Peering over the edge of a crashing waterfall in Newfoundland and climbing sawtooth spires in the Italian Dolomites demonstrate how wonderful the world can be. However, while travel should be a force for good, the past year has reminded us that it can also overwhelm and even harm the places we love. As a result, many destinations are now enacting new restrictions in an effort to combat the negative effects of overtourism.
These 25 locations are not only welcoming tourists and providing amazing travel experiences, but they are also using tourism to support local communities, protect the environment, or preserve their unique cultural heritage. With input from BBC Travel journalists and some of the world’s top sustainable travel authorities, including the United Nations World Travel Organisation, Sustainable Travel International, the Black Travel Alliance, and the World Travel & Tourism Council, we wanted to highlight the destinations experiencing the opposite phenomenon in the BBC’s first guide to the best places to travel this year.
Travelling mindfully requires thinking about how your journey might benefit a greater good, especially since tourism in many areas is surging above pre-pandemic levels and extreme weather and climate change highlight the fleeting nature of many dream places. Your next big adventure awaits you, whether it’s trekking through a moonlike terrain in Bolivia or glamping in the Arctic on the biggest island in the world, Greenland.
1. Dominica
Have you ever wished to swim with sperm whales? As part of the Caribbean island’s historic dedication to regenerative tourism and marine conservation, Dominica now provides the opportunity to do so in a morally and environmentally responsible manner. In an effort to conserve its resident giants, the island government just created the first sperm whale reserve in history. A limited number of whale swim permits guarantee close, considerate interactions, giving tourists a once-in-a-lifetime chance to go in the water with these amazing cetaceans while supporting research and generating sustainable tourism possibilities for locals.
Expanded systems and infrastructure are expected to welcome tourists in 2025. These include the creation of a cable-car system that will transport passengers from the Roseau Valley to Boiling Lake, one of the biggest thermal springs in the world, and computerised immigration forms that will make arriving easier. It has never been simpler to get to the island thanks to United Airlines’ direct flights from Newark beginning on February 15th, which will supplement American Airlines’ current flights from Miami. In 2025, a number of new hotels, including the six-star Hilton Tranquilly Beach Resort and Spa in Salisbury, will open, adding around 500 rooms and a 25% increase in inventory. Alternatively, go with a tried-and-true classic like Secret Bay, a posh eco-property that often ranks at the top of sustainability rankings.
Project CETI, a ground-breaking global endeavour headed by National Geographic Explorer David Gruber to translate whale language, clicks, and codas, is also based in Dominica. In other places, tourists may discover undiscovered gorges, majestic waterfalls, and savour regional food at distinctive restaurants like the farm-to-table Lacou. Dominica is more than simply a travel destination; it’s a movement to promote a new ecotourism model that strikes a balance between economic development and biodiversity preservation, guaranteeing that your trip contributes to the preservation of this natural paradise for future generations. Pier Nirandara
2. Naoshima, Japan
The Japanese island of Naoshima, which is home to one of Yayoi Kusama’s famous yellow, polka-dotted Pumpkin sculptures, has grown to be a must-visit location for lovers of modern architecture and art. Benesse Art Site Naoshima, which has contributed to the establishment of significant museums and site-specific artworks in the picturesque (and drastically declining) Seto Inland Sea, situated between Japan’s main island of Honshu and Shikoku, has transformed the island, which was once known (if at all) for its highly polluting copper smelting industry.
The award-winning architect Tadao Ando, who created nine previous buildings on the island, will unveil the Naoshima New Museum of Art in the spring of 2025. With activities and artwork unveilings spread throughout 17 islands and coastal regions of the Seto Inland Sea, this unique exhibition for Asian artists will be a significant feature of this year’s Setouchi Triennale. This is the biggest version of the Triennale since it started in 2010, with a 100-day schedule that is divided into spring, summer and fall to allow tourists to see the area throughout the seasons.Reviving the nearby islands of Teshima and Inujima as well as improving the fortunes of Naoshima have been made possible in large part by the festival and events of Benesse Art Site Naoshima.
