Beautiful woman tans on sandbank surrounded by turquoise ocean from above
Summer 2024 has the potential to be the busiest travel season of all time.
In the first quarter of this year, global tourism reached 97% of pre-pandemic levels. Some 285 million people traveled internationally between January and March, which is a 20% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
Indicators suggest that a high number of Americans in particular will travel in the next few months. Between October 2022 and September 2023, the State Department issued 24 million passport books and cards—the highest number in U.S. history.
TSA projects to screen record numbers of travelers this summer and is already seeing unusually high traffic. While it has historically been busiest on major holidays, it recorded one of its busiest days of all time (with 2.8 million travelers) on May 17.
With all of this global travel on the horizon, where should tourists travel in the summer of 2024?
My advice is to avoid Europe’s tourist hotspots—particularly the destinations where locals are actively opposing more visitors. Instead, head to one of the three destinations I recommend for unique and compelling travel experiences.
Paros, Greece
Greek village of Naousa, Paros island, Greece
With thousands of islands, jaw-dropping views, and sparkling Mediterranean waters, Greece is a perennially popular tourism destination.
It receives 31.3 million tourists annually, making it the 13th most visited country in the world. Its popularity shows no signs of waning, and if last year’s travel trends are any indication, Greece is set to be busy again this summer.
Last summer, Greece’s most popular areas were, by most accounts, overcrowded. The Acropolis was slammed by so many visitors that officials had to cap the number of daily visitors at 20,000. Massive queues for photo ops formed at iconic spots on Mykonos and Santorini.
Instead of battling the crowds, those after a dose of Greek island inspired relaxation should seek out Paros, a low-key alternative to Mykonos and Santorini.
It’s a Cycladic island, just like its two more famous counterparts, so the appeal is much the same. It features whitewashed buildings draped in bougainvillea and beautiful Aegean Sea beaches, as well as an appealing assortment of restaurants, hotels, and places to shop.
Exploring by boat, visiting Antiparos (its tiny sister island) for serene, unspoiled beaches, indulging in local seafood dishes, and visiting ancient ruins are some of the best things to do here.
While Paros is right now a more tranquil alternative to Greece’s over-touristed islands, its star is rising. It’s named among Condé Nast Traveller’s “The 24 Best Places to Go in 2024,” and A-listers like Tom Hanks and Jeff Bezos have been spotted on Paros and in its waters.
New luxury hotels like Cove Paros and Avant Mar have recently opened, and it’s easier to reach than ever before, with new airlines (Saudia, Etihad Airways, British Airways, and more) now serving the Cyclades.
Mauritius
People enjoying riding horses riding on tropical sand beach facing the lagoon, aerial view, Indian … [+]
For powder-white beaches, inviting blue waters, luxury resorts, and a dynamic cultural scene, there are few better places to visit than Mauritius.
Mark Twain described this island country’s beauty best when he said, “Mauritius was made first and then heaven, heaven being copied after Mauritius.”
Mauritius is part of the Mascarenes, a group of islands that float in the Indian Ocean about 1,000 miles off the coast of southeastern Africa. Its remoteness plus its astounding natural beauty made it a haunt for jetsetters in the 1980s.
Today, a new wave of hospitality has arrived. New luxury resorts are opening, and existing ones are being restored. It made Tripadvisor’s “Best of the Best Destinations” for 2024. I predict this island’s popularity will take off soon.
Mauritius is a paradise for watersport enthusiasts, with opportunities for world-class boating, kitesurfing, scuba diving, and snorkeling. On land, there are forests, waterfalls, national parks, and exotic flora and fauna.
Mauritius is also culturally fascinating. At various times across its history, the Portuguese, Dutch, French, and British have settled the island. Slavery brought people from East Africa, and workers were imported from India, China, and other places.
Today, the island is ethnically, linguistically, and religiously diverse. It’s the only African country where Hinduism is the most practiced religion. It has no official language; instead, its people flit between Mauritian Creole, French, and English as needed.
Mauritian cuisine is widely celebrated and reflects the ethnic diversity of its population. Dishes combine Indian, Creole, French, Chinese, African, and Persian influences.
Visitors can take in Mauritius’ history and culture at the Intercontinental Slavery Museum, which chronicles the country’s slave trade, and the House of Digital Art, which features art installations and immersive experiences.
Sri Lanka
Fishermen on stilts at the sunset, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, another island country floating in the Indian Ocean, is a land of verdant highlands and stunning beaches. Its appeal is a blend of surf and wellness cultures, similar to Bali before its boom in popularity and resulting over-tourism.
Centers of yoga, reiki, breathwork, and other well-being practices have sprung up around the island in recent years. Some of these centers, like Kalukanda House and Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort, combine wellness concepts with luxury-level amenities and accommodations.
Sri Lanka is a place for nature lovers, home to 22 national parks. Its mountains and thick, subtropical jungles support a wide variety of plant and animal species. Visitors catch glimpses of elephants, otters, sloth bears, and elusive leopards on safari.
The Pekoe Trail, a 186-mile path that was completed in 2023, takes trekkers through the Central Highlands, including local villages, tea plantations, and holy shrines. You can also explore Sri Lanka by train, traveling easy while taking in scenic views and enjoying a unique cultural experience.
In the lowlands and along its coastlines, Sri Lanka serves up soft-sand beaches with frothy, surfable waves. There are beach towns with trendy hotels and cocktail bars, as well as quiet strips of untouched sand.
Mirissa Beach, known for its calm, crystal-clear waters and rock formations, shows up among Tripadvisor’s “Best of the Best Beaches” for 2024.
Unlike some of the world’s most popular tourist destinations (particularly in Europe), Sri Lanka actually wants more visitors right now. Its tourism authority is investing in marketing campaigns to attract more people, while anti-tourism protests heat up in the Canary Islands, Venice, and Amsterdam, among other places.
Sri Lanka is still recovering from a bombing event, the pandemic, severe economic crisis, and other recent incidents. Tourism is a major source of income for the country, and visiting the country can help put cash into the locals’ hands.
With all that Sri Lanka has to offer, combined with its tourism authority’s marketing efforts and the proliferation of wellness and luxury hotels, I see Sri Lanka growing in popularity this summer and beyond.
It made Travel + Leisure’s list of “The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2024” and its south and central regions show up on Condé Nast Traveller’s “The 24 Best Places to Go in 2024.”