Every year various publications produce lists of the top 10 travel destinations for the current year and while these lists offer up untouched and more remote or off the wall suggestions, these lists also included the tried and tested favorite travel destinations throughout the years. Among one of the most popular travel destinations and common feature on numerous top 10 travel destination publications is the small Central American country of Costa Rica.
Year after year, Costa Rica finds itself listed as one of the best travel destinations in the world thanks to the wealth of natural beauty that the county has to offer. Volcanoes, white and black sand beaches, rivers and mangroves, lush rainforests, cloud forests, and tropical dry forests are just some of the natural attractions that draw millions of international visitors every year. Combine these magical environmental settings with a strong economy, a stable government, a high standard of living, and a strong tourism sector and it’s no wonder Costa Rica is among one of the favorite top 10 travel destinations.
With over one fourth of the land protected by as national parks, Costa Rica is home to some of the most biodiverse terrain on the planet and visitors have a chance to see many wild animals such as monkeys, sloths, crocodiles, iguanas, dolphins, and manatees, not to mention over 800 different species of birds. The wildlife alone is reason enough to visit Costa Rica. In addition there is the unique Costa Rican culture that spans from the rancheros of Guanacaste to the Rastafarians of the Caribbean coast. This unique country with a population of just over 4 million people is one of the most interesting and stable countries in the Americas.
In addition to finding on several top 10 travel destination lists this year, some new comers are hitting the scene and offering up some interesting alternatives to the standards. Featured on Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Travel Destination for 2015 is The Republic of Congo which will host the 2015 All-Africa Games. Other alternative countries on the Lonely Planet list include Namibia, Lithuania, The Philippines, Serbia, and Morocco. International tourism is on the rise with the World Tourism Organization reporting 517 million tourists traveling internationally in the first six months of this year compared to 494 million in the same period for 2013. As more and more tourists plan international trips, the list of top destinations will continue to shift. While new countries become popular and gain more attention as top destinations, favorite locations such as Costa Rica may receive less attention although the attraction and reasons for visiting will remain the same.
For years Costa Rica has been a favorite travel destination for all types of travelers, from backpackers to honeymooners, family get-aways to yoga retreats. And while new destinations may begin to appear on different top 10 travel destination lists one thing is certain, Costa Rica will continue to delight. All of the reasons that visitors have loved coming to Costa Rica over the years remain the same and Costa Rica remains one of the top 10 travel destinations in the world.