The best places to travel
Labrador – the mainland part of Newfoundland and Labrador in eastern Canada – is a wild and windswept region steeped in more than 9,000 years of human history. Known for its rugged coastlines, towering icebergs, subarctic forests, and dramatic waterfalls, this vast 294,330 sq km landscape is about to become much more accessible. In 2025, the final section of the 1,200km Trans-Labrador Highway will be completed – a $1 billion project nearly 25 years in the making.
This milestone opens up a circular travel route known as Expedition 51, linking Labrador with five Canadian provinces, and offering side trips into the US and even France (via the nearby French territory of St Pierre and Miquelon). To support sustainable tourism and showcase the cultural heritage of this once-isolated region, the Canadian government has invested $180 million into Parks Canada sites across Western Newfoundland and Labrador. Highlights for 2025 include a new interactive boardwalk and visitor centre at Red Bay National Historic Site – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and former Basque whaling station; enhanced ecological protections and upgraded facilities at L'Anse aux Meadows, the site of North America's first known Norse settlement; and new interpretive exhibits at Gros Morne National Park, spotlighting the region’s unique geology, wildlife, and breathtaking scenery. – Diane Selkirk
2. Tucson, Arizona, US
Tucson is embracing a year of celebration in 2025. It's been a decade since the city became the first in the US to earn the UNESCO City of Gastronomy title, and it's also the 250th anniversary of Tucson’s founding. Originally part of Mexico and shaped by deep Native American roots, Tucson will mark the milestone on 23 August with a free event at the Presidio San AgustÃn del Tucson, featuring traditional Mexican music and dance.
Year-round, visitors can hike through the surrounding desert landscapes and explore historic landmarks like the 250-year-old San Xavier del Bac, known as the “White Dove of the Desert.” Tucson’s efforts to preserve both culture and environment are being recognized with a Sustainability Index Award from the Global Destination Sustainability Movement (GDS) in 2025.
But the region's true legacy runs even deeper — quite literally. The soil near Tucson is the oldest continuously cultivated in the US. For over 4,000 years, the ancestors of the Tohono O’odham people have grown squash, beans, and corn here. Over time, these Indigenous staples blended with Mexican flavors to form a rich culinary tradition. Today, visitors can savor that legacy at city-of-gastronomy-certified restaurants or browse the Heirloom Farmers Markets, where local treasures like chiltepin chilis, nopales (edible cacti), and prickly pear abound. – Lynn Brown
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