Between the Olympics, movies filmed in exotic locations, and the explosion of K-pop, some destinations have been in the spotlight in recent months.
We looked at major developments, cultural trends, and global festivals to find the hottest places to travel around the world in 2013.
There are vast untouched landscapes that offer incredible outdoor experiences; cities that are experiencing a cultural rebirth; and up-and-coming destinations that offer great deals and few tourists.
Antarctica will offer incredible outdoor activities and gorgeous scenery.
With unprecedented droughts, hurricanes, and unseasonably warm (or cold) weather patterns around the world, it's becoming harder and harder to deny global warming — especially in Antarctica, where the ice caps are melting at a somewhat alarming rate.
That means that now is the time to go visit Antarctica, the coldest and driest continent on earth. There is breathtakingly beautiful scenery with few man-made interruptions. It's an ideal trip for adventurers, who can kayak, trek or just take in the incredible landscape. You can also see penguins, whales, and elephant seals.
Tourism to Antarctica is getting more popular. According to International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), about 35,000 visitors will come to Antarctica this season, most of whom are American.
There are a few ways to visit the continent: by cruise ship with excursions to shore (the most popular), by land expeditions with tour operators, or sightseeing by air.
Brooklyn, New York, will have more cool hotels and restaurants than ever before.
While Brooklyn isn't exactly a new hotspot, the New York City borough will become even hotter in 2013 with more hotels, restaurants, and shops catering to hip locals and tourists.
Within the last year alone, five hotels have opened in Brooklyn, including the Wythe Hotel, Hotel BPM, and the Hotel Indigo, making the borough more accessible to visitors. And with the opening of the new Barclays Center, the borough will see even more hotels: another 10 hotels are currently being developed and are expected to open in 2013.
The borough is also home to a 3 Michelin-starred restaurant (Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare), one of the best steakhouses in the country (Peter Luger's), a great brewery (Brooklyn Brewery), and hipster-friendly markets, restaurants, and bars.
Nashville, Tennessee, will continue to build on its reputation as "Music City" with a new convention center and music-related museums.
ABC's drama "Nashville" brought Music City into the national spotlight this year, but Nashville has been on the tourist radar for years.
Music City hosted about 11 million tourists in 2012, according to the Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau. And that number is bound to grow as the city plans all sorts of new constructions for 2013.
In the works for 2013 are the Music City Center, a new 1.2 million-square-foot convention center that is slated to open in May 2013; the Johnny Cash Museum (slated for spring 2013); and an expansion to the Country Music Hall of Fame. The city will also see the opening of at least four new large hotels to cater to the new convention center crowds.
Nashville is called Music City for a reason: it's home to the Country Music Hall Of Fame and incredible music venues like the Bluebird Cafe, Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry. These new venues will cement its status as the veritable capital of country music.
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