This year there are new and exciting reasons to travel.
And the possibility of doing it without restrictions after three years of the pandemic opens up a horizon of traveling possibilities.
Beyond Europe, great destinations await for those seeking exoticism, remoteness, open landscapes, adventure and a sense of freedom.
Many of them are present at the Madrid International Tourism Fair (Fitur), which is held until Sunday the 22nd at Ifema.
America: a splash of nature
Canada: In the land of the moose
Those who think that the best northern lights are found in northern Europe will change their minds if they travel to Canada's Yukon region, a territory the size of Spain located in the northwest of the North American country.
Its midnight sun is the pride of summer, and also the pleasant summer temperatures of the capital, Whitehorse, which average around 15 degrees in August.
Here, in addition, natural landscapes abound and more than 100 species of birds await us, which live together with
grizzly bears
, caribou and a type of sheep called Dall's mouflon, with imposing twisted horns.
In the Yukon they like to pretend that they have more moose than people: some 70,000 inhabit the territory, compared to the 40,000 humans who reside there, many of them belonging to various indigenous populations such as the Tagish and Kaska Dena.
Its main area of tourist interest is the Kluane National Park, in the southwest of the territory, which boasts glaciers and high peaks such as Mount Logan, which at almost 6,000 meters is the highest in Canada.
A grizzly bear, in Canada's Yukon region. Danita Delimont (Gallo Images / GETTY IMAGES)
Guatemala: epicenter of Mayan culture
The Central American country, a Fitur partner in 2023, dresses up this year to show all its attractions, both archaeological and natural.
The first is, without a doubt, the Tikal National Park, a biosphere reserve and heart of the largest Mayan citadel in Guatemala.
More information
What Fitur offers this weekend: from flying an Iberia plane to winning a trip to Gran Canaria
Another well-kept secret is the archaeological site of Takalik Abaj.
The importance of this ancient pre-Hispanic city lies in the meeting of the Mayan and Olmec cultures.
Its flourishing began in the 9th century BC, which lasted until the 10th century AD.
There you can see up to 200 monuments carved in stone, including petroglyphs, ceremonial heads and the oldest royal tomb in the Mayan empire.
Guatemalan nature is shown with particular splendor in the Semuc Champey area, which means in the Quekchí language “where the river hides under the stones”.
The turquoise water pools and limestone mountains of this tropical forest make it one of the most desired destinations.
The Maya Kakaw agency, specialized in Guatemala and with a sustainable approach and cultural exchange, organizes a wide menu of circuits that go through these enclaves, without forgetting the living culture of the country, organizing a tour that includes stops in the popular markets of Chichicastenango and Almolonga, where artisans offer their traditional creations.
Mexico: more than a desert
The State of Sonora leads us to think of an immense desert, but this Mexican region has much more to offer: mountains and green valleys and more than a thousand kilometers of coastline bathed by the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez, dubbed "the Aquarium of the World” by oceanographer Jacques Cousteau due to the great variety of marine fauna that lives in its waters.
Contrasts are not lacking in Sonora: from the arid area of Pinacate, chosen by NASA astronauts who traveled to the Moon to acclimatize to extensive landscapes without vegetation —if we except for the enormous multi-armed cacti called saguaros—, to towns like Álamos , included in the list of magical Mexican towns thanks to its cultural legacy and its narrow, cobbled streets.
In Álamos is also the house-museum of one of the town's favorite daughters: the legendary actress María Félix.
Eight indigenous peoples coexist in Sonora, whose territories can be visited respecting their customs and rules of coexistence.
One of them is the Seri nation, which continues to share its ceremonies, dances, and crafts in areas such as Bahía de Kino and Punta Chueca.
An artisan "souvenir" from the town of Suchitoto (El Salvador).Barry Vincent (Alamy)
El Salvador: little big surprise
Are we ready to look at the Guazapa volcano, attend the Corn Festival in the picturesque town of Suchitoto or go whale watching in Los Cóbanos?
Then we are ready to travel to El Salvador, nicknamed “the Little Thumb of America” for being the smallest country on the continent.
Thanks to its warm climate, its wide beaches and its scenic and archaeological richness, the Central American country enjoys enormous tourist potential that has already been echoed by the traveling editorial Lonely Planet, which considers it one of the 30 essential destinations that deserve a visit in 2023.
Eco Tours Petate, based in the city of San Salvador, offers a wide variety of tours through the country's tourist icons, including horseback riding on the top of the Guazapa volcano, tours of the Salvadoran Mayan Route, and visits to coffee plantations. .
Asia: among the first pilgrims and the most modern museums
Japan: A Journey to Sea Level
The current edition of Fitur —which is held until January 22 at Ifema, Madrid— pays particular attention to cruises and the development of blue tourism, focused on maritime life.
Hence, the proposal to discover archipelagos such as the Japanese on board a cruise ship is most coherent.
The Holland America company has just resumed its cruises in Japan based in the port of Yokohama.
One of its routes runs through the Seto Inland Sea, surrounded by the islands of Honshu, Kyushu and Shikoku and by hundreds of islets.
