urge to roam is still not abated. But where to go?
After a two-year pandemic year at home, our annual "Best Places to Go" list is once again open to the entire planet, with valuable destinations spread across six continents. Frommer's staff and writers chose places that marked milestones and headed in new directions, added new attractions and sorted out old on-call locations, recovered from past challenges, and became a strong competitor to more established tourism hubs.
These cities, states, parks, peninsulas, coastlines, and countries give us reason to be cautiously optimistic – although we do recommend fastening your seatbelt throughout 2023 as God knows we could experience sudden upheaval.
Here are the best places to go in 2023, in no particular order.
Virgin islands
Five years ago, a storm hit - two Category 5 hurricanes in two weeks. Two years later, the global pandemic shut down the world. Today, the Virgin Islands, made up of the U.S. Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands, are making a comeback. In the U.S. Virgin Islands, visitor arrivals surged 153% in the first quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, with a surge in arrivals from St. Thomas, the region's main aviation gateway. For those arriving by boat, the harbor promenade in Charlotte Amalia, the historic capital of St. Thomas, is undergoing a beautiful $146 million renovation. The Caribbean Daily called it "the next great Caribbean beachfront." Under the agreement with the Royal Caribbean, USVI will also receive 440,000 cruise ship visitors in 2023, tripling the number of passengers entering Fredericksted in St. Croix, a small town with a large marina.
Meanwhile, in the neighboring British Virgin Islands, classic resorts such as Rosewood Little Dix Bay, Saba Rock and Bitter End Yacht Club (pictured above) are back in their best after being razed by the hurricane. Environmental groups like Beyond the Reef are repurposing seafloor junk left behind by hurricanes for fun "art reefs" for divers. Finally, summer is no longer a downtime on the island – just try renting a last-minute villa or car in June on the hot U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John's. In the British Virgin Islands, summer events – jet ski poker races, Christmas in July and Liberation Day in August – extend the peak tourist season into September, when the peak hurricane season returns. —Alexis Lipsitz Fripin
Japan
It's time to finally book a ticket to Tokyo. After more than two years of pandemic-related severe border restrictions that brought tourism to a standstill, Japan reopened to independent international visitors in October. (Currently, just be prepared to show proof of vaccination or have a negative Covid-19 test to enter.) For a man who spent years polishing himself for the 2020 Olympics, only to see the event postponed and suffocated.
Another reason to visit Japan this year: The strong U.S. dollar makes this the most affordable time for Americans to travel in nearly 25 years, with vacations to explore Japan's world-famous ancient temples, sushi bars, and neon lights, and budget-conscious travelers enjoying anime-style nightlife. Fans of the theme park are eager to spend some yen at Tokyo DisneySea, the epic theme park of Tokyo Disney Resort where in 2023 the Fountain of Fantasy was unveiled to commemorate its 40th anniversary. The free $2.5 billion expansion will bring a 475-room luxury hotel and luxurious new rides themed around the world of Frozen, Troll and Peter Pan. —Erica Bray
San Sebastián and Bilbao, Spain
The Basque Country will reach its peak in 2023. The area is already a common starting point for the world-famous Way of Santiago (now more popular given the current desire for outdoor travel experiences), but for the first time since 1992, Bilbao will also be the starting point for the Tour de France. López de Haro, a Ladies Hotel in Bilbao, was once the headquarters of a local newspaper and is expected to reopen in 2023 after a major renovation. The hotel was the residence of architect Frank Gehry, who was in the early planning stages of the city's now-iconic Guggenheim Museum.
After the game, stay to enjoy the famous cuisine of the region. The Basque Country has one of the highest concentrations of award-winning gourmet restaurants per capita on the planet. Opened in March and facing La Concha Bay, the Nobu Hotel San Sebastián has 20 rooms and a 98-seat restaurant that adds to the vibrancy of the cuisine. 2023 also marks the 50th anniversary of Picasso's death, with events scheduled across the country to commemorate his work, including a planned Guggenheim exhibition. Another famous Spaniard, Cristóbal Balenciaga, died more than 50 years ago in 1972, and his talent attracted many fashionistas to visit the series of exhibitions underway at the Balenciaga Museum, not far from San Sebastian. Whether cycling, hiking or satisfying your taste buds, the new year in the Basque Country will be more exciting than ever. —Ramsay Cooperpin
Camp Hale, Colorado - Continental Watershed National Monument
As the land conservation action progressed, it became a triple reserve, preserving a place prized for its natural beauty, its role in military history, and its significance to the modern ski industry. In October 2022, President Joe Biden responded to a decades-long campaign that designated 54,000 acres of wilderness 110 miles west of Denver as Camp Hale – Continental Watershed National Monument. Between 1942 and 1944, the 10th Mountain Division conducted skiing and cold-weather wilderness survival training at Camp Hale at an altitude of about 9,200 feet to better counter the Axis powers in World War II.
