Japan—2018 Destination of the Year

By Di on March 11 2019

Think about what you look for when you’re deciding on the perfect travel destination. Is it rich history? Cultural experiences? Lots of delicious food or shopping opportunities? Comfortable and unique places to stay? Or, perhaps, you just want to go somewhere with truly breathtaking views that you can’t get anywhere else in the world.

Guess what? You can find all of this and more in Japan.

Travelers across the globe love to visit the country for its fabulous natural spas, or even its quirkier relaxation offerings like baths of beer, red wine, or even ramen, for a one-of-a-kind experience.

Tokyo in particular, while being a fast-paced and dynamic city on its own, is also one of the major fashion capitals of the world, with hundreds of distinctive shops, impressive designer stores, and street fashion that is recognized for its creativity and individuality the world over. Plus, it practically goes without saying that the rich, cultural history and delicious food are the key reasons why people want to visit this special country in the first place.

Thanks to Japan’s bustling cities, beautiful countryside, and whimsical experiences, travelers keep coming back for more. That's why Travel + Leisure decided to make the country the 2018 Destination of the Year.

Teaching notes

Travel + Leisure is a travel magazine with 4.8 million readers. Its World's Best Awards, an annual reader survey rating airports, cities, cruise ships, hotels and islands, have been announced every August since 1995. Japan regularly appears in many of the World's Best categories. In this year's (2018) awards, Kyoto is #3 in the Top 10 Cities in Asia, and #5 in the world. This is the ramen bath: https://www.simplemost.com/can-now-soak-bath-ramen-japanese-spa/

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Discussion
What would you recommend to a visitor coming to Japan?
What do you look for when you consider a travel destination (e.g., food, culture, historical sites, nightlife, nature)? Why?
Do you think winning this award will have a noticeable effect on tourism?