National Geographic gives hopeful travellers food for thought for 2021

After spending many long months at home treading the same few square feet, globetrotters are inevitably getting itchy feet. While flights to nowhere are taking off around the world, National Geographic offers some escapism with the latest edition of its annual list of destinations on the up. It's enough to make you nostalgic for those endless airport waiting lines.

In light of the ongoing pandemic, the American magazine has chosen the theme "Dream Now, Go Later" for its list of 25 destinations to visit, or to inspire future journeys, in 2021. These inspiring places also stand out for their "resilient communities, innovative conservation efforts, and thrilling opportunities for future explorations."

Featured destinations include Katmai National Park in Alaska, offering nearly five million acres of nature to amaze travelers in search of wide open spaces. While the pandemic has made us more aware of the environmental impact of travel, this destination is a top choice for anyone looking for a more environmentally responsible kind of getaway. In fact, there are no roads to Katmai -- it can only be reached by boat or by float plane. Once in the park, travelers are free to explore on foot, admiring Katmai's diverse flora and fauna.

The National Geographic list also features Dominica, a Caribbean island that hopes to become "the world's first climate-resilient nation." Following the damage caused by Hurricane Maria in 2017, the Dominican government announced large-scale measures such as building 5,000 hurricane-proof homes and banning single-use plastic items. The island is packed with breathtaking natural sights that are sure to satisfy thrill-seeking travelers, such as nine active volcanoes, 365 rivers, giant waterfalls, and geothermal features like Boiling Lake.

The Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina, the England Coast Path in the UK, and the Svaneti Region in Georgia are also among the 25 destinations selected by National Geographic to whet globetrotters' appetites for travel in 2021.

The National Geographic "Best of the World" list groups the featured destinations into five categories: Adventure, Culture and History, Nature, Family, Sustainability. The full list of destinations is available on the American magazine's website.