REPOST: (Best in travel) Top 10 countries to visit this year

This Lonely Planet article reveals the top ten countries to visit this 2013.

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1. Sri Lanka

Battered tragically by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami and wracked by civil war from 1983 to 2009, many areas of the country have remained off limits to even the most intrepid traveller. Now the bitter conflict is over, investment is fuelling the tourism industry, and visitor numbers are steadily increasing. Prices are affordable, and with low-cost flights from the convenient travel hub of Bangkok, Sri Lanka is emerging as one of the planet’s best-value destinations.

2. Montenegro

Nature has been prolific and creative in Montenegro, producing such iconic draws as the bewitching Bay of Kotor and the buzzy beaches along its Riviera. But be sure to pack a pair of hiking boots along with your swimsuit, for Montenegro’s beauty is no less intense in the wild and rugged interior. A new – and steadily growing – network of hiking and biking trails and improved infrastructure is making this glorious quilt of nature ever more accessible, while creating new employment for locals.

3. South Korea

Without fanfare, South Korea has quietly developed into an outdoor recreation destination with untapped potential in golfing, hiking and fishing. Though not quite undiscovered, few people outside the country know about it. That anonymity will likely fade away in 2013 as it bursts onto the world stage hosting a series of major sporting events.

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4. Ecuador

Ecuador's railway network is scheduled to radically revamp in 2013 with new lines linking increasingly cosmopolitan Quito and the coastal port of Guayaquil. Tracks will also connect Ecuador’s famed 5900m-high volcano Cotopaxi and the Nariz del Diablo (Devil’s Nose), claiming the steepest (and most hair-raising) stretch of railway in the western world. Developers believe the gamble will pay off and pull in unprecedented tourist numbers.

5. Slovakia

Two decades on from the Velvet Revolution, Slovakia has galvanised to form one of the continent’s fastest-growing economies, joined the EU and ranks right up there in Google searches for bargain ski packages and stag weekends. Now the tourism industry is keen to distance the nation from being all cheap pistes and piss-ups. The image overhaul has been overdue but it’s here, and in time for the inevitable party in 2013.

6. Solomon Islands

Forget what travelling the Pacific used to be like – around the Solomon Islands it’s still that way. Forget mass-market or luxury retreats; think engaging eco-resorts, village homestays and some of the best scuba diving anywhere. In the past limited flights, difficult internal transport, a lack of infrastructure, a civil war and some particularly exotic strains of malaria all put travellers off. Today travel is much easier, the civil strife is off the radar and lately even the mosquitoes aren’t so threatening.

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7. Iceland

Best for: Activities, off the beaten track, value for money Ask any tourist during your trip to Iceland and you’ll quickly see that everyone develops an unconditional love for the little island nation, whether it’s for the mind-bending scenery, the platefuls of delicious lamb and fish dishes, or the sincere local hospitality. The currency crash – which effectively devalued the króna by 75% – also helped make a trip much more favourable to the wallet. As the global economy starts to heal, prices are climbing once more. The spoils of Iceland are no longer a secret, but they’re still yours for the taking – and in 2013 you’ll still be well ahead of the curve.

8. Turkey

New low-cost airlines are opening up the southeast of Turkey, and excellent bus services make getting around easy. Explore the historic old towns of Mardin and Midyat, feast on fantastic food in Gaziantep and see the recently uncovered ruins of Göbekli Tepe near Sanliurfa. Experience the Turkish section of the recently inaugurated Abraham’s Path walking trail, where accommodation is in simple Kurdish homestays, a long way from the tourist buzz of the coast or Istanbul’s Old Town.

 9. Dominican Republic

In the first quarter of 2012 the Dominican Republic saw an 8.4% increase in tourism. With more airlines offering stops to the country’s eight international airports, as well as cruise ships adding the DR as a major port of call, more people are escaping to the land of sun, sand, and surf comparable to anywhere else in the Caribbean.

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10. Madagascar

After years of political instability and uncertainty, which has hampered tourism development, Madagascar might finally be the verge of recovery. Presidential elections are scheduled for 2013, which could herald a move towards greater democracy (although they have been repeatedly postponed). For visitors, the time to go is now, before the country reappears in travel agents’ windows. Be prepared to be overwhelmed: in both fauna and landscapes, the world’s fourth-biggest island is otherworldly. To those seeking a place out of the ordinary, Madagascar cannot fail to delight.


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Forbes: Can eco-tourism help underdeveloped countries?

How can eco-tourism help underdeveloped countries? Read this article written by Josh Lew: 


Tourism might not be the ultimate answer to poverty and economic woes, but it is a major boon for places around the world that suffer from a lack of natural resources or industry. For instance, tourism is a hugely important industry in the Caribbean. Without flocks of resort-goers, nations in this part of the world would have to rely more heavily on agriculture, leaving their economies at the mercy of the fluctuating prices of commodities like coffee, sugar and bananas.

There are plenty of valid concerns about the environmental impact of hotel construction, excessive tourist traffic and cruise ships, but it isn’t fair to leave the positive economic impact out of the mass-tourism discussion. Large resorts employ hundreds of local people, and local entrepreneurs, from taxi drivers to guides to souvenir shop owners, benefit from the tourism trade.

What about eco-tourism? Is low-impact, nature-oriented travel as viable a moneymaking option as standard resort tourism?

The eco-tourism industry’s growth depends on practicality as much as it does on the will to conserve the environment. Ultimately, success will not only be measured by the acres of forest saved, but also by the amount of money earned and the number of jobs created. The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) recognizes the human element in eco-tourism. It defines the oft-catch-phrased term “eco-tourism” as “responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.”

