NEW YORK, Oct 29 — Tourism is back! As proof, Lonely Planet has published its list of top destinations to discover in 2022 after taking a year off due to covid-19. These latest picks point travelers off the beaten track to discover Iceland’s Westfjords, the Japanese island of Shikoku and France’s Burgundy region.

If you thought you’d seen it all, you obviously weren’t counting on Lonely Planet’s latest list of top places to visit in the coming year. After being grounded for a year and a half, travelers can once again find inspiration in the famous travel guide’s "Best in Travel 2022” list. To draw up its picks, Lonely Planet took into account upcoming events and news, tourism initiatives, as well as the conservation of destinations. In this top 10, the guide takes travelers back to some countries that have been trendy hotspots in recent years, this time focusing on regions that tourists might have skipped.

Take Japan, for example. While seasoned travelers may already have taken in Tokyo, Kyoto, the Nikko mountains in the north or even the hot springs of Kyushu, how many have visited the island of Shikoku? This strip of land that can be seen from Hiroshima or Osaka is recommended for anyone looking for a taste of traditional Japan and interested in visiting its numerous temples. There’s even a 1,170-kilometer long pilgrimage trail that’s over 1,200 years old.

Lonely Planet also returns to Australia, a country that’s been popular with younger travelers for a long time. Indeed, the guidebook points travelers back to the Gold Coast — the famous region around Brisbane on Australia’s east coast, known for its surfers and its tall buildings — in order to explore a more inland area known as the Scenic Rim. This mountainous area of waterfalls and rainforests will delight campers looking to escape the overrated image of the Gold Coast.

Otherwise, how about heading for the refreshingly hilly landscape of Burgundy, France. Located on the borders of the Nièvre and Yonne regions, Lonely Planet recommends rediscovering this wine region to explore beyond the vintages that have made this corner of France world-famous.

Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2022 - Top 10 countries:

1. Cook Islands 2. Norway 3. Mauritius 4. Belize 5. Slovenia 6. Anguilla 7. Oman 8. Nepal 9. Malawi 10. Egypt

Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2022 - Top 10 countries: 

1. Westfjords, Iceland 2. West Virginia, USA 3. Xishuangbanna, China 4. Kent’s Heritage Coast, UK 5. Porto Rico 6. Shikoku, Japan 7. Atacama Desert, Chili 8. The Scenic Rim, Australia 9. Vancouver Island, Canada 10. Burgundy, France

Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2022 - Top 10 cities: 

1. Auckland, New Zealand 2. Taipei, Taiwan 3. Freiburg, Germany 4. Atlanta, USA 5. Lagos, Nigeria  6. Nicosia/Lefkosia, Cyprus 7. Dublin, Ireland 8. Merida, Mexico 9. Florence, Italy 10. Gyeongju, South Korea

The Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2022 guidebook is out now in bookstores or online. — ETX Studio