As we move into a new year, Australian’s will look to explore the globe with Bhutan, Malta, Portugal and Zambia being on the top of the list of 2020 dream destinations.
Not only are Aussies looking for new destinations that are a little exotic and inspire wanderlust, they are also looking for travel to inspire health and lifestyle choices with sustainable travel leading the charge.
What this travel brand found out about where we went this year (and where we’d like to go in 2020).
As a travel insurance provider, we get some pretty detailed intel’ about the trips people took in 2019 ...they forked out money for coverage so we’re pretty sure they went! We also publish content that inspires travel, so we have an idea of where people want to go, especially if they’re the ethical and sustainable travel type.
1. USA
2. Indonesia
3. Japan
4. Bali (yes, we know it’s in Indonesia, but we allow people to specify.)
5. Canada
6. Europe (because people select Europe rather than an individual European nation it suggests they go to more than one on a trip)
7. New Zealand
8. Thailand
9. Nepal
10. Vietnam
Why not? They’re all great destinations, but we wanted to dive a little deeper and see if we could spot some trends for up-and-coming destinations for 2020. This is what we found.
Are Aussies “over” travel to Thailand?
It’s still in the top ten destinations for adventure seekers, but travel to Thailand is down 30% this year. Despite still being ruled by a military junta it has been politically stable so it’s hard to say why it’s off the list. Perhaps the coronation of the new king in May had a dampening effect. The Aussie dollar has taken a hammering this year and is down 15% against the Thai Baht, so maybe it’s not perceived as a cheap adventure spot anymore. Maybe we all just decided to try somewhere else?
Not connected, but the other big loser in 2019 was Vietnam with 23% fewer World Nomads heading there.
South America is the new Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asia’s loss was South America’s gain. With fewer beaten paths in the first place and that unexplored feel Southeast Asia had 40 years ago, World Nomads were exploring Peru (up 324%) and Colombia (up a whopping 706%) in 2019.
Peru has been in the nomadic map for a little while now, visits have increased 564% in the past 4 years. While Machu Picchu is a drawcard, too much love has forced authorities to impose a cap on numbers. But there are many other equally impressive Inca ruins you don’t have to share with 2,500 other visitors.
Colombia? Pablo Escobar was killed by police 26 years ago! Stop streaming episodes of Narcos and check out the destination, it’s awesome.
The 5 Stans on the silk road
There’s something utterly romantic about The Silk Road and Central Asia. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, like Southeast Asia 40 years ago, ooze mystery, appear so completely different to anywhere else on the planet and promise true adventure.
People who travel to The Stans are still an oddity, yet they’re greeted with open arms from a populace still trying to understand why you’re interested in their humble homeland. Maybe it’s the lack of touts and Disneyfication that has fuelled a travel surge: trips to Uzbekistan are up 117% year-on-year (and 79% since 2016), Kyrgyzstan up 55% and Kazakhstan up 10%.
Podcast popularity
World Nomads has a travel podcast which speaks with insiders and locals who have intimate knowledge of a destination. In 2019 the hosts and their guests poked around in every corner of the globe. But the destinations that have had the most listeners are the ones that seem a little exotic and inspire wanderlust.
As a travel insurance provider, we get some pretty detailed intel’ about the trips people took in 2019 ...they forked out money for coverage so we’re pretty sure they went! We also publish content that inspires travel, so we have an idea of where people want to go, especially if they’re the ethical and sustainable travel type.
1. USA
2. Indonesia
3. Japan
4. Bali (yes, we know it’s in Indonesia, but we allow people to specify.)
5. Canada
6. Europe (because people select Europe rather than an individual European nation it suggests they go to more than one on a trip)
7. New Zealand
8. Thailand
9. Nepal
10. Vietnam
Why not? They’re all great destinations, but we wanted to dive a little deeper and see if we could spot some trends for up-and-coming destinations for 2020. This is what we found.
Are Aussies “over” travel to Thailand?
It’s still in the top ten destinations for adventure seekers, but travel to Thailand is down 30% this year. Despite still being ruled by a military junta it has been politically stable so it’s hard to say why it’s off the list. Perhaps the coronation of the new king in May had a dampening effect. The Aussie dollar has taken a hammering this year and is down 15% against the Thai Baht, so maybe it’s not perceived as a cheap adventure spot anymore. Maybe we all just decided to try somewhere else?
Not connected, but the other big loser in 2019 was Vietnam with 23% fewer World Nomads heading there.
South America is the new Southeast Asia.
Southeast Asia’s loss was South America’s gain. With fewer beaten paths in the first place and that unexplored feel Southeast Asia had 40 years ago, World Nomads were exploring Peru (up 324%) and Colombia (up a whopping 706%) in 2019.
Peru has been in the nomadic map for a little while now, visits have increased 564% in the past 4 years. While Machu Picchu is a drawcard, too much love has forced authorities to impose a cap on numbers. But there are many other equally impressive Inca ruins you don’t have to share with 2,500 other visitors.
Colombia? Pablo Escobar was killed by police 26 years ago! Stop streaming episodes of Narcos and check out the destination, it’s awesome.
The 5 Stans on the silk road
There’s something utterly romantic about The Silk Road and Central Asia. Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, like Southeast Asia 40 years ago, ooze mystery, appear so completely different to anywhere else on the planet and promise true adventure.
People who travel to The Stans are still an oddity, yet they’re greeted with open arms from a populace still trying to understand why you’re interested in their humble homeland. Maybe it’s the lack of touts and Disneyfication that has fuelled a travel surge: trips to Uzbekistan are up 117% year-on-year (and 79% since 2016), Kyrgyzstan up 55% and Kazakhstan up 10%.
Podcast popularity
World Nomads has a travel podcast which speaks with insiders and locals who have intimate knowledge of a destination. In 2019 the hosts and their guests poked around in every corner of the globe. But the destinations that have had the most listeners are the ones that seem a little exotic and inspire wanderlust.
They make up our top ten dream destinations. Do you agree with the list?
Hopefully this has given you some ideas for trips to take and places to visit in 2020. If you want to know more about any of them checkout our Explore section, our podcast, our Where Nomads Go guides, our travel safety advice and our insurance plans. Happy holidays and happy travels
- Bhutan
- Malta
- Portugal
- Zambia
- Ecuador
- Rwanda
- Georgia
- Poland
- Suriname
- Chile
Hopefully this has given you some ideas for trips to take and places to visit in 2020. If you want to know more about any of them checkout our Explore section, our podcast, our Where Nomads Go guides, our travel safety advice and our insurance plans. Happy holidays and happy travels
*Commentary attributed to travel expert Phil Sylvester from World Nomads.
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