The 4,000 travelers who use TripAdvisor.com have spoken.
The top hot spot in the world for this year is Pamukkale, Turkey.
Never heard of it? Imagine white terraced pools of calcium-rich hot springs, sought out by travelers for thousands of years. And picture the spectacular ancient city of Hierapolis, and the Sacred Pool, where you can swim among fallen Roman columns. And, here's the best part — Turkey, with its incredible antiquities and welcoming villages, is an inexpensive vacation.
Here are the other places that made TripAdvisor's Top Hot Spots for 2007 (in descending order):
* Parga, Greece
* Ayr, Scotland
* Campeche, Mexico
* Marrakech, Morocco
* Naxos, Greece
* Puno, Peru
* Soller, Spain
* Salvador
* Bahia, Brazil
* Fez, Morocco
Better get out your guidebooks, and do some research on these extraordinary places, which are definitely off the tourist track. And they're all good deals compared to the usual European cities.
This top group is more than anecdotal reports; it's a scientific survey conducted by TripAdvisor engineers who developed a proprietary algorithm that looks at several criteria including changes in search activity and postings through the world's largest travel community, www.tripadvisor.com.
Translation: You can put money on the probability that Pamukkale and Parga will be the next big things. Go before Paris Hilton gets there.
The number one US destination nominated by TripAdvisor's 4,000 travelers: Anna Maria, a little town on Anna Maria Island between Sarasota and St. Petersburg. A narrow strip of the whitest sand on the gulf, with no crowds or traffic, the island has a half-dozen excellent seafood restaurants, Old Florida wood cottages on the beach that can be rented at reasonable prices, and two city piers for fishing. Incredibly, developers haven't found it yet. Here, you can still explore Florida the way it was 50 years ago.
It's perplexing, and worrisome, that 4,000 travelers around the world know about Anna Maria.
Here are the rest of TripAdvisor's Top 10 Hot US Destinations for this year (in descending order):
* Kailua, Hawaii
* Siesta Key, just south of Sarasota on the gulf
* Macon, Georgia
* Breckenridge, Colorado
* Millinocket, Maine
* Vail, Colorado
* Bishop, California
* Franklin, Tennessee
* Eureka, California
Travel + Leisure travel magazine also offered its travel forecast for 2007 (read more at www.travelandleisure.com).
Their four picks for Up-and-Coming Destinations (and all are inexpensive destinations):
Alexandria, Egypt, which the magazine editors say is "reclaiming its role as a cultural beacon." As proof of an emerging destination for savvy, and wealthy travelers, Alexandria is getting a new Four Seasons resort on the Mediterranean coast.
Quito, Ecuador: "This city's dramatic revitalization makes it a growing favorite in South America." And it's easier to reach than ever; more US flights were recently added.
New Orleans, Louisiana: "The city is back and ready for visitors, with new and newly revamped hotels. Plus, there are volunteer opportunities for travelers," editors said.
Istria, Croatia: "This affordable and increasingly accessible spot could be mistaken for Provence, with kilometers of vineyards, medieval villages, and pristine beaches."
The next Caribbean hot spot, they say, is St. Lucia, which will add more than 1,500 hotel rooms by the end of 2007. New, luxe outposts are generating buzz, such as Discovery at Marigot Bay, Cotton Bay Village, the Landings resort, the Jade Mountain addition to the Anse Chastanet Resort, and the Ritz-Carlton, which is set to open in 2009.
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