These places are just dream destinations, at least for now
Japan has a beautiful new website launched just last month, March 2022, that trains the spotlight on the country’s rich heritage, beckoning readers to witness the best of “cultural” Japan. The interactive, glossy site takes readers on a journey through the country’s “unique culture and traditions shaped by the nature, climate, and people of Japan over centuries,” promising travelers an experience unlike any other, as they go around “iconic cultural properties known around the world to little-known gems far from the beaten track.”
It tells you to come see Nakasendo, the path to a bygone era—an ancient path cutting through the picturesque countryside of Nagano Prefecture, “a centuries-old mountain road that has been traveled by scores of samurai, monks, peasants, and even an emperor.” Along this path, discover local shops, hidden shrines, and breathtaking views, it tells readers.
One problem: Japan’s just being a tease. It’s still closed to foreign tourists. It remains one of the few countries that has resisted the urge to fling its gates open and restart its economy. By resolutely sticking to its sealed borders policy, Japan is projected to lose about $90 billion a year from the tourism industry, but the locals seem to prefer it that way. Right about now, maybe for the first time ever, the Japanese have the cherry blossoms to themselves—a season that otherwise signals the arrival of frantic tourists in droves trying to get a glimpse of the sakura blanketing the entire country.
While the world has slowly reopened, many destinations like Japan have chosen to take it slowly. Here are other beloved destinations apart from Japan that remain in our Dream Destinations list.
Russia: Russia is experiencing the double whammy of the pandemic and an ongoing war with Ukraine, so tourism both inbound and outbound are still off the table. Tourism is big in Russia: According to the most recent UNWTO figures from 2020, Russian tourists provided $14 billion (€12.9 billion) in revenue worldwide and accounted for three percent of tourism revenue. Before the pandemic, Russian tourists generated more than double that—$36 billion.
Many countries have issued alerts against traveling to Russia, which means it will take a while for tourists to experience the world’s largest country—such a complicated destination to visit, but so indispensable for a true connoisseur of beauty. After all, Russia has it all—natural wonders like craggy cliffs, serene bays the size of oceans, and the vast Siberian wilderness; cultural treasures like majestic castles and colorful-domed monasteries jutting out in the sky; as well as the most jawdropping of capitalist trappings like gigantic mansions, sleek cars, and stunning women clad in head-to-toe designer outfits. No destination feels as exciting as Russia.
Bhutan: Bhutan, the birthplace of Gross National Happiness, can accept tourists—provided they’re willing to spend 14 days of quarantine before they’re allowed to explore this mythical, mystical destination, undoubtedly one of the most unique in the world. Some would prefer to wait it out until restrictions relax, but a group of 34 tourists—the first large group accepted to enter just this month—think 14 days is worth the pure joy of being able to take in the Himalayas, forest bath in lush surroundings where crystalline waters meet imposing canyons, and breathe in the pine-scented air that carries the delicate tinkling of temple bells. Bhutan is as close to Shangri-La you’ll ever get, but as these first batch of tourists will tell you, you need patience to enter paradise.
South Korea: South Korea has relaxed its entry restrictions for many visa classes, except tourist, so one of the most beloved destinations in Asia is still a dream for now. K-drama fans, beauty shoppers, winter sojourners, mukbanger wannabes, BTS and K-Pop stans, and culture vultures have been biting their nails in anticipation of the opening of South Korea’s borders, especially after they’ve spent two years in lockdown consuming everything Korean. Myeongdeong, Changdeokgung Palace, chicken and beer, K-fashion—there’s an itch for Korea that needs to be badly scratched. Guess that means more time to save up for revenge travel like no other.
China: China’s very strict no-tourists policy and its current battle with rising Covid cases—even if it has allowed workers and students back—may mean tourism is a long way off. Even iconic tourist landmarks are close to the general public, including The Great Wall of China, Beijing's Forbidden City, or Xi’an’s Terracotta Army. China stands eternal, and this little blip of time in its history will just mean the world will witness a bigger, better China when its doors finally reopen.
Here are beloved destinations that remain in our Dream Destinations list.
Hong Kong: For many Filipinos, Hong Kong feels like a second home. Many count it as their first international destination, a place for core memories, and so it holds a special place in Pinoys’ hearts. There is a pining for Hong Kong that’s akin to nostalgia. Until Hong Kong reopens, we will have to find a slice of HK in our own shores—to taste the fat dripping in roasted duck rice in the holes-in-the-wall in Binondo, to stare out at the bay along Roxas Boulevard as if we were looking at the Harbour Front from our room at the Marco Polo, to knock back a few in a bar in BGC, as if we were at Lan Kai Fwong. Hong Kong is home, and Filipinos will always want to go home.
New Zealand: New Zealand is open—but only for returning residents and international students. On May 1, it will open for Australians and other citizens of visa-waiver countries, like the US, UK, and some European countries. There’s no schedule yet for citizens who have to apply for a visa to gain access to NZ, but it seems like the world’s adventure-seekers and intrepid spirits will hit this marvel of a destination first. NZ is not the world’s fantasy movie set for nothing, with breathtaking postcard-perfect landscapes that literally feel like they’re not of this world. Thanks to its topography, NZ is a dramatic montage of mountains, coves, glaciers, forests, fjords, springs, and glaciers that erupt majestically into the sky. For those who’ve been feeling dead inside, no country will make you feel more alive.