23 Places You Should Visit in 2015

Lima, Peru has been slowly building its reputation as a city for foodies, cementing its status most recently when the Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants Awards gave the coveted top spot to the city's Central restaurant. In total, eight of 50 restaurants on the prestigious list were in Lima.

The Peruvian city is home to everything from Michelin-starred restaurants to hole-in-the-wall cevicherias that will continue to draw in foodies from around the world.

"Frozen" has made over $1.2 billion for Disney, and with its increased merchandising and rumors of a sequel, the "Frozen" craze will only continue to grow. Set in Arendelle, a fictional kingdom in Norway, "Frozen" shows a gorgeous landscape of lakes, waterfalls, mountains, and fjords. Fans of the animated film are now seeking out real-life Arendelle in Norway. The country has seen a huge growth in tourism since the release of the film, with tour operators reporting a 40 percent increase in sales.

Bergen, a city on the west coast, was the inspiration for the film. Voss is also popular with fans for its nearby fjords, glaciers, rivers, and lakes. With its small fishing villages and breathtaking cliffs, the Lofoten Islands will also attract Frozen fans.

Iran is becoming a tourist hotspot, with tour operators reporting significant increases in tourists booking trips to the Middle Eastern country. Perhaps that's because of a slight thaw in its relationships with the West, or simply because of the allure of exploring a little-known destination with few other tourists around.

Note that Americans are allowed to visit Iran, but they must travel with an official tour guide or get their itinerary approved by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). Travel within Iran is considered safe if you tour responsibly, even though the US Department of State has issued a travel warning to the country.

The country is home to ancient cities with breathtaking mosques and gorgeous natural landscapes. Popular cities with tourists are Isfahan and Tehran, but people also travel to see the ruins at Persepolis, the tombs at Shiraz, and the beaches on the Caspian Sea.

Forget the massive, personality-devoid cruise ships. The river cruise industry is booming. These cruises offer a more refined, intimate, and cultured experience than the behemoth ocean liners. They also allow guests to embark right in the center of the cities, and enjoy riverbank scenery the entire ride.

Luxury cruise-ship operator Viking River Cruises has carved a niche for itself as the top river-cruise ship company. It offers cruises all over the world, filled with unique cultural activities like lectures, language lessons, and demonstrations like cuckoo-clock-making, that are meant to shed light on the destinations visited. Even the food aboard the ship reflects the local culture, showcasing regional specialties from each destination.

It's no secret that Berlin is one of the coolest cities in Europe, but it's only recently that it's really blown up as the quintessential hipster destination. The center of all that? Kreuzberg, a central neighborhood that straddles both east and west Berlin.

Visitors to Berlin can check out some hipster hotspots, like White Trash fast food, an ironic restaurant, club, and tattoo parlor; Meschugge Berlin, a nightclub that feels like an Israeli dance party; and Stattbad Wedding/Stattbar, a nightclub inside an old swimming pool.

Widely regarded for its beauty, named the best island in the world by Conde Nast Traveler.

The small island is home to the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River, one of the new seven natural wonders of the world. It also has gorgeous beaches and clear waters that are perfect for snorkeling, diving, and swimming. With more direct flights to Europe, America, and Australia planned on Philippine Airlines, Palawan is sure to see more international visitors next year.

Since Colorado legalized marijuana use and began allowing the sale of recreational marijuana to anyone age 21 and over earlier this year, Denver has become a tourist destination for people who enjoy the drug. These "weed tourists" come to frequent medicinal and recreational marijuana shops, much like oenophiles travel around the world to go wine tasting. Some tour companies, like My 420 Tours, cater to this crowd.

While there, tourists can also check out cultural institutions like the Denver Art Museum and Denver Performing Arts Center. There are also several local craft breweries.

Florence is a perennial favorite, but 2015 is sure to bring even more visitors to the Italian city, since it was recently named the world's best city for travelers by Conde Nast Traveler.

It's a historic jewelbox that's full of incredible art, museums, shops, and restaurants. The Duomo, the city's main cathedral, is the most iconic tourist attraction here, but there are tons of other world-famous spots, like the Uffizi museum, the Accademia (home to Michelangelo's David), and the Ponte Vecchio.

Curacao is a gorgeous Caribbean island that's tucked between Aruba and Bonaire. But until recently, it was pretty inaccessible, as there were few direct flights from major international destinations. Now that's all about to change.

Jetblue just launched nonstop flights to the island from New York twice a week, and early next year, Air Canada will launch direct flights from Montreal to Curacao every Thursday. To accommodate these new visitors, new hotels are being built, like a Courtyard by Marriott, while others are expanding and undergoing renovations.

Located in the South China Sea at the southernmost tip of China, Hainan Island is one of the fastest-growing tourism destinations in the country. It has seen a huge increase in hotel-room capacity in the last few years, and it plans to keep building new hotels and increase international flights. The majority of tourists come from China and Russia, but Hainan has been embarking on a campaign to attract more international tourists.

The beaches are the main attraction here, but there are also several historic temples, tombs, and forts. It's also a big surfing destination that's hosted the Hainan Wanning International Surfing Festival for three years in a row.

The World Cup may be over, but Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is still in prep mode as it gears up to host the 2016 Summer Olympic Games.

The city will use all of the new arenas, hotels, shops, and restaurants that were built to accommodate the international crowds who came for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. But 2015 will be a relative bargain, since visitors won't have to contend with the crowds who will descend on the city for the Olympics in 2016.

Croatia saw a huge boom in tourism after the hit series Game of Thrones filmed several seasons there, so it's only natural that Northern Ireland, another filming location for the show, will see similar results after season five, which is filming there, airs. Northern Ireland doubles as Westeros, the kingdom featured in GOT. The Stangford Castle Ward Estate in County Down doubled as Winterfell and the Dark Hedges in County Antrim doubled as Kings Road.

The UK country is full of incredible natural wonders, like the Giant's Causeway and the Slieve League Cliffs, as well as ruined medieval castles like Dunluce Castle.

For years, Pittsburgh was thought of as a working-class, Rust Belt town, but that image is now actually working to its advantage as the city undergoes a hipster transformation. The city has a huge and growing youth population, which in turn seems to be driving a growth in tourism.

The neighborhood of Lawrenceville is the city's hipster center, with cool shops, restaurants, bars, and breweries, like the Roundabout Brewery, the Industry Public House, and Espresso a Mano.

Sandwiched between Italy, Croatia, Hungary, and Austria, Slovenia is a small country that hasn't really been discovered by tourists — yet. It's a beautiful country with great food, historic cities, and stunning landscapes, and it's also one of the cheapest countries to visit in Europe.

Ljubljana, the capital, is one of the most most underrated destinations in Europe, with a quaint Old Town, beautiful bridges spanning the Ljubljanica River, and a historic castle that towers above the city.

— Jennifer Polland

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