G Adventures have announced their hottest adventure destinations for 2018, but how well do you know them, try our fiendishly difficult quiz
EGYPT – 2018 is poised to be an exciting year for Egypt as its new Grand Egyptian Museum prepares to open in late-2018 as the world’s largest archaeological museum. The attraction is expected to attract a lot of attention, which will hopefully contribute to Egypt’s tourism comeback. Egypt’s tourism revenues jumped by 170 per cent in the first half of 2017, while G Adventures’ bookings grew 24 per cent. See it now, before the crowds return. An eight-day Best of Egypt trip is priced from £799pp, and new for 2018 is a 22-day Best of Egypt, Jordan and Israel itinerary priced from £4,399pp*.
SRI LANKA – The ‘pearl of the Indian Ocean’ is having a moment in the sun. Sri Lanka aims to double the number of tourists to five million by 2020 as part of its development strategy. G Adventures is driving some of these numbers, with a tripling of global demand for tours booked to Sri Lanka in the past year. Its new seven-day ‘Sri Lanka Sailing’ trip, priced from £1,099pp, embarks in February and can also be combined with a land-based itinerary to create a 14-day Sri Lanka Land and Sea getaway, priced from £1,999pp.
RUSSIA – The world’s largest country will be firmly in the media spotlight in 2018 as it plays host to the world’s largest single sporting event – the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Russian Embassy has rolled out the welcome mat, waiving visa fees to fans attending the World Cup. Simon Reeve recently travelled across Russia with the BBC, and beyond the football it’s a culturally rich destination, with G Adventures experiencing 57 per cent growth in the past two years. New for 2018 is G Adventures is the Backroads of Russia tour, priced from £1,549pp for a 12-day trip from St Petersburg to Moscow, with departures from May 2018.
COLOMBIA – A high-profile 12-year peace treaty, a Nobel Peace Prize for its President, and national investments in marketing the country overseas, have all combined to boost Colombia’s reputation as a great place to visit. Inbound tourism has rocketed more than 250 per cent in the past 10 years, outpacing tourism to all other South American countries. G Adventures’ Colombia bookings have grown 232 per cent in the past two years, and early-2018 sees the company launch a new exit route with the indigenous Wiwa people on the still relatively unknown Lost City trail. Priced from £499pp for a seven-day Lost City Trekking trip.
KYRGYZSTAN – Kyrgyzstan is benefitting from investment in tourism by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). The focus is on immersive culinary experiences and active trips, with more than 2,500km of newly marked treks being developed throughout the country. 2018 will also see Kyrgyzstan host 40 nations in the biennial World Nomad Games, a championship of traditional nomadic sports and culture, with competitions in eagle hunting, stick wrestling, and horseback battles — even Genghis Khan would have been impressed. A nine-day trip Best of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan trip is priced from £749pp.
PORTUGAL – The 2018 hosts of Eurovision have had a record-breaking year in 2017 as travellers seek affordable European destinations with fewer crowds, quality food and wine, and perceived security. To welcome the increase in demand, G Adventures has added a new seven-day itinerary for 2018 dedicated to the sights, sounds and tastes of Portugal. The Highlights of Portugal trips is priced from £799pp for departures from April 2018.
MOROCCO – Foreign tourist arrivals to the Morocco rose more than 13 per cent during the first 8 months of 2017 versus the same period in 2016, bringing eight million visitors. Travellers with G Adventures are contributing strongly to this growth. The opening of the new Yves Saint Laurent museum in October this year has also helped propel publicity for Marrakech, one of the country’s main hubs. A 15-day Highlights of Morocco trip is priced from £949pp.