Top 10 Countries to Visit in 2020
Prepare for immediate readjustment of your bucket lists, because the best places to visit in 2020 have been named by the adventure experts at Lonely Planet’s annual list.
Lonely Planet’s newly released Best In Travel 2020 book names the top 10 countries, top 10 regions, top 10 cities and the best-value destinations for holidays next year.
The best cities have been named Salzburg, Washington DC and Cairo and the best regions the Central Asian Silk Road, Italy’s Le Marche, Japan’s Tōhoku and Maine in America.
Top 10 Countries to Visit in 2020
1- Bhutan
2- England
3- North Macedonia
4- Aruba
5- Eswatini
6- Costa Rica
7- The Netherlands
8- Liberia
9- Morocco
10- Uruguay
Bhutan
England
England has been named as the second-best country to visit in 2020. England as a top holiday destination is likely to be music to the ears of those Britons keen to limit travel times and save money. What may shock readers is that England beat rivals such a Caribbean island Aruba and tropical Costa Rica.
North Macedonia
North Macedonia takes third place in the country ranking, with Lonely Planet highlighting the recently launched High Scardus Trail, a 495km (306-mile) trek along the region’s most dramatic peaks, as one of the best attractions.
According to Lonely Planet: “Part Balkan, part Mediterranean and rich in Greek, Roman and Ottoman heritage, North Macedonia has a fascinating past and a complex national identity.”
Aruba
The country offers dramatic mountains with quiet walking trails, lakes and riding opportunities and scenic national parks.
Aruba, an island and a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in the southern Caribbean Sea, came in fourth place.
In fifth position was eSwatini, also known as Swaziland, a small, landlocked monarchy in southern Africa.
The remaining top ten were: Costa Rica, The Netherlands, Liberia, Morocco, and Uruguay.
THE TOP 10 CITIES, REGIONS AND BEST-VALUE DESTINATIONS FOR 2020
Regions
1. Central Asian Silk Road
2. Le Marche, Italy
3. Tōhoku, Japan
4. Maine, USA
5. Lord Howe Island, Australia
6. Guizhou Province, China
7. Cadiz Province, Spain
8. Northeast Argentina
9. Kvarner Gulf, Croatia
10. Brazilian Amazon
Cities
1. Salzburg, Austria
2. Washington, DC, USA
3. Cairo, Egypt
4. Galway, Ireland
5. Bonn, Germany
6. La Paz, Bolivia
7. Kochi, India
8. Vancouver, Canada
9. Dubai, UAE
10. Denver, USA
Best value
1. East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia
2. Budapest, Hungary
3. Madhya Pradesh, India
4. Buffalo, USA
5. Azerbaijan
6. Serbia
7. Tunisia
8. Cape Winelands, South Africa
9. Athens, Greece
10. Zanzibar, Tanzania