Magdalen Islands, PQ and Philadelphia, PA named two of National Geographic’s Best Trips for 2020

(Nov. 20, 2019) – With the publication of its annual Best Trips list, National Geographic announces the 25 must-see destinations and travel experiences for 2020. Within the list, 17 of the 25 destinations were nominated, researched, reported, and written in collaboration with National Geographic Traveler magazine’s 17 international editorial teams. 
Quebec’s Magdalen Islands also known as Îles de la Madeleine was selected in the Nature category, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was selected in the City category.

With a goal to bring readers a global itinerary of destinations to discover and transformative experiences to seek in the new year, the list champions National Geographic’s sustainable tourism goals, which include supporting cultural engagement, community benefit, geographic and thematic diversity, affordability and value.

The list is organised into four general categories: Culture, City, Nature, and Adventure. “Best Trips is our annual list of where to go, what to know and how to see the world in the year ahead,” says George Stone, Executive Editor, Travel.

“The list features 25 timely and global destinations and experiences that make for a year of transformative travels. To build the list we worked with National Geographic editors around the world as well as photographers, writers, explorers and, of course, passionate travellers to report on the essential sites to see and places to be in 2020.”

Magdalen Islands was chosen in the Nature category because visitors will “see a diminishing world of ice–and the harp seals that depend on it.” National Geographic goes on to say, “When you walk on sea ice, it’s easy to forget that there’s an ocean below you. This frozen world is stripped down to essentials: impossibly blue sky, bright sun bouncing off a blanket of fresh snow, wind that vibrates like a cello, whiteness all around. Welcome to the harp seal nursery in the Gulf of St. Lawrence off the Magdalen Islands, Quebec, one of three Northwest Atlantic harp seal pupping grounds.”

“We’re thrilled that Philadelphia is featured so prominently and beautifully in this influential publication that we know drives travel decisions,” said Jeff Guaracino, VISIT PHILADELPHIA ® president and CEO. “In 2005, National Geographic Traveler called Philadelphia the ‘Next Great City’. It’s awesome to see that more than a decade later, they’re still enamoured of and advocates for our historic, modern and always-evolving town.”

National Geographic’s Best Trips 2020 destinations:

CULTURE

1. Asturias, Spain
2. Guizhou Province, China (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler China edition)
3. Gobekli Tepe, Turkey (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler Turkey edition)
4. Maya, Guatemala (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler Latin American edition)
5. Mendoza Province, Argentina
6. Abu Simbel, Egypt (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler Israel edition) CITY
7. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
8. Telc, Czechia (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler Czechia edition)
9. Fort Kochi, Kerala, India (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler India edition)
10. Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler
    Netherlands edition)
11. Parma, Italy
12. Puebla, Mexico

CITY

1. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
2. Telc, Czechia (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler Czechia edition)
3. Fort Kochi, Kerala, India (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler India edition)
4. Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler
   Netherlands edition)
5. Parma, Italy
6. Puebla, Mexico

NATURE 

1. Magdalen Islands, Quebec, Canada   
2. Kalahari Desert, Botswana (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler Romania edition)  
3. Bialowieza Forest, Belarus/Poland (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler Poland edition) 
4. National Blue Trail, Hungary (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler Hungary edition) 
5. Canary Islands, Spain (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler Spain edition) 
6. Maldives (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler France edition)
7. Grand Canyon, Arizona

ADVENTURE 

1. Tasmania, Australia (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler Korea edition)  
2. Grossglockner High Alpine Road, Austria (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler Germany edition)  
3. Wales Way, United Kingdom (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler U.K. edition)
4. Tohoku, Japan
5. Kamchatka Peninsula, Russia (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler Russia edition) 
6. Zakouma National Park, Chad (Nominated by National Geographic Traveler Italy edition) The Best Trips 2020 list is available online now at NatGeo.com/BestTrips, where readers will be transported to each place through iconic photography and vivid narratives. Readers will be able to dive deeper into four of the Best Trips destinations — Asturias, Philadelphia, Iles de la Madeleine and Tasmania — with full-length articles that explore the culture, history, food and terrain of each place. To learn more about each destination, visit NatGeo.com/BestTrips.

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