It's time to start thinking about planing your dream trip next year. So where should you go?
We looked at major developments, cultural trends, and global festivals to find the hottest places to travel around the world in 2014.
From Croatia, the E.U.'s newest member; to Tokyo, the site of the 2020 Olympic Games, here are the best places to travel next year.
Cuba
Ever since Beyoncé and Jay Z very publicly vacationed in Cuba in April 2013, the small Caribbean country has been on the forefront of American travelers' minds.
Cuba has been off-limits to Americans since the '50s, but it's now easier to visit the small island than it has been in decades, thanks to more relaxed travel restrictions and an increase in tour operators offering legal ways to see the country. That means that more and more Americans are traveling to Cuba now. In fact, the number of Americans visiting Cuba grew by more than 20,000 in 2012 alone.
And tourists who are venturing there are finding that the country remains incredibly beautiful, and often untouched by the outside modern world.
Bangkok, Thailand
More than 11 million tourists visited Bangkok as of August 2013, and the city is anticipating 15.98 million international arrivals by the end of the year, which would make it the No. 1 destination for tourists in 2013.
That number is bound to grow next year, as Thailand's capital city continues to develop its tourism infrastructure. Several new hotels are set to open in Bangkok in 2014, including the Radisson Blu Plaza Bangkok and the Hyatt Place Hotel.
With its centuries-old temples, modern nightlife and restaurants, and incredible food, it's easy to see why Bangkok is a favorite city for tourists from around the world. The city caters to everyone — and every price point. Whether its from a street vendor or an expensive upmarket restaurant, the food in Bangkok is incredible. There's also a wide variety of accommodations from cheap hostels and budget hotels around Kaosan Road to high-end luxury properties, like the Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok.
Portland, Maine
America's other Portland has been gaining a reputation as a funky low-key destination that prizes quality food and cutting-edge art.
More and more talented chefs have been flocking to the coastal New England city, opening upscale restaurants like Fore Street and Petite Jacqueline. But there's also great casual fare, like tacos, burgers, and cupcakes from food trucks, and of course tons of lobster.
Meanwhile, the city's art scene is thriving. That's to be expected, since it's home to dozens of edgy galleries and artist collaboratives, the Maine College of Art, and the Portland Museum of Art, located in the heart of the Arts District. Visit in the beginning of the month to experience a First Friday Art Walk, when artists display their works on the streets and musicians and performance artists entertain the crowds.
Visitors will have no shortage of hotel options, as the city is expecting to open 500 new rooms in the next two years. Until then, stay in a quaint inn like the Pomegranate Inn, which features fireplaces in the rooms and cool art exhibits that change regularly.
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