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Travel: to, the hottest? destinations - of 2009!
When our editors got into a room to hash out our top 29 travel picks for 2009, we realized just how much the economic, social, and political changes of 2008 have sculpted the travel landscape for the coming year.
The rising cost of air travel, the global economic crisis, and the fluctuating dollar made once-popular destinations in Europe out of reach for many of us. New hotspots, like South America, emerged, as their exchange rates offered visitors more bang for their buck. Heightened interest in “going green” meant more focus on eco-friendly tourism and great-outdoors vacations than ever before. And let’s not forget the historic presidential election of Barack Obama, which has sparked Washington, D.C.’s massive resurgence as a tourism destination.
Underpinning all of this, however, is a renewed emphasis on great-value vacations – something we at ShermansTravel know all about. Our editors brought their dollar-savvy expertise and collective travel mileage to the office globe to cast a wide net of 29 places to go in 2009, nearly all of which offer a good degree of affordability in addition to unique, memorable travel experiences.
While we haven’t left a worldwide stone unturned in our quest for the best of 2009, we’ve also devoted more coverage than usual to close-to-home getaways right here in the United States, so that you can forego airfare altogether in favor of quick road trips or hitting the rails instead. Indeed, one of the best deals going these days is Amtrak’s great-value USA Rail Pass, whose benefits have only recently been made available to U.S. citizens.
So remember: While you may have less travel budget in 2009, there are still plenty of places to discover that won’t break the bank. Get out and explore these 29 places before the crowds do . . . in 2010.
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