Top Destinations in 2024

I was recently perusing Condé Nast Traveler's annual list of the top destinations for 2024, and in addition to providing inspiration for my own future travels, it got me thinking about what, in fact, makes a destination desirable in the first place.

My first draft of this post read, "To some degree it's subjective, of course." But the more I think about it, it is probably most accurate to simply say that it's completely subjective. For example, I know that there are a lot of people who love to visit gorgeous beaches. I am the rare bird who absolutely despises the beach, though, so access to sand and water is pretty low on my travel wish list.

I'm tempted to say that degree of safety for travelers might be the one common thing that everyone looks for in a destination, but I can't really say for sure that even that is true.

So the question I'm asking this week is, "What makes a destination desirable for you?"

Here's my list:

• Safety, especially if my kids are coming along

• Somewhere I've never been before (too many places to see for repeats!)

• Opportunities to engage with local culture

• Photo opportunities (though not from a social media perspective; I'm an avid photographer, and taking photos is one of my favorite things to do when traveling)

• Affordability

• Accessibility - again, mainly if my kids are coming along, as they're not quite ready for very long plane rides

I've been lucky enough to visit a few of Condé Nast's suggestions (Upstate New York just a few weeks ago, in fact). My current dream list includes Botswana, the Galápagos Islands, Antarctica, and Nepal. How about you? Tell me in the comments below.

Here are the destinations on Condé Nast's list; visit their website for more in-depth info on each place and lots of gorgeous photos. Enjoy!