20 Years Later, a Look at The New York Times’ 52 Places to Go

Fighting the crowds

The popular use of the word “overtourism” can be traced to a 2016 article about Iceland in Skift, a travel-industry publication. But it’s been a theme on the list since at least 2006, when we suggested Istria, in northern Croatia, as an alternative for “foodies weary of overpriced and overcrowded tables in Tuscany and Provence.”

Destinations that thought they wanted crowds (Amsterdam? Barcelona?) have faced an onslaught of boorish behavior, strained natural resources and concern about the environment, which has residents protesting and governments imposing restrictions on tourism in destinations in Spain, Hawaii, Japan and more.

The blame can be assigned broadly: destination marketers, budget airlines, short-term rentals, social media, looser visa requirements and rising incomes, all of which have driven traveler numbers above one billion.

Getting to a place before everybody else does is part of the appeal of a list like ours. In 2008, it was Laos, which waspraised in an item that began, “Vietnam and Cambodia are so 2007. Now, Laos is shaping up to be Indochina’s next hot spot.”

In 2022, our top choice, Chioggia, Italy, an alternative to Venice, was in line with the rising desire among travelers for “dupes” — places where travelers can have an experience similar to a more popular place, but without the crowds.

Greening and greenwashing?

From the start, the list was concerned about travelers’ environmental impact, with a focus on “green” stays and activities; in later years, that expanded to include making life sustainable for residents.

In 2005, we wrote about destinations that would “impress the environmentalist.” In 2009, we named Star Island in the Bahamas as the “eco-destination of the year” and highlighted plans to turn it into “the world’s first truly carbon-neutral resort island.”

Throughout the years we’ve talked about melting glaciers and animals at risk of extinction, and offered ways to travel more thoughtfully. Since 2020, sustainability has been a central theme in every list. The 2022 list — the first with recommendations on where to travel to be published in the wake of the pandemic — focused on places where travelers could help make a difference, including by cutting carbon. As we noted then, “the travel industry is responsible for somewhere between 8 and 11 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.”

And in more recent years, the list has increasingly suggested supporting local communities by spending travel dollars on Indigenous-led tours, Black or women-owned restaurants and bars, or L.G.B.T.Q. events, a recognition too, that sustainability goes beyond just environmental concerns.

Comeback kids

Can travel be a force for good? Our list has suggested it can, singling out places that are on the path to recovery from natural or man-made disasters as well as political devastation, though in retrospect, in some cases there was wishful thinking involved. In 2006, Kabul was our “emerging destination of the year,” and in 2010, we suggested that Damascus might be “the next Marrakesh.” Myanmar made the list in both 2012 and 2013.

New Orleans has made the list three times, including in 2006, less than six months after it was devastated by Hurricane Katrina, when we anointed it “comeback of the year.” Similarly, in 2024 we advised readers to visit Morocco and Maui in the wake of the earthquake and wildfire they were hit by.