We’re moving on from the era of “revenge travel” when people were desperate to take trips in order to make up for lost time during the periods of lockdown at the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic. According to a study from Morning Consult, pent-up travel demand is now decreasing-meaning the trend of urgent vacations is over. Travel Lemming, an online travel guide, wants everyone to use this time to embrace a more relaxed approach to traveling in 2024.
The guide released its list of 50 best places to travel in 2024 this week, with a focus on slow travel. Slow travel, for the uninitiated, is a more sustainable way to travel focused on local communities and less mass produced and high volume travel experiences. The list prioritizes more remote destinations and “hidden local gems,” in addition to domestic destinations.
“2024 will be the year travelers choose immersive experiences over itineraries packed to the brim,” Nate Hake, Travel Lemming’s CEO, said in a statement. Our list is filled with destinations perfect for slower experiential trips. For example, the opening of the much-anticipated Mayan Train will allow more travelers to unlock the magic of the Yucatán, one of my favorite underrated travel destinations in the world.”
Let’s get into this list. In the top 10, there’s a great mix of North American, South American, Asian, and European destinations. In the number-one spot is Yucatán, Mexico, which is anticipated to become more popular with travelers in the coming year, with the opening of Maya Train, which will connect the states of Chiapas, Tabasco, Campeche, Yucatán, and Quintana Roo.
“We are thrilled to have been chosen by Travel Lemming as the world’s best travel destination for 2024,” said Michelle Fridman Hirsch, Yucatán’s minister of tourism, in a statement. “Yucatán is home to seven Magical Towns, hundreds of haciendas and cenotes, [235 miles] of coastline with calm waters of emerald green and turquoise blue, Chichen Itza, one of the Wonders of the Modern World, and 20 other archaeological sites to visit.”
In total, the list includes 15 locations in Europe, seven in Asia, two in South America, two in Oceania, two in Africa, five in North America (outside of the US), and 17 in the United States. You can see the complete list below and learn more about the destinations at TravelLemming.com.
1. Yucatán, Mexico 2. Gizo, Solomon Islands 3. Stavanger, Norway 4. Antigua, Guatemala 5. Memphis, Tennessee 6. Phú Quốc, Vietnam 7. St. John’s Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada 8. Kodiak, Alaska 9. Guatapé, Colombia 10. Eureka Springs, Arkansas 11. Voyageurs National Park, Minnesota 12. Tunisia 13. Chiriquí Province, Panama 14. Vashon Island, Washington 15. Manchester, UK 16. Ko Yao Noi, Thailand 17. Ljubljana, Slovenia 18. Taipei, Taiwan 19. Wales (Cymru) 20. Iquitos, Peru 21. Quincy, Massachusetts 22. Tbilisi, Georgia 23. Türkiye 24. Jarabacoa, Dominican Republic 25. Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina 26. Genoa, Italy 27. São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal 28. Essaouira, Morocco 29. Jacksonville, Florida 30. Northern Sumatra, Indonesia 31. Ranthambore National Park, India 32. Biarritz, France 33. Spring Green, Wisconsin 34. Sintra, Portugal 35. Cuenca, Spain 36. Maunabo, Puerto Rico 37. Marseille, France 38. Frisco, Texas 39. Mount Cotton, Queensland, Australia 40. Inverness, Scotland 41. Steamboat Springs, Colorado 42. Bisbee, Arizona 43. Townsend, Tennessee 44. Klamath Falls, Oregon 45. Oviedo, Spain 46. Sant’Agnello, Italy 47. Hoboken, New Jersey 48. Jenner, California 49. Yabucoa, Puerto Rico 50. Takayama, Japan
Opheli Garcia Lawler is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. She holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Journalism from NYU’s Arthur L. Carter Journalism Institute. She’s worked in digital media for seven years, and before working at Thrillist, she wrote for Mic, The Cut, The Fader, Vice, and other publications. Follow her on Twitter @opheligarcia and Instagram @opheligarcia.
Mexican restaurant chain Mad Mex has dropped a new protein, and it’s one of the most popular street foods in Mexico.
Enter, Chicken Al Pastor. It’s traditionally made with pork and grilled on a spinning rotisserie with a pineapple sitting a top, but Mad Mex has put its own spin on it, serving chicken bathed in an Al Pastor marinade with a touch of juicy pineapple.
You can order the protein-packed filling in your favourite burrito, bowl, quesadilla, nachos, or in a taco.
As always, these things are here for a good time, not a long time. Pop into your local Mad Mex restaurant, order delivery or through the Mad Mex app today.
