10 Emerging Destinations to Watch in 2025

by Lacey Pfalz
Last updated: 11:00 AM ET, Mon January 20, 2025

Each year, some destinations just start to take off: this could be due to enticing social media reels, the spread of global popular culture, new gateways and accessibility or a combination of all three.

In 2025, we expect colder-weather and more milder destinations to become more popular in Europe as travelers seek to save themselves from record-high Mediterranean summer temperatures.

In Asia, travelers might find themselves heading to lesser-visited places to discover a part of the world the Internet hasn’t yet capitalized on, while in the Americas, we expect political leanings and new cruise connections to help these destinations grow.

These are by no means popular destinations—you won’t find Paris or Rome on this list, or a popular country like the Dominican Republic. Instead, these are places that are just now getting their feet wet in the global tourism scene. These destinations might just become, like Iceland has in recent decades, bucket-list destinations for millions of travelers worldwide.

Greenland

Greenland’s capital city of Nuuk just opened its Nuuk International Airport in November, 2024, bringing the possibility for international flights to the city for the first time. Already, flights are being held between Nuuk and Reykjavik and Copenhagen, with flights expected to grow between Nuuk and North America this summer.

So why visit Greenland? Well, it emerged onto the expedition cruise scene a few years ago, becoming a popular Arctic expedition cruise destination for its resilient Inuit culture, lifestyle and opportunities for adventure activities like snowmobiling and wildlife photography.

We expect the new international connectivity to boost land-based travel to Greenland, too. Expect new land-based tours, hotels and lodgings to pop up in and around Nuuk in the years ahead. And, of course, social media will have an impact, spurring an increased desire for adventurous travelers to discover the fascinating territory of Denmark.

Malaysia

Malaysia is growing its recognition on the global travel scene, and we expect more adventurous Americans to recognize the Southeast Asian nation for the bucket-list destination that it is!

Its capital, Kuala Lumpur, is an amazing city, home to the Batu Caves, the iconic Petronas Towers, scenic KLCC Park, several bustling markets and plenty of temples and religious sites that remind travelers of Malaysia’s melting pot history.

Beyond Kuala Lumpur, travelers will find lots to love, from beautiful tropical beaches to scenic Mount Kinabalu, the Perhentian Islands and plenty of national parks preserving and offering opportunities to view some of the world’s rarest animals, like the Malayan tiger, Malayan tapir, sun bear, Bornean orangutan and many more.

Langkawi, a UNESCO-designated Global Geopark, is an especially popular destination for nature lovers. It’s where travelers can visit to see some amazing natural wonders, like the slow loris and the colugo, the world’s only flying primate (which, by itself, should be considered a wonder of the natural world).

The country is also expanding its cruise ports to encourage more travelers to visit on cruises, so those wanting to visit the country will have more opportunities at sea. In 2023, it welcomed 1.5 million cruise visitors, a record-breaking high that was 62 percent greater than its pre-pandemic 2019 visitor total number.

Europe’s 2025 Capital of Culture: Nova Gorica & Gorizia

Adobestock, nova gorica, europe capital of culture 2025, gorizia, trans-border cities

This year, Europe’s Capital of Culture is truly a unique one: it’s actually one city that was split after World War II by the border between Italy and Slovenia, with Gorizia on the Italian side and Nova Gorica on the Slovenian side.

A line delineates the medieval Italian town from the Modernist-styled Slovenian town. The two cities became one in 2004 when Slovenia entered the European Union, but the new Capital of Culture designation will bring the two different sides of the city together in a whole new way.

Travelers who visit the Piazza Transalpina can take a photo of themselves standing on the border of Italy and Slovenia. We expect they’ll love the city’s varying architectural styles, its castle and history that transcends the modern borders.

We expect a lot of social media buzz about the unique and charming city this year.

South Korea

South Korea, thanks to the K-Wave, has seen its fair share of interest from international visitors in recent years, and we expect this trend to continue into 2025. Seoul will be many travelers’ first stops, where they can take K-pop tours, visit the DMZ that separates South Korea from North Korea, experience Korean food from the traditional to the trendy fried chicken and beer, wander the historic Hanok village where traditional Korean homes are perfectly preserved, tour UNESCO-designated palaces and climb N Seoul Tower for a view of the large city.

After their city journeys, they can easily venture out to Jeju Island, a volcanic island known for its beachside resorts and green tea and citrus production or visit one of the other coastal regions of the Korean peninsula, where they can stay in a Korean Buddhist temple with the country’s unique Temple Stay program, hike in one of the country’s amazing national parks and visit a small fishing village or two.

While a lot of cruise lines continue offering a stop in Busan on Asian itineraries usually focusing mainly on Japan, we’ve seen tour operators like Contiki and G Adventures begin expanding opportunities and itineraries to visit South Korea in group tours, and we expect the demand to only grow in 2025.

Slovenia

Known for its breathtaking natural beauty, Slovenia is quickly becoming a more affordable and less crowded alternative for travelers wanting to head to Europe and see something a little different from those popular Instagram reels—plus, it’s rated one of the most sustainable countries in Europe!

Its enchanting capital of Ljubljana offers charming medieval and baroque architecture, green spaces like Tivoli Park, the photo-worthy Dragon Bridge and plenty of museums and cultural spots to enjoy. Its academic and coffee-loving culture creates a lively, fun environment for travelers—and it’s known to be quite a romantic city, too.

