Best in Travel: Cook Islands, Auckland and the fjords of Iceland are the travels of 2022. With a stop in Florence

Where to go on a trip in 2022? To the Cook Islands, Auckland and the west fjords of Iceland (without forgetting a trip to Florence). It is a wish list shared with planetary travelers – more than a vademecum for immediate use – this edition of “Best in Travel”, the guide with which every year Lonely Planet indicates the top 10 world destinations of countries, regions and cities . In all thirty destinations to visit in the coming year. Whenever possible, it is the obligatory footnote in this 2021 which in some areas of the world sees the end of the pandemic but in others, including Europe (especially Eastern Europe), is witnessing worrying resumption of infections.

Covid has canceled trips, wiped out the economies of small countries that live off tourism and put the magnet cities of international tourists in crisis. Now, slowly, we start again. Aware that these two years have changed the desires of travelers. Not for nothing in the Best in Travel 2022 ranking (which includes many destinations now closed to tourists) islands, deserts and wooded areas abound in which to avoid the now feared crowding and reach “post-pandemic nirvana”, reads the guide, available from 28 October in bookstores and on the website.

The cities
In the top 10 of the cities there is the only Italian destination of this edition, Florence, which occupies the ninth place. Destination par excellence – together with Rome, Milan and Venice – for international tourists, like all cities of art it has suffered a lot in these two years: 1.25 million visitors in the summer of 2021, with a growth of 185.7% compared to 2020 but down by 60% compared to 2019.

The podium in the ranking of cities is occupied by: Auckland in New Zealand (a country still closed to non-residents, according to the Foreign Ministry’s “Traveling safe”), whose borders include 53 volcanoes and three wine regions; Taipei in Taiwan (borders closed here too), an ideal city in which to discover “first-rate restaurants” and where “ancient religious traditions coexist with a progressive LGBT + culture”; Freiburg in Germany, which in addition to the “picturesque facade” reveals a “young and environmentalist” soul. Atlanta (USA), Lagos (Nigeria), Nicosia / Lefkosia (Cyprus), Dublin (Ireland), Mérida (Massico), Florence and Gyeongju (South Korea) close the ranking.

«Florence is certainly not an unknown destination for lovers of beauty. But when the pandemic emptied it of visitors and revenues – reads the guide -, it had to rethink its future “and did so with initiatives aimed at” decentralizing tourism and making it more sustainable “. In 2022, the Vasari Corridor will reopen and the ancient Tobacco Factory will take on new life.

The countries
In the top 10 of the countries we find the Cook Islands (currently sealed borders for foreign tourists). “Framed by the largest ocean in the world, they promise adventure activities, cultural interactions and culinary delights.

Cook Islands (Pete Seward/Lonely Planet)

When international travel recovers from Covid-19, innovative strategies focused on sustainability will make Cook Islands emerge as a surprising destination ”assures Lonely Planet. Second and third place for two other ideal destinations for nature lovers: Norway and Mauritius (open to vaccinated and unvaccinated travelers, some with a swab and some with quarantine).

Belize, Slovenia, Anguilla, Oman, Nepal, Malawi and Egypt follow. The winning cards are a stunning nature, attention to sustainability and the presence of large spaces that favor relaxation and distancing.

The regions
Third and last category of “Best in Travel” the top 10 of the regions, and here to position themselves on the highest step are the Icelandic Westfjords (an evocative area untouched by mass tourism and connected to the rest of the country only by an isthmus 7 km wide), followed by West Virginia and Xīshuāngbaˇnna, in southwest China, once an important stop on the ancient tea route.

From fourth to tenth position the Kent Coast (Great Britain), Puerto Rico, Shikoku (Japan), the Atacama Desert (Chile), Scenic Rim (area of Australia devastated by the fires of 2019 and now recovering), Vancouver Island (Canada) and French Burgundy.

Xishuangbanna (Fabio Nodari/Shutterstock)

The choices and the jury
“Best in Travel” returns “after a forced break” – the 2021 edition, in full pandemic emergency, focused on the themes and for the first time did not contain rankings – and thinks about the post-earthquake with optimism. Many of the destinations included are not attainable at the moment, and perhaps they will not even be in 2022, but the goal, explains Angelo Pittro, director for Italy of Lonely Planet, is to “be a source of inspiration for when we will able to start traveling again. Many travelers are dreaming of new itineraries and we want to be there to guide them safely. We selected the destinations based on how much each of them, at the time of our research, was ready to welcome travelers in 2022 and the interest shown by the visitors themselves – continues Pittro -. If the trip is not possible next year, we offer information on how to visit the destination safely in future years ».

The 30 destinations were chosen at the end of a process that began with a survey that involved the guide’s staff, partner publishers, bloggers and 200 travel authors. From the 1000 destinations identified, a jury of six experts then chose the 10 for each category. Which we hope, together with others, to be able to visit in 2022. «The pandemic – underlines Lonely Planet – has however highlighted some thorny issues related to travel. In the months of inactivity, aircraft carbon emissions dropped to levels close to optimal to avoid catastrophic global warming. Fragile and precious places have had an unexpected but welcome moment of respite without being invaded by crowds of visitors, coming and going of planes and daily inconveniences ». For this reason, now that “we finally leave – concludes Pittro – we leave again, we must look at our travels in a more responsible way”.

–»» TOP 10 COUNTRIES

1. COOK ISLANDS

2. NORWAY

3. MAURITIUS

4. BELIZE