10 Bucket List Destinations for 2022

As the world continues to shift, so do our perspectives and priorities. Whether being able to see family in other countries or escape to sunnier climes to lift weary spirits, travel is all the more precious. With that preciousness, comes greater respect for the effect it has, and we want that effect to be overwhelmingly positive. For this year’s Hot List, we honed in on destinations, and hotels therein, that are either doing good—for the environment and their communities—or in need of a healthy dose of tourism to bounce them back. May 2022 be our most meaningful travel year yet.

Copenhagen, Denmark

Countries get graded just like students and Denmark got top marks on the Environmental Performance Index in 2021 earning it the title of Most Environmentally Friendly Country. Layer on that the capital’s tourism board has launched a first-of-its-kind Tourism for Good campaign and Copenhagen proves its green mettle way beyond biking culture. Keep the green theme at downtown hotel Skt Petri—from the emerald couch in the lobby to the fact that it’s 100 percent powered by wind.

British Columbia, Canada

One of the largest countries by land mass but with most of its population living within 100 miles of the U.S. border, Canada boasts an extraordinary amount of wilderness, and the westernmost province of British Columbia has a long history of fighting to protect it—from old growth forests to the endangered resident orca population. Remote resorts here intimately know this and take great care to treat the wild around them wisely. Sonora Resort engages in ethical wildlife viewing, partnering with the Homalco First Nation on minimally invasive grizzly bear tours and the Kwiakah First Nations for a Phillips River tour that directly benefits conservancy in the area.

Alentejo, Portugal

Already beloved for its staggeringly beautiful coastline and friendly people, Portugal further endeared itself to travelers through the pandemic with its collective “Clean & Safe” tourism protocols and high vaccination rate. Offering yet another reason to cheers the country are the sustainable winemaking efforts of its arid Alentejo region. With its own lengthy list of green initiatives, including an organic wastewater treatment plant to save scarce water, 27-acre Octant Évora is what a sommelier of stays would call the perfect pairing to a week of thoughtful wine touring.

Marrakech, Morocco

La Mamounia topping the 2022 Kiwi Collection Hotel Awards list is one of many reasons to do Marrakech this year. Another is to support the new organizations and businesses, such as Salam Hello, that are doing their part to address Morocco’s gender equality issues by creating opportunities specifically for local women. Owned by Vanessa Branson, El Fenn takes a community focus too, with more than 90 locally hired staff and scores of works by Moroccan artists and craftspeople featured throughout its spaces and onsite boutique.

Eastern South Africa

A game drive in Eastern South Africa is a part of the 2022 game plan. Seeing any of the Big Five is a perennial bucket list item, sure, but now more than ever as the country’s safari lodges and the nature reserves they jointly manage struggle to come back from heavy travel restrictions—tourism is inextricably linked to the country’s conservation efforts. A stay at Singita’s Boulders Lodge or Ebony Lodge feels doubly good, as the brand and its Singita Lowveld Trust is renowned for protecting biodiversity, supporting community and operating sustainably.

Singapore

Ranked the most sustainable city in Asia, Singapore upped the ante with its extensive Green Plan 2030 that will see cycling paths and rail transport expand and a more than 50 percent increase in nature parks—an already green metropolis will get even greener. In the Central Business District, Naumi Hotel Singapore is as philanthropic as it is stylish. Every stay supports their Naumi Humanity project that focuses on fighting food insecurity in vulnerable and marginalized communities.

Atacama, Chile

With a new 35-year-old president-elect, the youngest ever in the Americas, who appointed a women-majority cabinet, Chile looks to build a brighter democratic future. But that’s not all there is to love about the world’s southernmost country right now. One of its most magical regions is high-altitude Atacama. The driest desert in the world—its soil makeup is similar to Mars—with more than 300 days a year of clear skies allowing for unparalleled stargazing. Opt for either of two Chilean-born luxury hotel brands with serious sustainability mandates: explora Atacama manages its own conservation reserve in the Puritama River Valley and Tierra Atacama generates nearly all the power it needs through its own solar energy plant.

Seychelles

The United Nations marked last year the beginning of The Ocean Decade, a global initiative to gather research and increase literacy in an effort to help support the “ocean we want” by 2030. Already taking big strides on the ocean front, Seychelles recently turned 30 percent of its surrounding waters into marine protected areas. On a private island off the coast, Six Senses Zil Pasyon, Seychelles makes a bucket list beach vacay that much more meaningful—the resort has grown 1,800 coral fragments in its nursery, planted 7,000 indigenous species to restore forests and reached 1,300 people through its educational activities.

New York, New York

America’s largest most diverse metropolis is arguably also its most tenacious. New York always fights to stay strong—come 9/11, pandemic or high water—and it’s time to get back to the city that gives so much. Honor one icon with another by returning to a historic hotel that’s future-focused: The Pierre, A Taj Hotel, is EarthCheck Gold Certified and helps maintain Central Park, and the InterContinental New York Barclay has made major commitments to following the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Style and substance is what the Big Apple is all about.

Sri Lanka

Famous for its Ceylon tea, cuisine, beaches and biodiversity, Sri Lanka felt the dramatic drop in tourism deeply, with the livelihoods of nearly four million people affected by it. Returning to its lush forests and sandy shores helps the country come back. Jetwing Vil Uyana is doing its part to build up the island’s natural splendor. Nearly all the site’s trees were planted by the resort during construction which, along with its two lakes, provide a significant sanctuary for wildlife—the resort is now one of the best places to spot the endangered slender loris.

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