The Year Ahead: Welcome, 2008

Every year, travel forecasters look into their crystal balls and speculate on New Year trends.

Italy: In (That country is like Meryl Streep at the Oscars.)
Canada: On Its Way Out
Airplanes: Still Delayed

Let's see what else those wizards -- guidebook experts, travel associations and consultants, ad agencies, the feds -- have prophesied for 2008.

Americans will take shorter trips, won't travel as far and are gearing up to see the Beijing Olympics--live. (Hmmm, doesn't that cancel out Outlook No. 2?) Europe -- minus Italy, of course -- is yesteryear, but it shouldn't take the rejection personally: It's the currency, stupid. For its plunging status, the Caribbean can blame the U.S. State Department, whose new passport rule (Americans need passports to return from the islands, among other foreign lands) has been a giant storm cloud that won't disperse.

Of course, plenty of travel analysts are also predicting that things won't get better this year in the air, but we already figured that much, didn't we?

One of more interesting predictions came from Lonely Planet, the guidebook stalwart that relies on people traveling to countries that end in "stan" or have more monkeys than residents. LP proclaimed the United States as the Destination of 2008. Whoa, here I come Buffalo. Whoa, not so fast. Thankfully, it then proceeds to winnow down our 50, emphasizing Hawaii and U.S. National Parks.

As I reflect on where to go this year -- Sri Lanka or Madagascar, Bolivia or Indonesia -- maybe I should be a good American and go all-American. I have always wanted to trek around Maine's Acadia National Park and, embarassingly enough, have never seen the Grand Canyon. But as we all know, you need to support the underdogs, so perhaps I'll give some attention to Agate Fossil Beds National Monument in Nebraska or the Saint Croix National Scenic River in, no not the Caribbean, but Wisconsin. However, to really make the most of Lonely Planet's prognosis, I should head to the Kalaupapa National Historical Park or the Ala Kahakai National Historic Trail in Hawaii. Yes, I'm proud to be an American in 2008.

Do you have a favorite domestic or national park destination I should add to my 2008 travel planner?

By Andrea Sachs | January 2, 2008; 7:08 AM ET | Category: Andrea Sachs , Travel Trends
Previous: Bus Travel: A Thing of the Past ... and Future? | Next: Tell Us: Your Kid Went Where?

View or post comments

Comments

Please email us to report offensive comments.

Glacier National Park.

The rate at which the remaining glaciers are melting is terrible, better see them before they're gone!

Posted by: Kent Island, MD | January 2, 2008 8:35 AM

Canyon de Chelly National Monument, on the Navajo reservation in Arizona.

Amazingly scenic. You can drive the canyon rims on your own, and also take a tour with a Navajo guide of the canyon floor to see Anasazi ruins and still-active Navajo farms.

Posted by: Bowie | January 2, 2008 9:13 AM

Go hike the Joshua Tree National Park near Palm Springs/Twentynine Palms, CA

Posted by: | January 2, 2008 11:35 AM

I live a few hours from Grand Canyon and just made my first trip into Zion National Park. I found it to be as beautiful and dramatic as the canyon. If you can go off season (we were there Nov 5th and it was 80o) you can drive your car. Otherwise you must park your car and be bused through. We were also at the Tetons in Wyoming which are spectacular to look at. Also loved driving through the Redwood Forest. I also enjoy Josuha Tree and Navaho Reservation scenic areas. We drove 3,000 miles and agree that there is a great time to be had in the good ole USA.

Posted by: Nancy | January 2, 2008 12:56 PM

We visited Zion, Bryce, and Capitol Reef in Utah on the same trip (about 2 weeks), and all are spectacular. But if you can only go to one park, it's got to be the Grand Canyon, preferably in the shoulder season.

Posted by: Pat | January 2, 2008 1:47 PM

A couple of places, including the Caribbean: Las Vegas, and not just because of gaming, shopping or shows: also for visiting the various sights: Hoover Dam, Lake Meade, Death Valley, Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, Liberace Museum, Stratosphere Tower, etc.; Delray Beach, to see how part of the other half lives when they're not in Royal Palm Beach, e.g., Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, etc.; Puerto Rico, for El Junque National Forest; Jamaica for Mo' Bay and Ocho Rios for Dunn's River Falls; Aruba for the windmills and now broken Natural Bridge; and last but not least St.Thomas for shopping (and yes, I'm a guy!).

Posted by: Shep C. Willner | January 2, 2008 2:33 PM

Hey, what's wrong with Buffalo?

Posted by: Liz | January 2, 2008 3:28 PM

Well if you end up visiting Wisconsin, stop by the Dells, yes, quite a bit of it is tourist trappy. But the Dells themselves are beautiful, take one or both of the Dells Boat Tours ( Upper and Lower)There is also a canyon tour ( can't remember the exact name Hidden Canyon maybe) that is done with horse drawn carts that is worthwhile also. Also there are a couple of other things within 50 miles, Frank Loyd Wright's home and museum, a Ringling Brother's Museum. Of course the House on the Rock. Also there is a nice winery near Lodi as well.

Posted by: rja112 | January 3, 2008 12:10 AM

Chaco Culture or Bandelier in New Mexico. You'll get a real appreciation for America, the early years.

Posted by: zin123 | January 9, 2008 3:34 PM

My wife and I drove around the U.S. last summer for 15 weeks, mostly out west. When we were asked to recount our highlights, we both agreed that two places stood out: Glacier National Park. (Kent Island, you have it correct, but there's a lot more to see than glaciers) The second was a leisurely drive down the 400 miles of the Oregon coast. Beautiful everything, in both places, and we never felt crowded!

Posted by: Paul | January 23, 2008 3:59 PM

The Year Ahead: Welcome, 2008

Comments

Post a Comment