Nature lovers will love all Slovenia has to offer—beyond its much-photographed scenic Lake Bled—like the Postojna Cave, Slovenia’s mountains and the many castles dotted throughout. Wine lovers will enjoy heading to Maribor, set within the wine region along the Drava River.

Those renting cars to visit more than one country in Europe can easily visit Slovenia’s border countries of Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia.

Dominica

Dominica is not to be confused with the Dominican Republic. This lush Caribbean isle, nicknamed “Nature Island,” is home to the Trafalgar Falls, the Morne Trois Pitons National Park, home to the Boiling Lake and Valley of Desolation.

Travelers can float in the scenic Titou Gorge, soak in a hot spring, hike or beach to their heart’s content.

But there’s one thing that separates Dominica from the rest of the Caribbean: the Kalinago people, who are the only surviving Indigenous left in the Caribbean. Having survived centuries of colonialism and other challenges, the Kalinago today live in Kalinago Territory.

Travelers can visit the region and learn about how they’ve survived, adapted and retained their indigenous culture across the centuries. Kalinago guides offer guided hiking opportunities along the Asulukati River and its waterfall as well as to the peak of Kabet. Travelers can visit for a day or stay overnight in a traditional home.

Finland

As the world continues heating up and travelers continue seeking new locales, we expect Finland to get a little more buzz than it has in the past for its energizing capital of Helsinki and its bucket-list winter wonderland of Lapland, where travelers can meet the Sámi, their reindeer and even witness the Northern Lights.

Helsinki, located on a peninsula, offers history dating back to the Stone Age. With under 1 million inhabitants, it’s a city that prides itself on its visual design and unique architecture. Travelers can enjoy experiencing sauna culture, the unique Design District and museum and visit some of the most unique churches in the world in between wandering through the city’s beautiful streets.

Those who love winter will enjoy spending a few days far from the city in Lapland, the home of the Sámi, traditional reindeer herders. There, travelers can immerse themselves in Sámi culture and the Finnish wilds, hiking, tasting traditional foods, and watching the Northern Lights. Those who really love Christmas can even experience the “homeland” of Santa Claus in Rovaniemi.

Michigan

There’s nothing quite like Pure Michigan. The Midwest state made some political headlines in past years, and we predict it’ll earn the state more interest among fellow Americans wanting to visit somewhere they’ve never been before—and get back into touch with nature, which Michigan has been doing since before it became a state.

The so-called “mitten state” offers a great destination to experience slow travel at its best, with over 3,000 miles of coastline across three Great Lakes (it boasts the longest freshwater coastline in the world), multiple Dark Sky Parks, 13,400 trails, 11,000 inland lakes and plenty of scenic byways to take your time discovering this enchanting Midwest state.

Seasonal activities range from Holland’s Tulip Festival, Mackinac Island’s Lilac Festival and all the winter and summer activities your imagination can dream up—it’s truly an outdoor lover’s paradise!

City lovers will also enjoy visiting some of the state’s biggest cities, like Detroit. Known for its once-industrious past, it’s home to the Detroit Institute of Art, where Diego Rivera’s amazing Detroit Industry Murals are located, along with Belle Isle, the Motown Museum and a burgeoning arts and cultural scene that’s putting Detroit back on the map.

Indonesia

Indonesia has long been beloved for its beach resort and wellness destination, Bali, but it’s honestly so much more than this. We expect travelers to venture further abroad on their trips to the archipelago, which boasts over 17,000 islands (travelers should be aware that there’s so much to discover in Indonesia by cruise ship)!

One place we expect more travelers to visit than before is the capital, Jakarta. It’s where travelers will find Arab, European, Chinese, Javanese and Malay influences to all combine, offering a breathtaking blend that’s impacted the city’s culture, cuisine, architecture and more.

There, travelers can visit Kota Tua, home to historic Dutch colonial buildings, Glodok, the city’s Chinatown and Sunda Kelapa, the historic port where old schooners are still docked.

Beyond the capital, travelers can head to Bali for a wellness experience; Java to view some of the region’s oldest history—including Borobudur, the world’s oldest Buddhist temple, which dates back to the 9th century; Komodo National Park, where rare pink sand beaches create a special environment for Komodo dragons; and the biodiverse region of Raja Ampat to view endangered endemic species both on land and in the water.

Colombia

Despite a troublesome history with the global drug trade, Colombia is emerging onto the scene as a less touristy destination offering incredible culture, cuisine and plenty of natural wonders to discover.

It’s especially becoming more popular with cruisers: practically all major cruise lines are offering stops to Cartagena on southern Caribbean itineraries, offering travelers the opportunity to wander the colorful city’s UNESCO-designated Old Town, which dates back to the 1500s during the time of the conquistadores.

Yet it’s not just ocean cruising that’s bringing the country into the global travel scene: it’s also river cruise line AmaWaterways, which is set to debut a new itinerary along the Rio Magdalena this spring, traveling between Barranquilla (home to one of the world’s largest Carnival celebrations) and Cartagena.

Along the way, travelers will discover Nueva Venecia, a tropical version of Venice that can only be explored by boat; visit the birthplace of cumbia, El Banco; and take a birdwatching tour in Magangue, where travelers can spot wild toucans, parrots and hummingbirds.

Beyond the cruising, Colombia offers coffee and cacao plantations and its own part of the Colombian Amazon rainforest, home to breathtaking biodiversity.

For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.