National Geographic Announces 2024 Destinations ‘Cool List’

National Geographic Traveller has released the list of thirty places and experiences comprising its 2024 ‘cool list.’

Around half of the list is in Europe, including places as different as Pompeii’s ruins and Albania’s mountains, which the magazine dubs “Europe’s rising star.”

But, whether you like visiting a big metropolitan city, attending a sporting event, or getting away from it all in a secluded paradise, there’s something for almost every kind of explorer here.

Visit some cities on National Geographic’s list for great food, museums, and nightlife.

Among those receiving accolades are Xi’an, China, widely known for the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Terracotta Warriors, and Lima, Peru, which has emerged as one of the world’s most famous gastronomy destinations.

Meanwhile, Tainan, Taiwan’s original capital, will celebrate its 400th anniversary in 2024, providing an excellent occasion to sample its eel noodles, turkey rice, tofu pudding, and other street food favourites.

National Geographic highlighted entire states in several instances. There were two in the United States, Texas and New York, each nearly the size of a European country.

National Geographic advises not only visiting New York City – the Empire State is also home to some natural beauty at Lake Placid and Niagara Falls. Meanwhile, Texas has several great spots for admiring 2024’s total solar eclipse.

A new “Great Victorian Bathing Trail” in Victoria, the Australian state home to Melbourne, has been credited with exposing the area’s lesser-known thermal springs.

Meanwhile, National Geographic praised Sikkim, a northern Indian state situated in the Himalayas near the country’s borders with Bhutan and Nepal. Kangchenjunga, the world’s third-tallest peak, is its crown jewel.

Nova Scotia, Canada, a province rather than a state, was recognised for its Acadian culture. This ethnic group consists of descendants of Canada’s first French settlers, and their cultural history is represented in Nova Scotia’s delicious seafood dishes.

Beautiful nature sites dominate the National Geographic list.

The Atacama Desert in Chile (the world’s driest area), the beautiful Caribbean island of Dominica, and Madagascar’s Andrefana Dry Forests, known for their baobab trees, have all been nominated.

Scotland has expanded its UNESCO-designated biosphere reserves in Galloway and Southern Ayrshire to a countrywide circuit linking all 13 of Scotland’s UNESCO sites.

See the full list below.

The ‘cool list’ 2024

• Albanian Alps, Albania
• Belfast, Northern Ireland
• Emilia-Romagna, Italy
• Europe by train
• Galloway and Southern Ayrshire, Scotland
• Nordland, Norway
• North Yorkshire, England
• Pompeii, Italy
• Saimaa, Finland
• Tartu, Estonia
• The Euros, Germany
• Valletta, Malta
• Whisky in Wales
• Wild Atlantic Way, Ireland
• Atacama Desert, Chile
• Lima, Peru
• New York State
• Miami, Florida
• Dominica
• Nova Scotia, Canada
• Texas
• Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
• Ibera Wetlands, Argentina
• Akagera, Rwanda
• Andrefana Dry Forests, Madagascar
• Sierra Leone
• Sikkim, India
• Tainan, Taiwan
• Xi’an, China
• Victoria, Australia