After the war, veterans of the division returned to Colorado to play a role in the establishment of the Vail and Aspen ski resorts. Now that lobbying efforts by veterans groups and conservationists have won, the Camp Hale site and surrounding alpine forests and Eagle River Valley will receive the protections needed to develop, as well as the funding needed to establish properly interpreted facilities for tourists, hiking, camping and mountain biking. A new Rocky Mountain dream destination is born. —Jason Cochrane
Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
Explorers of resorts and ruins in Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula will no longer be forced to drive often dilapidated bus fleets to major attractions. Mexico's leaders, eager to invest in the region and expand tourism, are deepening the construction of the $10 billion Tren Maya railway project, funded by a tourism tax, that will connect Cancun, Tulum, Playa del Carmen and the Chichen site of Itza and the rest of Riviera Maya. The first part of the so-called "train through the jungle" is intended to open by the end of 2023. There are many delays and controversies – including habitat destruction, the system's impact on indigenous villages, and anxiety about overtourism.
These concerns may be justified, as Tulum's new Puerto Felipe Carrillo International Airport is also scheduled to debut in 2023, joining Cancun as the second fire hose to enter international flights. Authorities say about 4 million passengers will arrive through Tulum's runway each year by 2024. Soon after, these visitors will hop on the nearly 1,000-mile fully completed Tren Maya route, whizzing between ancient ruins and beach revelry. The delay in opening was expected, but even so, it seems that we are experiencing the final moments of the Yucatan Peninsula as we know it. —Jason Cochrane
Karnataka, India
One of India's first tiger sanctuaries, located in the southwestern state of Karnataka, will celebrate its 50th birthday by 2023. Established in 1973 and designated Bandipur National Park the following year, the reserve has seen a tenfold increase in the number of Bengal tigers after more than 50 years of effort, deterring poachers from expanding safari tourism. But unlike other wildlife viewing centers such as Uganda and Tanzania, where the government charges tourists for tours, visitors are expensive, and Bandipur charges around $30 per drive to see local tigers, Asian elephants, leopards, four-horned antelopes, golden jackals and sloth bears.
Of course, a lot of things in India are cheap for North Americans because of the depreciation of the rupee. However, due to the turmoil in some parts of the country, this did not lead to the kind of tourism growth one expected. But Karnataka has a low crime rate and is considered one of the most prosperous states in India. It is also well worth a visit. Apart from Bandipur, the state capital Bangalore (also known as Bangalore) is known as India's Silicon Valley. It dazzles visitors with its world-class restaurants, art galleries, gardens, and craft beer. Mysore Palace – India's second largest attraction to visit after the Taj Mahal – is just one of the magnificent historic residences, temples and museums in the city of Mysore (also known as Mysore). And Hambi, a 1960s favourite on hippie trails, still draws visitors to its UNESCO-listed temples, megalithic sculptures and megalithic landscapes filled with bizarre wonders. —Pauline Frommer
Athens, Greece
Greece, which relies on tourism, had a brilliant year in 2022, with more tourists than in pre-Covid years. While many sun-seekers head straight to the islands, Santorini and Mykonos are high on tourists' favorites lists, now more than ever there are more reasons to stay in Athens for a while. Some of Athens' big city prices are among the lowest in Europe, which has helped the dollar go further as tourists sample the ever-expanding roster of restaurants and nightclubs, especially in the popular Psyrri and Gazi neighborhoods. Attractive new hotels have opened – Brown Lighthouse and Moxy bring a suave charm to the rugged Omonoia Square, while Monsieur Didot and modernists add sophisticated seclusion to chic people of color.
