The World Tourism Organization UNWTO presented a report on global tourism trends. We analyzed it and identified ten countries in which tourist interest is rapidly growing. While there are no queues for museums here, like in the Vatican or Paris, while natural attractions have still retained their original appearance, you have the opportunity to go there and see them before others.
1. Iceland
Iceland is an amazing country where doors in houses are not locked, waiters take tips as an insult, and employees leave work early if the national football team is playing that day. People come here to look at the unique nature: volcanoes, glaciers, geysers, geothermal springs, lakes, waterfalls, fjords, beaches with black volcanic sand. The warmest months are July and August, and you can travel around the entire island in a week. If you want freedom, rent a car, and if not, then excursion buses depart daily from Reykjavik, which will take you along the ring road to the main attractions of the island.
2. Japan
Two years ago, Japan significantly simplified obtaining a visa for Russians, and the number of tourists has increased significantly. Skyscrapers and the most crowded intersections here coexist with ancient palaces and quiet gardens. Japan teaches you to value space and time: here you can buy hot food, vegetables, fruits, eggs and children’s toys from a vending machine on the street on the way home. The Japanese combine their love of beauty with watching wild television shows in an unimaginable way. The most beautiful times of the year here are spring, when the whole country is covered in delicate cherry blossoms, and autumn at the end of November, which is also called “the time of red maples,” when the trees turn gardens and parks into a blazing glow of red, orange and yellow flowers.
3. Oman
Tourism in Oman develops mainly through beach holidays, since the country has gorgeous sandy coasts, washed by the gentle waters of the Arabian Sea, the Persian and Oman Gulfs. The beaches here are clean and fresh, not yet spoiled by tourists, as in Thailand or Turkey. There are also many treasures hidden in the depths of the peninsula: mountain landscapes, oases in dry river beds, ancient fortresses, and most importantly, centuries-old traditions that have survived to this day. Ancient Oman was famous as a haven for pirates and smugglers, so weapons were always held in high esteem here. Modern Omanis are friendly, and sabers and swords are masterfully demonstrated during traditional men’s dances. Camel racing and bullfighting are also worth watching. And be sure to go on a tour of the fjords.
4. Seychelles
In the Seychelles, washed by the waters of the Indian Ocean, the holiday season lasts all year. In the ocean waters near the islands, coral reefs grow and rare species of marine animals, such as giant turtles, live. In the islands’ national parks you can see the black parrot, tiny frogs the size of a fingernail, the tiger chameleon, bats and the carnivorous plant Nepenthes. Another natural wonder that can only be found on two Seychelles islands is called the sea coconut. This nut is similar to two ordinary coconuts grown together, weighing up to 40 kg.
5. Armenia
Armenia is loved for its originality. In villages they still bake bread in a tonir – a hole one and a half meters deep – which then does not spoil for six months. The old city of Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, is built of pink tuff, which is why it is often called the “pink city”. The main attractions are located outside the city: the high-altitude Lake Sevan, where locals escape from the heat on summer days, the Khor Virap monastery at the foot of the sacred Mount Ararat, on the top of which, according to scripture, Noah landed after the Flood. The world’s longest cable car runs to the monastery. It passes over the picturesque Vorotan Gorge, and during the trip passengers are treated to breathtaking views.
6. Azerbaijan
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The people of Azerbaijan are hospitable and welcoming, and the capital of the country amazes with its modernity. Flaming towers, the Heydar Aliyev Center, the town of “Little Venice”, where boat trips are taken, a well-equipped seaside boulevard stretching for 25 km along the Caspian Sea – walking here is a pleasure. Handmade carpets, nuts, famous local tea, all kinds of spices and amazing oriental sweets are brought from Azerbaijan.
7. Mongolia
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Most tourists come to Mongolia in the summer for the annual Naadam festival, the name of which translates as “games of three husbands.” The holiday is celebrated on a large scale throughout the country – there are up to 40 thousand artists, athletes and event organizers. The purpose of the festival is to popularize the traditions of steppe nomads in Mongolia and beyond. During Naadam, participants compete in national sports: wrestling, archery and horse racing.
In addition to cultural events, the country has many natural attractions: glaciers with clear lakes, taiga, where deer live, mountains and deep rivers for rafting and fishing. Well, the plains and steppes are also not boring at all – Mongolia is a real haven for horse riding and eagle hunting. At the same time, nature is absolutely untouched by civilization, and ancient Buddhist temples and monasteries scattered throughout the country give the impression that you have traveled not only in space, but also in time.
8. Uruguay
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One of the smallest countries in Latin America, where individual regions contrast so much with each other that each becomes a separate journey with a lot of impressions. The most popular resort in Uruguay is José Ignacio. The cult of beauty and leisurely enjoyment of life reigns here. To Americans it reminds us of Miami, and tourists from Europe compare it to early Saint-Tropez. In Punta del Este, one of the most fashionable areas of the country, snow-white yachts sparkle in the harbor and millionaires invest in casinos and skyscrapers. And, for example, Cabo Polonio is isolated from civilization by the lack of paved roads, mobile communications and even electricity, but here there is an incredible starry sky and the sound of the ocean can be heard around the clock.
9. Paraguay
Flowing ornate rivers flow through the territory of Paraguay and numerous lakes are scattered, so the nature here is bright, there is a lot of greenery, eco-tourism is developed: natural parks and hiking routes. On the border of three countries – Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay – is one of the natural wonders of the world – Iguazu Falls. Over a length of three kilometers, 275 waterfalls form a cascade, which travelers from all over the world come to see.
Two hundred kilometers upstream the Iguazu River stands the second most powerful hydroelectric power station in the world – the Itaipu Dam. This is a huge structure where scheduled tours and light shows are held.
10. Butane
A trip to Bhutan is bright and amazing, because the country seems to exist in a parallel world, where the way of life is subject to completely different, not immediately understandable rules. The Buddhist kingdom uses the mysterious “Gross National Happiness” as the highest measure of living standards, not GDP. The country respects traditions and nature, and is protected from tourist influence by high taxes for each day of stay in the country, so there are few travelers there. However, this fee includes accommodation, meals, transportation and a personal guide, and overall the trip can even turn out to be profitable – “all inclusive” to a new level. The guide, on the one hand, keeps an eye on you, which may not appeal to fans of independent travel, but he will tell you much more about the country, people and traditions than can be read in a guidebook.
