The best place you've never been

Hey, it's Lily. Want travel secrets? [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hey everyone. It’s [Lily](, here, from Pursuits’ travel team. I’m writing to you from Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, where I spent the New Year holiday. You probably think I partied all night at a resort. But my husband Luis and I welcomed 2023 from our apartment veranda, with some French cava and a couple of La Aurora 1495 Series cigars, while a Youtube Latin playlist echoed out from our living room. That night, I remembered my mother’s prediction when I was 18 years old, that one day I’d want nothing more than to skip the clubs and chill at home. I had replied sounding something like today’s kids: Naah! If you do want to party hard this year and surround yourself with people, we’ve got a guide one how to do the world’s best festivals, like Coachella. Photographer: Larry Busacca/Getty Images North America I’m excited to write this first newsletter of the year because it’s my favorite month: I’m a January baby. There’s something about the start of a new year that feels full of travel possibilities. How apropos, then, that our team’s beautiful [Where to Go in 2023]( feature has just published, with 21 exciting destinations around the world. After a difficult three years my husband and I are craving awe-inspiring landscapes and places that are new—but also meaningful in some way. There’s Côte d’Ivoire, which I had the pleasure of writing about for our package. I spent my childhood there, so imagine my surprise when I joined Pursuits in October and saw it was already on our list. I haven’t been back to this underrated West African country since and I’d love for Luis to see Abidjan, where I grew up—in the Deux Plateaux neighborhood where five-star boutique hotel [La Maison Palmier]( has opened. We’d revisit my former French high school as well, and my family’s weekend beach escapes, San Pedro and Assinie. The inside of Maison Palmier in Abidjan. Photographer: YANN DERET Saint Lucia is where I once took my first solo trip as an adult (I spent it at five-star [The Body Holiday]( if you must know, and I still recommend it because you get a daily spa treatment included in the rate and the spa facility is spectacular). I’d go back in a heartbeat. Other places on our list that are now on my radar: the Marquesas Islands and Kyushu; both sound like the antidote to post-pandemic stress. Heck, after the past three years, even partying it up in Dubai sounds epic. (I still have it in me, mom!) Speaking of a wide world, it would be impossible not to fixate on news of [China’s long awaited reopening](, which although seemingly chaotic and coinciding with a Covid surge there, brings great hope for the travel industry for the second half of the year. Did you know that pre-pandemic, China ranked first in the world in overseas tourism expenditure, to the tune of $277 billion in 2019? Vehicles travel along the Second Ring Road in Beijing, China, on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2022. Bloomberg As Chinese citizens begin to submit their passports for renewal on January 8, inbound tourists aren’t authorized to visit China for now (which may be just as well given the current Omicron surge). But when they are, there will be new ways to experience this destination that takes visitors into host communities and nature where they get to know Chinese people (not the government) and experience the country’s rich diversity. After the last three years of horrid anti-Asian attacks in the West, I think it’s exactly what the world needs. Happy 2023 travels! Connect with Lily on [Instagram]( or [Twitter]( or [via e-mail](mailto:lgirma1@bloomberg.net). The new Raffles Hotel opening in London. Source: Raffles Need more meaningful travel inspo? Here are some additional links for ways to get back out there this year, including some of my recent stories. - [The 13 Most Exciting European Hotels Opening in 2023]( European wanderlust remains strong. These picks are a good excuse to return, with more conscious luxury picks [here]( and Middle East openings [here](.  - [Is Sustainable Flying Possible?]( An easy-to-read explainer of popular climate-related terms that confuse most travelers, plus tips on making better choices. A great addition to our [earlier tourism footprint story](.  - [Elephants: Covid and ethics reshape Thailand’s tourism industry]( A look at the fate of thousands of elephants once used for human entertainment pre-Covid, and the future of locals who once depended on it, as tourists increasingly shun these activities.  - [Outdoor Travel’s Next Phase Shifts to Slow, Immersive Experiences]( From glamping to luxury pop-up tents and experiences in places that were once difficult to access—the outdoor experience is becoming better than we’ve ever imagined. A $6.1 million house set in Puerto Rico’s El Yunque Rainforest. Photographer: Michael Sorenson/Puerto Rico Sotheby’s International Realty New Year, New Reads Here are five of my favorite stories we’ve published so far in 2023. - [China’s Covid Surge Poses a Challenge to the World]( An opinion on why imposing entry tests should be combined with reopening wider access to mRNA vaccinations again, including at airports. - [Valparaiso’s Decline Leaves Unesco World Heritage Site Graffitied, Crumbling]( A depressing but fascinating look at the fall of this historic, colorful city in Chile.  - [Will Remote Work Continue in 2023](? You probably know the answer, but here’s how this trend will be impacted moving forward in light of recession fears.  - [What’s in Your 401(k)? Polluters Driving Climate Change]( How to ensure you’re not unknowingly financing fossil fuels with your savings.  - [This Year, Luxury Homebuyers Will Look Further Afield for Deals]( Americans are increasingly buying abroad—insights from Sotheby's International Realty 2023 luxury outlook report. What Else I’m Enjoying ... Netflix has been utterly boring on my corner of the pond lately, so I’m researching what other subscription service I could add that would work wherever I am located (any advice is welcomed). The good news is that it’s made me go off-screen and pick up my daily reading again. From my pile of newly purchased books that I haven’t cracked open, I’m immersed in [The Good Daughter]( by Iranian American author Jasmin Darznik. I met her last summer when we were both faculty at a travel writers’ conference in Corte Madera, and now seems like a great time to read her memoir about uncovering her mother’s past life in Iran. Glamping has been huge around the globe since the pandemic started. Source: KOA Hiking daily is back on the menu too. I’ve been enjoying the trails that surround the golf course in our backyard, ideal for a post-work break. Here’s the irony: a new theme park called Katmandu is being built less than a half-mile from here, and we’ve been watching it evolve. I can’t imagine the crowds that will begin to descend on Punta Cana once this is opened, but I’m obsessed with noticing its progress every time we drive past it. So, you had some questions… Whatever the topic, keep them coming for next week via our [Bloomberg Pursuits Instagram]( and e-mail. Traveling to Japan: Hotels, tour guides, great restaurants? You all are definitely hungry for Japan, as several questions came in asking for general tips on traveling there this year, including for families. I pinged Pursuits’ field reporter, Brandon Presser, who was kind to answer on the heels of celebrating Japanese New Year. This coming year will be crowded in tourist hotspots like Kyoto, but still a wonderful time to visit Japan. Photographer: Brandon Presser The caveat, he says: it’s difficult to give blanket recommendations without background information on what a reader is looking for in say, a hotel. But here are his tips, in his own words: “The crowds are definitely back, unfortunately, and there’s a currency catch-22: In the 20 years that I’ve been visiting—or living—in Japan, I’ve never seen such a strong U.S. dollar relative to the Japanese yen. It’s made mealtime an absolute pleasure; dining in Japan has always been lower-priced and higher-quality than in Western countries, but now I find myself planning all-day eating excursions to hit up establishments that are no longer aspirationally priced, plus gorging on all of the incredible cheap eats in between. The catch, however, is that accommodation prices are soaring as hotels falsely inflate their rates for the inbound international travelers booking up their rooms. A luxury hotel room in Tokyo (Dec. 2022) might set you back $1,200 a night, or more, and staff at these hotels are still getting used to the onslaught of diverse demands again. Breakfast’s been a sore spot at many of the properties, with unmitigated lines, and long wait times for a cup of coffee.” For more, take a look at Brandon’s piece on [what it’s really like to visit Japan now](. What are the best ways to plan for international travel in 2023? I think it’s an excellent question given these volatile times. Remember the tourists who ended up [stuck at Machu Picchu]( after national protests erupted? They had to wait several days to get evacuated and head home. Talk about a scary moment. The truth is, if we pay closer attention to a destination’s socio-political pulse before visiting—even the ones that aren’t being covered in mainstream news—then it isn’t hard to predict which countries could descend into chaos at a moment’s notice. Peru was definitely among those. Trouble has been brewing for well over a year since Pedro Castillo was elected president.  When you’re ready to party, Dubai is ready for you. Courtesy Atlantis the Royal In a post-pandemic world, unpredictability is pretty much par for the course. For the year ahead, I’d say the best way to plan for an international trip in 2023 is to read up on a country’s or city’s political and economic stability before you head there. Be aware as well that an incident could flare up—similar to Paris’ December protests after a random shooting. Check the State Department’s travel warnings, just to stay informed and not to get spooked—if the alert is rated high for an entire country rather than specific areas, take it seriously. Book your flights in advance. Get travel insurance, and be ready to switch destinations. Don’t check any luggage if you can avoid it. (And if not, get something like an Apple AirTag, folks were swearing by it after the Southwest Airlines debacle.) Last but not least, get your Covid boosters, given the world might be facing another big surge and potential new variants.  Hawaii is seriously re-thinking tourism to better benefit the local community and the environment. Photographer: Douglas Peebles/Corbis Documentary RF What are the best ways make sure your dollars go to the local community when traveling? There are several ways, and it’s not as hard as it seems. Stay at locally-run hotels, or hotels that are owned by people who are invested in doing good for the destination and their surrounding communities. You’ll have some research to do here, but it’s easier to find online these days. Visit protected areas for your outdoor adventures, which supports preservation and scientists’ work. Eat at local restaurants, shop at local markets, and sign up for a food tour, for example. Hire an independent licensed tour guide who is native to the place, or a small independent tour company. Support small and medium-sized businesses, particularly those run by women or other diverse groups. Ask your hotel or host if there are community-led tours that you can sign up for; these are often set up as a cooperative and the tourist revenue gets split equally among the members of that community. Depending on the destination you’re visiting, you’ll want to look out for Indigenous tourism as well—for example, the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada’s members are all accredited as Indigenous majority-owned so you know you’re supporting the right businesses (whether hotels, outdoor tour operators, artisans, or cultural experiences) and not the ones that appropriate cultures. Look out for similar groups in other areas, including Australia, New Zealand, and in parts of Africa and the US. If you’re staying at an all-inclusive luxury resort run by a multinational, get out of those gates at least a couple of times to spend local. New for subscribers: Free article gifting. Bloomberg.com subscribers can now gift up to five free articles a month to anyone you want. Just look for the "Gift this article" button on stories. (Not a subscriber? Unlock limited access and [sign up here](.) Follow Us Like getting this newsletter? 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