Recent additions to the city's museum include the National Gallery, which reopened in 2021 after 8 years of renovation, focusing on El Greco and the Greek artists who followed him, and the Gulandris Foundation, which opened in 2019 to showcase Picasso and other awards for modern and contemporary art. Home to the Greek National Opera and the National Library, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Center is located in a stunning residence hall designed by Renzo Piano and nestled in a park green space that has become an important cultural center since its inauguration 5 years ago. To the south is Ellinikon, Europe's largest urban development project that will transform the capital over the next decade with a towering mini-city towering over green spaces and beaches. Athens is building a complex future. —Stephen Brewer
Oahu, Hawaii
The most visited island of Hawaii is revitalizing as a tourist hotspot. The new digital reservation system eliminates the long lines of ticket lines ahead of Pearl Harbor's haunting USS Arizona memorial and reduces the crowds visiting the landmark Diamond Head crater (pictured above) and snorkeling along the Gulf of Dinom reefs. At the Polynesian Cultural Center, a banquet is paying tribute to Queen Liliukalani while sharing the story of the overthrow of the monarchy in 1893; Visitors can learn more about these activities through a recent addition of special tours to the former royal seat of Iolani Palace.
The ecological perspective is also becoming mainstream in the tourism industry. Now, visitors can learn how to care for stream-irrigated fields of taro (a revered staple of Hawaiian diets in the pre-modern diet) at Kualoa Ranch, handle native seaweed varieties on a new educational tour at Sea Life Park, or volunteer to restore a historic rock wall in an ancient fish pond on Oahu, a staple pre-modern food source. In Waikiki, rejuvenated accommodations from Outrigger Reef Waikiki Beach to Kaimana Beach Hotel immerse guests in modern Hawaiian style, while North Shore's redesigned Turtle Bay Resort highlights the area's agricultural Jamie O'Brien surfing experience with new farm tours and surf culture. Speaking of surfing: Wai Kai, a leisure center with 100-foot-wide deep-water artificial surf waves (said to be the largest surf wave in the world), debuted in February 18 miles west of Honolulu. It will also offer a calm 52-acre lagoon for stand-up paddleboarding and other marine activities, as well as shops and restaurants. —Jenny Cooper
Malatea, Italy
Italy's Amalfi Coast may be breathtaking, but it has become expensive, overcrowded, and getting to by car is becoming increasingly complicated. But the slender Maratea coast, 110 miles southeast of the Basilicata region, is a good option. Until recently, despite the area's relative affordability, few outsiders visited the area. The largest town, Maratea Superiore, has 44 churches and chapels, some of which have fine works of art. Located nearly 8 miles north of Acquafredda's turquoise inlet and accessible via scenic Via Nazionale, the culinary scene featuring abundant seafood and elegantly minimalist in Campania and Puglia pairs perfectly with stunning local Aglianico black grape wines. Visiting is a reflection of Italy's dream holidays: tourists pass the time by swimming, hiking in the mountains above the coast, dining al fresco under olive trees, and renting crew sailboats for a ride at sea. Just keep an eye out for vipers, wolves and bears. This is still a country of wilderness. —Gregory McNamee
Uruguay
Soon one day, the rest of the world will discover the fact that Uruguay is one of the smallest countries in South America and has many of the same allures as its larger neighbors. It's also a great place to learn about sustainable living practices. According to the New York Times, 98% of the country's grid is powered by renewable energy (wind, solar, and biomass), making Uruguay one of the greenest countries on the planet.
It's not that your vacation has to revolve around virtue alone. Uruguay is home to some of South America's best beaches, from glittering party towns like Punta del Este and other places that attract luxury sunbirds from all over the Americas, to favorites for casual surfers like Cape Diablo. Just inland from the beach you will find accomplished wineries and even further inland, vast steppes inhabited by Caucasians and herds of cattle (in Uruguay, there are four bulls each). The locally run estate hosts guests who want to enjoy a Latin American ranch holiday. Montevideo, the country's capital and largest city, has exquisite museums, galleries, and restaurants. Elsewhere, there are also well-preserved colonial towns to visit. As I said, the whole world should take notice. Avoid the crowds and visit before everyone else. —Pauline Frommer
Macon, Georgia
The central Georgia city of Macon will celebrate its bicentennial in 2023. But one of the top attractions dates back more than 200 years. Ocmulgee Mounds is a collection of ancient earthworks located on land inhabited by the Muscogee people for thousands of years. The site may soon be designated as Georgia's first national park.
