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We’re fast approaching December, and with temperatures plummeting, you may wonder where’s best for a wintertime getaway, especially now that all countries in the Global South are open for tourism and normality has been reinstated.
With so many options on the table, it’s lucky for the undecided that U.S.-based firm Chase Travel has narrowed down some of the best sunny destinations for the upcoming weeks based on both booking trends and year-on-year growth.
Including a stately South American capital, a tried-and-true beach hotspot, and a paradisaical Caribbean island, these are the three of the most popular destinations for Americans this winter:
Buenos Aires
Nicknamed ‘Paris of the South’, Buenos Aires is the European-inspired capital of Argentina, famous for its wide boulevards, Haussman-inspired cityscape, and world-class foodie scene: trust us, BA (as it is commonly called in the short form) is a food mecca.
From the family-owned Argentine-Italian restaurants in Palermo, a mostly Italian-populated Bohemian district, to the five-star asado eateries down by the highly-developed Puerto Madero waterfront, you will never exhaust your dining options sojourning in the Argentine capital.
On top of that, Buenos Aires is one of the safest tourist destinations in South America, being the only major national capital in the continent to enjoy a Level 1 status, as awarded by the U.S. Department of State. This means Americans can exercise normal precautions when visiting.
Unsurprisingly, Buenos Aires has been soaring in popularity lately, with Chase Travel reporting a 51% increase in the number of visitors year-on-year only last summer.
As the Argentine peso continues to depreciate against the dollar, we expect Americans to continue flocking there come winter.
Cabo San Lucas
The second most popular coastal destination in Mexico, Cabo San Lucas (part of Los Cabos) is outgrowing its status as Californians’ go-to winter sun hotspot and quickly becoming one of the top resort zones worldwide: as early as 2022, it was named the wellness capital of Latin America.
This year, bookings are on the up again as more Americans, as well as other foreign visitors, get wind of Cabo’s award-winning hospitality industry, its gorgeous beachfront villas hugged by the azure Pacific, and wide range of nature-based activities.
Cabo is home to some of Mexico’s most iconic natural landmarks, including the golden-sand El Medano Beach, the wildlife oasis that is Cabo Pulmo National Park, the Arch of Los Cabos, a rock formation jutting out of the azure ocean, and many more.
As Chase Travel reports, 23% more tourists landed in Cabo for their vacations in summer, and an additional 10% more arrived in the fall compared to 2022.
As winter is typically the high season in Mexico, as millions of Americans fly South to escape the cold, Cabo could be in for a record-breaking winter.
Saint Lucia
Last but not least, the island nation of Saint Lucia, home to a population of just over 180,000 people, is rising to prominence as an alternative to a jam-packed Jamaica or overdeveloped Punta Cana, as it receives fewer tourists, and the nature is as pristine as can be.
Located in the eastern Caribbean, Saint Lucia may not be your first pick for a tropical vacay when there are far more accessible, and arguably cheaper destinations to visit, but there is no denying its volcanic landscapes, idyllic deserted paradisaical islets, and winding jungle trails have a charm of their own.
Some of the main points of interest in the small archipelagic state are Pigeon Island National Park, where tourists will find British-era forts amid dense vegetation facing the bright-blue ocean, Gros Islet, a laid-back fishing town with a strong colonial heritage, and the UNESCO-listed, towering twin Piton peaks.
Based on travel trends tracked by Chase Travel, Saint Lucia’s dramatic coastal scenery has attracted 27% more visitors during fall 2023, and further growth is expected for the winter period as temperatures across the country remain at a pleasant 86 degrees.
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This article originally appeared on TravelOffPath.com