How do you decide where to travel? What inspires that decision?
Personally, I am typically motivated to travel to places that fill my heart with awe and/or expand my mind, while also having a good time (and eating well, obviously). But we all have different impetuses for travel, and we all have different priorities. Just because those are what drive my travel decisions doesn't mean they should or do so for others. To wit, some folks want to spend time with family & friends (destination not the priority), others want to relax and get away from "real life," and yet others have specific travel lists they are working their way through.
These travel lists can be common or idiosyncratic. For example, I have friends trying to see/ visit all 50 United States (common) while one friend is just aiming for the lower 48 (idiosyncratic). Some want to visit all 7 continents; others all the countries in a continent (or all the countries in the world). Some want to climb the high peaks in a range; others want to visit the national parks in a given area; and others want to see all the penguin species on earth. And let's not forget those who travel for specific personal interests -- food/ drink, art, architecture, sports, history, gardens, etc. Additionally, there are folks, not necessarily mutually exclusive of any of those just listed, who prioritize seeing UNESCO World Heritage Sites (landmarks or areas with legal protection administered by UNESCO).
Wondering what determines whether someplace becomes inducted as a World Heritage Site? According to Conde Nast Traveler, "In order to be added to the illustrious list, a natural or cultural site must be be of outstanding universal value and meet at least one of ten other criteria for selection, such as representing a “masterpiece of human creative genius,” or having “areas of exceptional natural beauty and aesthetic importance.”
In September of 2023, 42 new sites were inscribed on the World Heritage Sites list (33 cultural, 9 natural), bringing the current total to a whopping 1199 sites around the world. (So much to see!) The new ones are listed below for your edification and travel planning efforts.
Now, I would never presume to suggest the "right" way or place to travel -- that is a uniquely personal decision based on interests, finances, and life. However, for those of us who are not specifically traveling with the stated goal of trying to visit all the UNESCO World Heritage Sites, I do feel compelled to recommend that we all seek out these sites wherever they may be in the destinations we have already decided to visit (like Mt. Pelee in Martinique should we be going there for a getaway). Not sure where the sites are? Here's a link to the UNESCO website, with destinations broken out by country:
Want to know the "top" or "best" World Heritage Sites? Well, while those are obviously subjective determinations, some folks have shared their opinions. Here's an article listing one person's favorites (and at the end it includes the most popular sites -- quantitatively determined, as of August, 2023). And, Conde Nast Traveler published its list of the most beautiful World Heritage Sites (as of 2020), here. Feel free to check out these articles for inspiration.
Should you be interested, I, personally, am not a list-driven traveler. It is my opinion that, since one never knows how long one has to live, one should prioritize destinations which will bring the most happiness or meaning. While fully recognizing that most places have something inherently interesting, I, personally, have zero interest in prioritizing some destination on a list above someplace I know (or am confident) will bring me great personal gratification -- intellectual (ie ancient ruins) or visceral (like glaciers, icebergs, penguins, mountains). That's right, maddening though it is to some of my friends, I can happily live my life seeing all but one [fill in the blank]; life is just too short to expend time and money going someplace without much personal interest, in my opinion. That said, should you be a UNESCO list person, here are the new sites to add to your travel plan.
New Cultural Sites (in alphabetical order, from the UNESCO website):
Ancient Jericho/Tell es-Sultan (State of Palestine) | Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker (Netherlands) | Santiniketan(India) | Tr’ondëk-Klondike (Canada) | |
Astronomical Observatories of Kazan Federal University(Russian Federation) | Funerary and memory sites of the First World War (Western Front) (Belgium, France) | Silk Roads: Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) | Viking-Age Ring Fortresses (Denmark) | |
Gaya Tumuli (Republic of Korea) | ||||
Gordion (Türkiye) | National Archaeological Park Tak’alik Ab’aj (Guatemala) | Zagori Cultural Landscape (Greece) | ||
Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks (United States of America) | Old town of Kuldīga (Latvia) | The Gedeo Cultural Landscape (Ethiopia) | Žatec and the Landscape of Saaz Hops (Czechia) | |
Jewish-Medieval Heritage of Erfurt (Germany) | The Maison Carrée of Nîmes (France) | | ||
Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas (India) | The Persian Caravanserai (Iran (Islamic Republic of)) | |
New Natural Sites (in alphabetical order, from the UNESCO website):
Anticosti (Canada) | Tugay forests of the Tigrovaya Balka Nature Reserve (Tajikistan) | |
Bale Mountains National Park (Ethiopia) | Forest Massif of Odzala-Kokoua (Congo) | |
Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan) | Nyungwe National Park (Rwanda) | ‘Uruq Bani Ma’arid (Saudi Arabia) |
What's next on your travel radar? Any UNESCO World Heritage Sites? I'm heading back to Iceland pretty soon in search of the Northern Lights, and will (re-) visit the three sites there. When I plan a trip, once the destination is determined, I (almost) always check to see if there are any sites I shouldn't miss. And none of the World Heritage Sites I've visited have ever disappointed. Remember, since they are all over the world, there may be one in your (relative) back yard. Check it out and share below your favorites -- and/or what inspires your travel.
Bon Voyage!!
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