It's more than halfway through 2013 and even though the summer is winding down, there's still plenty of time to book a trip to a great destination.
We looked at major developments, cultural trends, and global festivals to find the hottest places to travel around the world in 2013.
There are vast untouched landscapes that offer incredible outdoor experiences, cities that are experiencing a cultural rebirth, and up-and-coming destinations that offer great deals and few tourists.
London, England
Since Kate Middleton gave birth to Prince George Alexander Louis last week, England has been in the national spotlight, and is expecting a tourism boost.
But that's not the only reason to visit the UK right now. The 2012 Summer Olympics in London came and went, but many of the buildings, restaurants, hotels and venues that sprouted up to accommodate the hundreds of thousands of visitors who came for the Olympics still stand.
Several new buildings went up in London before the Olympics, including the very controversial Shard, a 1,016-foot-tall building that houses offices, restaurants, the Shangri-La hotel, and apartments. Officially called the London Bridge Tower, The Shard garnered negative reactions from Londoners and critics when it opened in July, but we thought it was one of the coolest new buildings this year.
The Olympics took place in East London, which means that the neighborhood — which had been in the process of gentrifying for years — is now one of the coolest areas in the city.
And the restaurant scene is booming in London. City restaurants have won several awards recently, with Le Caprice being named 2012 Restaurant of the Year by the London Lifestyle Awards and Artesian, a London bar in the Langham Hotel, being named Best Bar of the Year by Drinks International.
Antarctica
With unprecedented droughts, hurricanes, and unseasonably warm (or cold) weather patterns around the world, it's becoming harder and harder to deny global warming — especially in Antarctica, where the ice caps are melting at a somewhat alarming rate.
That means that now is the time to go visit Antarctica, the coldest and driest continent on earth. There is breathtakingly beautiful scenery with few man-made interruptions. It's an ideal trip for adventurers, who can kayak, trek or just take in the incredible landscape. You can also see penguins, whales, and elephant seals.
Tourism to Antarctica is getting more popular. According to International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO), about 35,000 visitors will come to Antarctica this season, most of whom are American.
There are a few ways to visit the continent: by cruise ship with excursions to shore (the most popular), by land expeditions with tour operators, or sightseeing by air.
Brooklyn, New York
While Brooklyn isn't exactly a new hotspot, the New York City borough has become even hotter in 2013 with more hotels, restaurants, and shops catering to hip locals and tourists.
Within the last year and a half alone, five hotels have opened in Brooklyn, including the Wythe Hotel, Hotel BPM, and the Hotel Indigo, making the borough more accessible to visitors. And with the opening of the new Barclays Center, the borough will see even more hotels: another 10 hotels are currently being developed and are expected to open in 2013.
The borough is also home to a 3 Michelin-starred restaurant (Chef's Table at Brooklyn Fare), one of the best steakhouses in the country (Peter Luger's), a great brewery (Brooklyn Brewery), and hipster-friendly markets, restaurants, and bars.
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau
ABC's drama "Nashville" brought Music City into the national spotlight this year, but Nashville has been on the tourist radar for years.
This year, several major construction projects have opened: Both Music City Center, a new 1.2 million-square-foot convention center, and the Johnny Cash Museum opened in May. The city will also see the opening of at least four new large hotels to cater to the new convention center crowds.
Nashville is called Music City for a reason: it's home to the Country Music Hall Of Fame and incredible music venues like the Bluebird Cafe, Ryman Auditorium and the Grand Ole Opry. These new venues will cement its status as the veritable capital of country music.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Isaiah Zagar's Magic Gardens
The low cost of living and affordable lifestyle are attracting artists and turning Philly into a cool art destination.
The City of Brotherly Love already has some of the best public art in the country. It's famous for its murals, which adorn buildings all around the city. The City of Philadelphia Mural Arts Program coordinates these murals, connecting artists to the community.
Local artists like Isaiah Zagar, who is famous for his whimsical mirror-encrusted mosaics, have left their mark on the city. Zagar's Magic Gardens is a garden and home covered in Zagar's playful mosaics, made from wine bottles, dinner plates, bicycle wheels, tiles, and other miscellanea.
The Barnes Foundation unveiled its new Philadelphia facility in May 2012: a 93,000-square-foot building on 4.5 acres that will house the foundation's vast art collection. And the city's Philadelphia Museum of Art has great exhibits lined up for the rest of the year, including an exhibit on french artist Fernand Léger and The Surrealists
Mexico City, Mexico
Despite gruesome headlines from Mexico's drug war, Mexico has seen a huge influx of tourists recently. In 2012, 23 million international tourists visited Mexico, and there's been a 5% increase in the number of tourists who arrived in Mexico by air in the first quarter of 2013 alone.
