Want to know what the hip destinations are for 2007? Travel companies are queuing up to tell you, writes Vicky Baker.
Coast with the most: Madagascar is set to be a travel hotspot in 2007. Photograph: Corbis
Another year, another batch of "hot destinations"... Every January, we now come to expect a barrage of travel companies telling us where the cool kids will be heading during the year ahead. And, of course, it goes without saying that their opinions range wider than the Amazon (which, incidentally, is "in", according to Expedia, who chart Brazil at their number three).
According to Black Tomato, the adventure specialist that won 'Best Travel Website' at the Guardian and Observer's 2006 travel awards, the best places to visit in 2007 are Finland, Ecuador, Kenya and Madagascar.
Meanwhile, Expedia's list - based on a recent poll - favours Cape Verde, Vietnam, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cape Town, Las Vegas and Morocco. Abu Dhabi, last year's top spot, fails to feature at all. Are travellers such a fickle bunch?
Opodo agrees with Expedia on five counts, but adds Russia, Cuba, Australia, India and Dubai to the cross-continental mix. Number one for them is Bulgaria, based on a 40% rise in bookings in the six months preceding the country's EU entry last week.
"2006 has seen a strong rise in travel to Eastern European countries," says Neil Mott, Opodo's UK country manager, "since whilst being accessible, they still hold a certain 'mystique' for the traveller."
Closer to home, Devon makes a surprise entry at Expedia's number seven, appealing, they say, to those wanting a flight-free holiday that won't rack up carbon emissions.
The only destination namechecked in all three lists is China, which the companies predict to cause a stir in the run up to its stint as Olympic host in 2008.
But the question for travellers is: do these lists offer hot destinations or just hot air? Will they influence your bookings in 2007? What's on your personal list for the year ahead?