Plan ahead to see the unique fusion of art, architecture, and environment at Rei Naito and Ryue Nishizawa’s Teshima Art Museum; in Inujima, visitors will be astounded by the remnants of a former copper refinery transformed into an epic-scale art piece. Two noteworthy accommodations are the tastefully minimalist Espoir Inn on Teshima and Roka, a modern ryokan on Naoshima. — Simon Richmond
3. The Dolomites, Italy
A constant favourite among fans Italy doesn’t really need any additional publicity, particularly in a year when the 2025 Jubilee will further overburden Rome, its already overcrowded capital. Take a diversion north to the Dolomite Mountains, though, if Italy is still on your 2025 bucket list.
For Italians, luxurious vacations and family enjoyment are linked with the untamed beauty of the Dolomites. Veneto, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, and Friuli-Venezia Giulia are home to the breathtaking sawtooth limestone cliffs, which draw hordes of Italian tourists every year for their picturesque villages, peerless “white week” skiing, thrilling hikes, and delectable, hearty Alpine cuisine. Foreign tourists frequently ignore this traditional Italian playground, but that is about to change.
The 2026 Winter Olympics will be co-hosted by Cortina d’Ampezzo, known as the “Queen of the Dolomites.” Against the backdrop of pre-Olympic excitement, the preparations, which will span 2025, involve a wide range of infrastructure upgrades throughout the region. In the Dolomiti Superski area, visitors may anticipate wider networks of ski lifts as the towns of Alta Badia and Val Gardena will introduce updated lifts and better links to local public transport. The communities in the region will also see the introduction of new and improved gondolas, lifts, and cable cars.
However, the Dolomites are an exciting place to explore in any season. Come in the spring, summer or fall to take advantage of great paths, such as the 2024 Cammino Retico (The Rhaetian Way), a 170-kilometer, seven-day route that connects isolated communities in the Veneto and Trentino provinces. In 2025, the opulent Aman Rosa Alpina hotel will return with a spectacular opening for those seeking complete relaxation. 51 guestrooms and suites, two presidential apartments, and the exclusive Chalet Zeno will now be available on the site. Come immediately before the throngs arrive. Eva Sandoval
4. Greenland
Greenland is unlike any other place on Earth. The biggest island in the world, covering more than two million square kilometres, is home to less than 57,000 people. Its pristine nature and magnificent fjords, encircled by a massive ice cover and breathtaking mountains, provide once-in-a-lifetime experiences in addition to being a sought-after geopolitical location..
Greenland is a must-see location because of its breathtaking hiking, captivating whale watching, and traditional dog sledding in the summer, as well as the breathtaking aurora in the winter. However, up until now, getting there has been difficult, costly, and time-consuming.
Travelling to Greenland has never been simpler thanks to the inauguration of a new international airport in the capital city of Nuuk and the construction of two more in 2026. The nation welcomes thoughtful adventurers who appreciate its amazing natural surroundings and distinctive Inuit culture while also enjoying the thrill of exploration. An initiative “towards better tourism” has been enacted by Greenland, and a new law intends to direct tourist-related revenue towards helping local communities.
A contemporary town with a historic shoreline, educational museums, and striking art galleries, Nuuk serves as a starting point for glamping, hiking, and fishing excursions as well as an entryway to the amazing Arctic region. Visitors may explore the breathtaking icebergs of Disko Bay and the striking Icefjord, which has been designated by Unesco, farther north in Ilulissat. Beautiful fjords and picturesque green hills with sheep farms may be found in the south, which was formerly inhabited by Vikings. Audrey Murray Nielsen
5. Wales
Even though Wales is just one-sixth the size of England and receives significantly fewer tourists than its more well-known UK competitors, its breathtaking national parks, magnificent mediaeval castles, and near-complete lack of tourists only serve to increase its allure. With Wales commemorating 2025 as the Year of Croeso (or “Welcome”), tourists have even more reason to visit one of Europe’s most promising tourism destinations in the new year.
The year-long festival invites guests to “Feel the hwyl”—an inexpressible Welsh term that describes a profound sense of delight that results from being fully present in the moment—while showcasing Welsh culture, language, and attractions. Wales has established itself as a leader in environmentally friendly, culturally sensitive travel in recent years. Wales is now implementing a multi-year £5 billion initiative that utilises tourist dollars to make diverse places more ecologically sustainable, and tourism has contributed to the resuscitation of the Welsh language.
Wales is investing in mobility bikes as part of its Year of Croeso to encourage more adventurers to see the wild side of the country. The Wales Coast Path, the only hiking route in the world that stretches the whole length of a nation’s coastline, is also located in Wales. — Eliot Stein