2025: Best Places To Travel - 2

 

5. Wales

Though just one-sixth the size of England and far less visited than its more famous UK counterparts, Wales is filled with stunning national parks, awe-inspiring medieval castles and virtually no crowds – which only adds to its appeal. The new year offers travellers an additional excuse to explore one of Europe's most up-and-coming destinations: Wales is celebrating 2025 as the Year of Croeso ("Welcome"). The year-long event showcases Welsh culture, language and attractions while inviting visitors to "Feel the hwyl" – an untranslatable Welsh word describing a deep state of joy that comes from being immersed in the moment.

In recent years, Wales has positioned itself at the forefront of sustainable, culturally focused travel. Tourism has helped play a role in the revival of the Welsh language and the nation is in the midst of a multi-year £5 billion programme that uses tourism funds to make various destinations more environmentally sustainable. As part of its Year of Croeso, Wales is investing in mobility bikes to help more adventure-seekers explore its wild side. What's more, Wales is home to the Wales Coast Path, the only hiking path in the world that runs the entire length of a country's coastline. – Eliot Stein

6. Western Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada

Labrador, the mainland portion of Newfoundland and Labrador in eastern Canada, is a vast, rugged region known for its windswept coastal villages, towering icebergs, subarctic forests and massive waterfalls – all underpinned by more than 9,000 years of human history. In 2025, the completion of the last stage of the 1,200km Trans-Labrador Highway – a feat that took nearly 25 years and $1bn to build – transforms this remote 294,330 sq km landscape into a more accessible destination.

The new circular route (known as Expedition 51) connects Labrador with five Canadian provinces while offering detours into the US and even France (via St Pierre and Miquelon). To encourage sustainable tourism and celebrate the cultural heritage in this formerly isolated part of the north, the Canadian government has invested $180m into Parks Canada sites in Western Newfoundland and Labrador. In 2025, Red Bay National Historic Site, a Unesco World Heritage Site and former Basque whaling station, will debut a new interactive boardwalk and visitor centre; L'Anse aux Meadows, home to the first Norse settlement in North America, is enhancing its ecological protections and upgrading visitor facilities; while Gros Morne National Park will introduce new interpretive exhibits that highlight the park's dramatic geology, wildlife and landscapes. – Diane Selkirk 

7. Tucson, Arizona, US

Tucson has a lot to celebrate in 2025. This year marks the 10th anniversary of when it became the first city in the US to receive a Unesco City of Gastronomy distinction, as well as the 250th anniversary of the city's founding. Originally part of Mexico, the area now called Tucson will celebrate its unique multi-national history, as well as the deep-rooted Native American cultures that make it special, with a free event on 23 August featuring traditional Mexican music and dancing held at the Presidio San Agustin del Tucson. Visitors throughout the year can explore Tucson's miles of desert hiking trails and historic buildings – like the 250-year-old San Xavier del Bac, the so-called "White Dove of the Desert". Preservation like this points to why the city is set to receive a Sustainability Index Award from the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS) this year. 

But while the building's history is impressive, the nearby gardens reveal an even richer history: they are the oldest continuously cultivated soil in the US. Four thousand years ago, the Tohono O'odham's ancestors farmed squashes, beans and corn on this land. After mixing and melding with Mexican and other Indigenous flavours over the centuries, many of these ancient herbs and crops are still staples in kitchens across the city. Diners can immerse themselves in the city's unique food scene at one of its city-of-gastronomy-certified restaurants or Heirloom Farmers Markets, which regularly feature unique local ingredients such as chiltepin chilis, edible cacti called nopales and prickly pear. – Lynn Brown

8. Western Australia

Known as the world's most isolated big city, Perth – and the state of Western Australia (WA) – have long played second fiddle to the east coast cities of Melbourne and Sydney. However, with Australia's only direct flights to Europe, Perth is positioning itself as Australia's western gateway and a global aviation hub, with a $5bn redevelopment of Perth Airport set to enhance the travel experience. And with new connections to Asia, WA is poised to become a must-visit destination in 2025.

But it's not just about getting here – it's about what awaits. Outside of newly cool Perth and its gorgeous Swan Valley Wine Region, WA's vast landscapes span more than 2.5 million sq km, encompassing 12,500km of pristine coastline, bubblegum-pink lakes, horizontal waterfalls, towering karri forests, wildflowers, wineries and wildlife encounters like swimming with whale sharks and snapping selfies with quokkas, the "happiest animal in the world". Sustainability-minded road trippers can explore it all on the new 6,600km Electric Vehicle Highway, the world's longest EV charging network.

WA is also championing its rich cultural heritage through the A$20m Jina Aboriginal Tourism Action Plan that supports authentic Indigenous-led experiences for travellers as well as Indigenous business development. Learn about the oldest living cultures on Earth on a truth-telling walking tour in Rockingham or a 4WD tag-along coast foraging tour complete with bush barbecue in Broome.

Add ancient petroglyphs at Murujuga National Park (under consideration for Unesco World Heritage status in 2025), new disability-friendly infrastructure and equipment on the stunning Houtman Abrolhos Islands, boutique hotels in Fremantle and tiny dream stays in the Great Southern, and WA is set to redefine travel to Australia this year. – Ellie Cobb

- BBC