Two Decades On: Revisiting The New York Times’ 52 Must-See Destinations

Battling the crowds

The widespread usage of the term “overtourism” can be traced back to a 2016 publication regarding Iceland in Skift, a travel industry magazine. However, it has been a recurring topic on the list since at least 2006, when we proposed Istria, in northern Croatia, as an alternative for “food enthusiasts tired of inflated and crowded tables in Tuscany and Provence.”

Locations that anticipated attracting crowds (Amsterdam? Barcelona?) have encountered a barrage of inconsiderate behavior, depleted natural resources, and environmental concerns, leading residents to protest and governments to enforce tourism restrictions in destinations across Spain, Hawaii, Japan, and beyond.

The accountability can be broadly allocated: destination marketers, low-cost airlines, short-term accommodations, social networking, relaxed visa regulations, and growing incomes, all contributing to traveler numbers surpassing one billion.

Arriving at a destination before everyone else is part of the allure of a list like ours. In 2008, it was Laos, which received accolades in an article that started, “Vietnam and Cambodia are so 2007. Now, Laos is poised to become Indochina’s next trendsetting location.”

In 2022, our leading selection, Chioggia, Italy, an alternative to Venice, aligned with the growing desire among travelers for “alternatives” — places where visitors can enjoy an experience similar to a more prominent location, but without the throngs.

Sustainability and greenwashing?

From its inception, the list expressed concern regarding travelers’ ecological footprint, emphasizing “eco-friendly” lodgings and activities; in subsequent years, that focus expanded to encompass sustaining life for local inhabitants.

In 2005, we highlighted locations that would “captivate the environmentalist.” In 2009, we recognized Star Island in the Bahamas as the “eco-destination of the year” and showcased plans to transform it into “the world’s pioneering truly carbon-neutral resort island.”

Over the years, we’ve discussed melting glaciers and species on the brink of extinction, and provided methods for thoughtful travel. Since 2020, sustainability has been a crucial theme in every list. The 2022 compilation — the first with travel recommendations published after the pandemic — centered on locations where visitors could contribute positively, including by reducing carbon footprints. As we remarked then, “the travel sector accounts for approximately 8 to 11 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, as per the World Travel & Tourism Council.”

In more recent years, the list has increasingly recommended supporting local communities by investing travel spending in Indigenous-led tours, eateries, or establishments owned by Black or women, or attending L.G.B.T.Q. events, acknowledging too that sustainability extends beyond environmental matters.

Resilient destinations

Can travel serve as a positive force? Our list implies it can, highlighting locations that are on the road to recuperation from natural or human-induced calamities as well as political unrest, although in hindsight, some instances involved wishful thinking. In 2006, Kabul was named our “upcoming destination of the year,” and in 2010, we proposed that Damascus could be “the next Marrakesh.” Myanmar appeared on the list in both 2012 and 2013.

New Orleans has featured on our list three times, including in 2006, less than six months after it was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina, when we declared it the “comeback of the year.” Likewise, in 2024 we recommended readers to explore Morocco and Maui following the earthquake and wildfire they endured.