In recent centuries, Macon has produced an impressive roster of music producers who have been honored at attractions such as the Otis Reading Museum and the Big House Museum, which preserve where Allman Brothers Band lived in the early 1970s. Current artists can contribute to this musical heritage in the city's newly built 10,000-seat amphitheater, which will be completed in the summer.
Macon's revitalized downtown area is dotted with dozens of restaurants, shops and new accommodations, such as Hotel Forty-Five in an angular former office building and the Woodward Hotel near the historic Hargray Capitol Theater. Keep an eye out for movie stars around town – Macon's picturesque streets and Georgia's thriving film industry make this a popular backdrop for location shoots. —Zach Thompson
Exmouth, Western Australia
The small town of Exmouth in Western Australia is prepared for an influx of visitors between March and July each year, eager to swim with the hundreds of gentle whale sharks that congregate off the coast. But by 2023, more than 50,000 people are expected to gather at this dive site to witness another natural phenomenon – one in the sky rather than one in the ocean. On April 20, a rare mixed eclipse will completely obscure the Sun, which won't happen again until 2031. The World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Coast will be the easiest place on land to watch the 3 hour event.
The road there is a miracle in itself. Considered one of Australia's most beautiful lanes, the Coral Coast Highway stretches for 800 miles between Perth and Exmouth and takes visitors past limestone pinnacles, the otherworldly pink waters of Hutt Lagoon and Mia, the monkey Mia, which is visited daily by wild dolphins. - Jessica Wayne Lockhart
Dawson City, Canada
In the years beginning in 1896, more than 100,000 prospectors flocked to Canada's Yukon in hopes of making a fortune during the Klondike Gold Rush. For most of those 125 years, the story of the eccentric miner and the ballroom girl has been a calling card for the City of Dawson, which served as a base during the mining boom. But now, the story is finally being told from the perspective of indigenous peoples, whose voices have long been excluded.
Tommy Taylor, the Fishwheel Charters' travel agent, takes visitors on a 2-hour boat ride on the Yukon River, sharing the life of his ancestors, the Hän people, before the Gold Rush along the way. Meanwhile, Parks Canada's new Red Serge, Red Tape explainer takes a critical look at the colonial government's influence on Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in, who left their traditional fishing areas due to an influx of new immigrants. Here's a message that runs through Parks Canada planning: Yes, the history of the Gold Rush is fascinating, but so is the 24,000 years of human history that preceded it. - Jessica Wayne Lockhart
Expeditionary ship West Africa
Popular routes for modern tourism connect so many inhabited places on Earth, but there is one region that has been forgotten: West Africa. Although the region has played a key role in the development of wealth and population in Western societies, Western tourists have proven reluctant to travel on their own to places such as Senegal, Ghana, Ivory Coast, The Gambia and the Cape Verde Islands (above). Getting there has been a hassle and there are few tour options on the ground. But the current boom in expedition cruises, accompanied by a dramatic increase in the number of special vessels, has created a new channel for travelers to learn about the vivid and diverse cultures that stretch along the coastline.
It is now easier to witness some of the locations where human trafficking changed the course of our common destiny years ago. Hurtigruten's adventure ship Spitsbergen began tentatively adding West African origins to its roster, and the voyages were so successful that there would be more. Among the other adventure boats offering tours of the West African Odyssey in 2023 and '24: Seabourn Venture and Azamara Journey. If you've ever dreamed of visiting the shores of your mother continent, the way there has never been so mainstream. —Jason Cochrane
Vilnius, Lithuania
Vilnius kicks off a landmark year in January, when the city celebrates its 700th anniversary as the capital of Lithuania. Starting on 25 January, the Festival of Lights illuminates the cold Baltic winter nights, with colourful light installations casting beams onto a hodgepodge of historical, beautiful medieval, Baroque and Renaissance architecture in the Old Town. Birthday parties continue throughout the year and include art performances and performance events, including a large free music festival in Venguis Park in July.
The festivities provide a great excuse to get to know Vilnius, one of Europe's perennially underrated beauties, packed with UNESCO-approved architecture (perhaps best admired from one of the hot air balloons rising from the city center) as well as vibrant art products, fun culinary ideas, and delicious beer.