
There are 391 national parks in the United States, offering travelers diverse selections in a variety of regions. With more than 272 million visitors per year, the U.S. national park system hardly needs attention drawn to it. Many national park names are household words- Yosemite, Yellowstone, Ellis Island, Grand Canyon, Grand Teton- and the most common are associated with the Western United States, yet there are actually national parks in every one of the 50 states.
Hawaii offers white sand beaches, volcanoes and some decidedly unusual tourists lures: the Elvis Aloha statue, a “leper colony” tour that includes a mule ride down a steep cliff (anyone see the irony here?), and a “cursed tourists” display at Kilauea where the volvano goddess Madame Pele is said to curse anyone swiping her lava.
United States travelers craving a popular destination yet unwilling to consider staying in their home country a bona fide vacation don’t need to rely on Lonely Planet to determine the #1 hot travel destination of the year, however. Several other organizations create similar lists.
So what are the other #1 hot travel destinations in 2008?
The US Tour Operators Association bestows the honor on Italy, with Croatia and China in pursuit.
Liverpool, England was named a European Capital of Culture for 2008, an honor shared with Stavanger, Norway. Everyone who remembers the Beatles knows something about Liverpool. This former blue collar town has been spruced up in past years in preparation for its assuming the European Capital of Culture title. Stavanger, Norway, the country’s 4th largest city, is a delightful conglomeration of cobblestoned streets, picturesque wooden dwellings, sea trade and international culture. Stavenger teases scenery-seeking visitors with moutains, waterfalls, islands, plains and fjords.
The New York Times picked Laos as its #1 hot travel destination for 2008. Still relatively undeveloped, this southeast Asian country is notorious for being the most bombed country in history. But despite its pitfalls, it has allure. The Plain of Jars is an enigmatic archeological site with humongous 2,000 year old jars scattered about the countryside. Limestone caves adorned with Budda carvings, lush jungles, bustling markets and the largest waterfall in southeast Asia are among the other attractions that warrant Laos’ designation as the #1 hot travel destination for 2008.
South America gets recognition from Rolf Potts’ Vagabonding. Top picks for hot travel destinations for 2008 were not rank ordered but Buenos Aires, Argentina and Quito, Equador both made the 4 destination list.
By now, it should be apparent that there really is no single #1 hot travel destination for 2008. The world is rife with delightful destinations any one of which, depending on a traveler’s tastes and temperament, may become his personal #1 hot travel destination for 2008.



































