New years are typically accompanied by new traveller trends as people endeavour to reassess what they want to achieve in their life. This often sees societal shifts that mean some destinations experience a new lease of life as tourist destinations.
TripAdvisor always has its finger on the pulse when it comes to traveller behaviour and has identified what the preferences for travellers to Asia will be in 2019. While the following destinations may not receive the highest volume of travellers, they’re the locations TripAdvisor expects will be heavily on the rise next year.
Here’s the top five.
1. Gdansk, Poland
Gdanks is a city on the Baltic coast in Poland and is the principal seaport for the country. The city is also one of the country’s most beautiful and is steeped in more than enough history for any visiting traveller. Tourists will be able to enjoy themselves if they like being active with picturesque cycling and walking tracks, kilometres of beaches, and one of Poland’s largest zoos.
TripAdvisor recommends:
- Old Town
- Museum of the Second World War
- St. Mary’s Church
2. Riga, Latvia
Riga is the capital of Latvia, set at the mouth of the River Daugava on the Baltic Sea. Opened up to mass tourism with budget air travel, Riga’s Old City and its abundance of bars and restaurants can be explored on foot. The New Town is easily reached by a modern bus and tram network.
TripAdvisor recommends:
- Old City Riga
- Vermanes Garden
- Kgb building
3. Rovinj, Croatia
Rovinj is one of the most stunning destinations in the Mediterranean. Located on the west coast of the Istrian peninsula, the old town stands on a headland with houses and cobbled streets all the way to the seafront. Visitors can do many things, from scuba diving, sailing, cycling, and experiencing historical monuments.
TripAdvisor recommends:
- Old Town
- Punta Corrente
- Church of St. Euphemia
4. Nerja, Spain
Another seafront resort town, Nerja has over 15km of beaches with an abundance of adventure activities and cliffside coves to explore. With plenty of history in the form of primitive paintings, there’s no lack of options for travellers.
TripAdvisor recommends:
- Balcon de Europa
- Rio Chillar
- Church of El Salvador
5. Catania, Italy
An ancient city on Sicily’s coast, Catania is situated at the foot of Mt. Etna, an active volcano. A longstanding prize for past conquerors, Catania has already been destroyed once by Etna, in 1693. After that many buildings were creatively created using lava.
TripAdvisor recommends:
- Monte Etna
- Museo Storico dello Sbarco
- A’Piscaria Mercato del Pesce
For the full list of European destinations on the rise, visit TripAdvisor’s 2019 guide here.
If you’re a hotelier in these regions, now is the time to ensure your distribution strategy is optimised to capitalise on the increased traffic from interstate and international travellers. Market on as many online travel agents as you can and run promotions and packages on your website around the most popular attractions and sights.