Many places that are considered eco-tourism destinations have experienced varying levels of success. Here are three destinations in various parts of the world that are in different stages of development, but are seeking to answer the same question: Can we make eco-tourism into one of the most important industries in our country?

Dominica 

This island nation has turned to eco-tourism because it lacks the geography that makes other Caribbean destinations so popular among tourists seeking a warm-weather vacation. The postcard-like beach scenes of Jamaica and the Bahamas are absent from Dominica. The island has a rocky coast and, though its waters are clear and ideal for diving, it has never developed a mainstream resort industry. Proclaiming itself the Nature Island, Dominica has instead advertised its natural, undeveloped beauty. Hot springs and waterfalls, dense jungles and rugged coastline draw more adventurous travelers and nature lovers rather than the suntan-and-piña-colada crowd.

However, the number of visitors to Dominica is not substantial enough to make nature tourism the backbone of the nation’s economy. The capital city of Roseau has benefited from a recently built cruise ship terminal. However, Dominica remains one of the least visited nations in the eastern Caribbean. Banana cultivation is still a major source of income for many islanders. This industry can be harmed by weather (Hurricane Dean hit the island in 2007) and frequent price fluctuations on the international commodities market.

Brand-name resorts are difficult to find on Dominica. Most of the accommodations are small-scale, locally owned venues. Some are full-fledged eco-resorts built in natural settings and offer a full menu of nature-themed activities. So, despite the overall lack of tourism infrastructure, the tourists who do come to Dominica are seeing more of their dollars go to locals rather than to multinational resort chains.

A culture of conservation has been developed in Dominica. Local guides are involved in protecting one of the more popular tourist draws: nesting sea turtles. The giant amphibians lay their eggs on the seashore, with some choosing to use the sands of the beaches of the capital city. Specially trained local guides lead limited tours to the nesting areas so as not interfere with the nesting process. This type of grassroots effort is an example of the ability to balance a successful tourism attraction with a conservation effort. This culture of conservation is one of the reasons that Dominica remains such a promising eco-tourism destination.

The next steps will be important for Dominica in terms of maintaining this balance between development and conservation. An expanded airport and a cruise ship pier were necessary infrastructure upgrades. It remains to be seen if further infrastructure projects change the current relationship that Dominica has with its environment.

Botswana 

This nation in southern Africa does not have to rely as heavily on tourism as Dominica and its Caribbean cousins. A relatively wealthy nation with one of the highest per capita GDP in Africa, tourism is one of the main economic alternatives to the industry that has made Botswana wealthy, diamond mining. As a landlocked country without many urban areas, nature-themed tourism is the main part of the industry by default. The backbone of this would-be tourism boom is nature-viewing safaris to places like Chobe National Park, the Okavango Delta and the vast Kalahari Desert. These uninhabited, wildlife-filled lands are considered to be among the last few untouched and truly natural places on the continent.

Botswana’s government, one of the most transparent in Africa, has adopted a string of policies over the past two decades that focus both on tourism growth and on environmental protection. These policies call for the land to be used as a resource for tourism. However, they also say that the industry must be developed in a way that doesn’t harm the environment.

To limit the number of tourists while still enjoying healthy profits, Botswana has focused on developing high-end safari tourism. Tourists pay a high premium for an all-inclusive safari that offers both comfort and easy access to the wilderness. The government can control the industry and keep out mass-market safari companies because it has strict licensing guidelines for travel companies. Would-be companies are required to complete an environmental impact report as part of their application process. There is also a national eco-tourism certification program that further encourages tourism businesses to be more eco-friendly.

These policies means that fewer people are trampling through the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park, but money is still coming in to supplement the country’s overall GDP. This high-cost/low-volume approach might not sit well with nature enthusiasts who want to visit the pristine wilds of Botswana on a budget, but the approach has kept tourist numbers down while keeping profits at an acceptable level. Perhaps the low-volume, high-cost strategy wouldn’t work in every case, but it is an option for countries that want to develop their eco-tourism industry while not harming the environment.

Suriname 

This small, unique South American nation has an ethnically diverse population and sits on the northeastern part of the continent. Most of the people here live along the Caribbean coastline. The country’s undeveloped interior is ripe for logging, but the Surinamese government, along with international conservation organizations, has decided to protect a large part of the interior from exploitation. The giant Central Suriname Nature Reserve is made up of primary forest. With the help of Conservation International, the government is trying to develop this area for tourism. Lack of infrastructure has hindered development and made it expensive to visit this area, but the reserve remains protected from logging and the government seems intent on continuing to place its bets on eco-tourism. Already operational nature preserves are found along the coastline.

A majority of the visitors to Suriname come from the Netherlands. Cultural ties from the colonial era and the fact that Dutch is still widely spoken in Suriname make this a popular alternative to the Netherlands Antilles for Dutch-speaking snowbirds. Tourism numbers are not growing quickly, and lack of infrastructure remains a major hurdle for the government’s eco-tourism plans. Still, sustainable income via eco-tourism has, for the time being, trumped immediate income from the selling of logging rights. Perhaps the example of the Central Suriname Nature Reserve could help persuade other countries with natural areas to follow a similar strategy.

Eco-tourism development is a complex issue that goes well beyond catchphrases and well-meaning attempts at conservation. Without a solid, universal model for creating a balance between a successful eco-tourism industry and a successful conservation movement, countries are left to find a system that works best for themselves. The ideal results of these efforts would be a balanced industry that brings profits to the local economy while strengthening conservation efforts that will keep the natural attractions intact.

Source: Forbes.com