On one of the islands, called Miyajima, is the Shinto temple of the same name, declared a World Heritage Site by Unesco and very striking for its red gate
(torii).
floating.
The Princess company cruises, for their part, promise Japanese culture and shows on board every day, from folk dances to movies, and, of course, the most famous dishes of Japanese cuisine, accompanied by sake and whiskeys from the country.
The Naoshima Pavilion, in the Seto Inland Sea (Japan). Edmund Sumner (VIEW / Alamy)
South Korea: the latest cry in art
Although its culture is ancient, South Korea stands out in contemporary artistic manifestations.
His cinema is all the rage all over the world, as are his pop music and his visual artists.
To feel the current pulse of its culture, you have to visit its many contemporary art museums.
In Seoul, the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMCA), the largest of the country's public museums, stands out.
Its rooms show works by international artists, but especially by renowned Koreans such as Park Soo Keun or Nam June Paik.
For its part, the Leeum Museum, belonging to the Samsung Foundation and also in the South Korean capital, boasts its three buildings signed by great names in contemporary architecture that pay homage to traditional Korean buildings in their projects: Museum 1 is by Mario Botta and offers a cultural walk through the main antiquities of the country;
Museum 2, focused on contemporary art, was designed by Jean Nouvel, and the third building, dedicated to children, is the work of Rem Koolhaas.
Another important private center is the K Museum, in the Seoul district of Gangnam (famous for the PSY song).
Its objective is to promote the discovery of the newest artistic trends to all types of public, which it does in its six floors of exhibition space.
Jordan: in the footsteps of the traveler Egeria
A new —and at the same time very old— way of touring Jordan is to follow in the footsteps of Egeria, a Hispano-Roman woman who in the fourth century of our time traveled the country on foot for three years and recounted it in Latin.
Her manuscript was found in the 19th century and contains detailed details of what she experienced during her pilgrimage, in which she visited the most representative places for Christianity.
Putting on comfortable shoes, we will be able to emulate her and follow her Jordanian route, which would begin on Mount Nebo, where Moses died.
We would continue bathing in the hot springs of Ma'in, visiting Byzantine churches and cities like Livias and Bethany, which, on the banks of the Jordan River, is where Jesus was baptized.
Oceania: Maori Life Lessons
New Zealand: “Kia pray!”
The original name of New Zealand is Aotearoa.
Its people, the Maori, arrived a millennium ago, and their culture lives on in the country.
To experience it in depth, you have to visit Te Puia, a natural park on the North Island with an active geyser that houses the headquarters of the New Zealand Institute of Local Crafts, where we can see live wood carving.
Another iconic enclave on the same island is the Te Pa Tu theme park, where you can appreciate Maori traditions, dances and recipes, and we will even greet you in the native language, the te reo, saying “kia ora” instead of “hello”.
For those who prefer to communicate in Romance languages with their local guides, Pacific Destinations offers diverse routes around the New Zealand islands in Spanish and Italian.
Carved Maori mask at Te Puia, in the North Island (New Zealand).GETTY IMAGES
Australia: luxury camping
In Australia they have developed hundreds of options for glamping, the glamorous way of camping.
The most peculiar one is inside the Taronga Zoo, in Sydney.
It is called Roar and Snore (roars and snores) and allows you to sleep in a five-star tent and wake up with the animals, as well as having a spectacular view over the bay of the Australian capital.
Paperbark Camp, a two and a half hour drive from Sydney, is another popular campsite for foodies.
Located in a forest, here camp life is combined with Australian wine pairings and swimming on the nearby beaches of Jervis Bay.
Africa: gastronomic routes and green paradises
Ghana: Eden for walkers
Ghana's diverse landscape is a magnet for hikers.
Local travel agencies such as Ashanti African Tours select the best routes, stopping at Shai Hills Nature Reserve (home to antelope and baboons), Wli Waterfalls and Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary.
The encounter with the Ewe ethnic group is an important part of the trip.
They are the creators of the multicolored fabric called kente, of which every traveler probably buys a few meters as a souvenir.
Egypt: a five-star museum
There are always reasons to go to Egypt, but a perfect excuse is the opening in 2023 of the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Its imposing building in the shape of an oblique triangle, designed by the Heneghan Peng studio, is a stone's throw from the pyramids of Giza and inside it houses 100,000 archaeological pieces, some from the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Joe's Easy Diner food truck in Cape Town, South Africa. Jeffrey Greenberg (Universal Images Group / Getty Images) (Universal Images Group via Getty)
South Africa: southern delights
South Africa has been chosen as the best culinary destination in Africa in 2022. The country, with a wine tradition, boasts chefs with Michelin stars such as Jan Hendrik van der Westhuizen, in charge of the JAN Innovation Studio restaurant in Cape Town.
But street food is also delicious, and to prove it are the tours organized by Bites and Sites and Cape Town Culinary Tours.
In addition, traditional wineries such as McGregor and La-Vierge offer tours with tasting included (they can be booked on the Wine Tourism website).
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