by Jim Byers
Last updated: 9:25 PM ET, Wed December 6, 2017
From beautiful and surprising Portugal to the pure white sand beaches of Hawaii, G Adventures has announced its list of top places to visit in 2018.
The Toronto-based supplier of great trips around the world says the top spot for 2018 travel is Egypt, which will open a new archaeological museum next year and is, of course, famous for such wonders as the Great Pyramids and the Nile River.
Next on the list is Portugal, followed by Sri Lanka. I hadn't made it to Portugal until a few years ago, when I had a visit to The Azores and Lisbon. Lisbon is a stunning and affordable city, with great food and lovely neighbourhoods scattered on a series of hills along the Tagus River. The Azores, a part of Portugal in the mid-Atlantic Ocean, are truly one of the great destinations of the world, with sensational seafood, world-beating hikes along shockingly green coastlines and mountains and friendly people.
Also in the top 10 is Hawaii, coming in seventh and a perennial favourite vacation spot for Canadians. Hawaii offers up tropical scenes, fabulous food, beautiful beaches and a warm, welcoming culture that's hard to match anywhere on the planet. And it's only five hours from Vancouver.
"Visitor spending here is well on the rise too, thanks to Hawaii's top customer markets: Canada, US and Japan," the folks at G Adventures noted. "In the first half of 2017 travellers spent a whopping $8.4 billion in the Hawaiian Islands, up nearly nine per cent vs. 2016. For its part, G Adventures will offer travellers the opportunity to explore Hawaii's Big Island, Maui, Oahu and Kauai on new trips that are ideal for people looking for more adventurous, cultural experiences beyond big bus tours and resorts. Its three new itineraries range from eight to 15 days, and are priced from $3,599 to $7,499.
Another cool spot on the list is South Africa, which combines stunning scenery with animal safaris, wonderful wine and the charms of Cape Town.
G Adventures also gave a nod to the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as honourable mention spots for the coming year, noting they're preparing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of independence from Bolshevik Russian rule
Here's a look at the top 10, with a snippet about each destination from the folks at G Adventures:
1. Egypt: 2018 is poised to be an exciting year for Egypt as its new Grand Egyptian Museum prepares to open in late 2018 as the world's largest archaeological museum.
2. Portugal: The west European nation had a record-breaking year in 2017 as travellers sought destinations with fewer crowds, good food and travel security, and Portugal has emerged from Spain's neighbouring shadow.
3. Sri Lanka: The 'pearl of the Indian Ocean' is also having its moment in the sun. Sri Lanka aims to double the number of tourists to five million by 2020 as part of its development strategy and efforts are paying off: earnings from tourism increased to $2.1 million during the first half of 2017.
4. Colombia: A high-profile, 12-year peace treaty, a Nobel Peace Prize for its President, and national investments in marketing the country overseas have all combined to boost the Pacific-Caribbean country's reputation as a great place to vacation
5. Kyrgyzstan: Between investments from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to help travellers Discover Kyrgyzstan, and a concerted push from the Adventure Travel Trade (ATTA), the Central Asian country known for its warm, welcoming people, yurt life and spectacular mountainscapes is finally coming into the spotlight.
6. Morocco: Foreign tourist arrivals to the North African country rose more than 13 per cent during the first eight months of 2017 vs. the same period in 2016, bringing eight million visitors from around the globe, helping Morocco's GDP climb an impressive five per cent.
7. Hawaii: The Hawaii Tourism Authority is granting $3.5 million to local community tourism and conservation groups in 2018 to promote the Pacific Island state's cultural and natural heritage and set the islands up as leaders in sustainable tourism.
8. South Africa: The southern tip of the African continent is fast becoming a destination darling for adventurous and upscale Canadian travellers alike, thanks in part to South Africa Tourism's campaign to attract five million additional visitors in the next five years.
9. Bolivia: With its new $150 million, 119-mile Tupiza-Atocha-Uyuni highway set to open in mid-2018 and connect the Eastern and Western ranges of the Bolivian Andes, travel to and from the country's famed salt flats will become more accessible.
10. Oman: Rounding out its top 10 destinations for adventure in 2018 is the 'Switzerland' of the Middle East. Oman announced plans to extend tourist visits for up to one month vs. three weeks for 2018 and its government is working to support more women entrepreneurs in tourism.
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