Several high-end hotels have recently opened in Mexico City — the second-most touristed destination in Mexico after Cancun — including Le Méridien Mexico City and the Presidente InterContinental Santa Fe.
And though there are very high-end hotels and restaurants, deals abound in the Distrito Federal (D.F.), and there are plenty of things to do for free, from walking around the Zocalo (the city's main plaza) to sunbathing in Chapultepec Park.
The D.F. is also more accessible from Europe too, now that Aeromexico is offering direct flights from London.
Cartagena, Colombia
Though Colombia was once known for its dangerous drug-related violence, the country is now one of the hottest tourist destinations in South America.
Tourism to Colombia has grown 300 percent since 2002, according to Colombia Reports.
Cartagena, the most visited city in Colombia, is a charming colonial city on the Caribbean Sea with quaint boutique hotels and inns. Explore the walled colonial city or stay in a luxury beach resort in Bocagrande.
There are regular flights from Miami (2.5 hrs.) and Bogota (1 hr.), but now that JetBlue is offering direct flights from New York City to Cartagena, the city is more accessible than ever before.
Marseille, France
As the European Capital of Culture in 2013, Marseille has transformed itself into a cultural hub, hosting a variety of events and exhibitions all year long.
Located on the Mediterranean coast in southern France, the city built new galleries and venues to prepare for the year, such as Le Silo, the Centre Régional de le Méditerranée (CeReM), and the Fonds Régional de l'Art Contemporain (FRAC).
Several hip new hotels have opened recently to cater to the art-loving crowd, such as the Philippe Starck-designed Mama Shelter hotel and quirky B&B Pension Edelweiss.
Istanbul, Turkey
AP / Murad Sezer
Located at the point where Europe meets Asia, Istanbul is traditionally known for its spectacular mosques, ancient monuments, and opulent palaces, but today it's attracting hipsters, foodies, artists and fashionistas.
And despite the turmoil of the protests in June, we still think it's the coolest city in Europe.
All around Istanbul, once-crumbling buildings have been renovated and turned into fancy boutique hotels, designer shops and trendy restaurants. Sophisticated nightclubs and restaurants have sprouted up right on the Bosphorus, and more and more neighborhoods are becoming gentrified hotspots.
The city is also becoming one of the hottest new financial centers in the world. Plus it's been featured in several movies recently, including "Skyfall" and "Argo."
And there's so much ongoing construction — the city is constantly buzzing with the sounds of jackhammers and machinery — that the face of Istanbul will continue to be transformed.
Qatar
Over the past few years, Qatar has established itself an important destination for modern art.
The wealthiest country in the world has acquired an immense collection of modern art — including works by Warhol, Rothko, Murakami, and more — and has invested in major art exhibitions and projects. Already home to several museums, the country will see the opening of the new futuristic National Museum of Qatar, designed by Jean Nouvel, in late 2014.
It's become a major player in the art world, and that means more visitors for the small country. The country will accommodate those visitors with a crop of new luxurious hotels, including the Torch Doha, and a modern airport with a cushy business class terminal.
Seoul, South Korea
K-Pop star Psy took the world by storm with his bizarre yet catchy hit "Gangnam Style" last year. And in doing so, Psy brought the world's attention to the place that inspired the song: Gangnam-Gu, a ritzy neighborhood in Seoul.
South Korea has actually seen a 9 percent rise in the number of visitors since Psy's song hit last July, according to the Korea Tourism Organization (KTO). Over 11 million visitors came to South Korea in 2012, and 2013 has been a strong year for tourism too.
Tour operators and businesses are taking advantage of the K-pop trend, offering creative tours of the Gangnam neighborhood.
Shanghai, China
When the China Art Palace and the Power Station of Art — two major state-run art museums — opened in Shanghai in November 2012, Shanghai established itself as a heavyweight arts destination.
The city was already home to several important cultural institutions (like the Rockbund Art Museum and the Minsheng Art Museum), but these two new museums established Shanghai as an important cultural hub.
The city will continue to reel in art lovers as it opens more galleries and museums in 2013. (Shanghai plans to open a total of 16 new museums by 2015, according to Jing Daily.)
China's most populous city is also home to world-class hotels, restaurants, and shops, including the best hotel in the world for business travelers: the Peninsula Shanghai.
Tanzania
Adventurous travelers looking for an experience in the wild should consider visiting Tanzania, home to some of Africa's most impressive game parks and safari camps.
The north of the country is home to two major tourist destinations — Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. Both are home to a range of safari camps, including the ultra-luxury Singita Grumeti Reserves in the western Serengeti and andBeyond's Ngorongoro Crater Lodge on the caldera's edge.
But tourists seeking a more isolated experience should consider visiting two less-traveled but equally gorgeous parks in the southern part of the country, Ruaha and the Selous, which are accessible by a short charter flight from Dar es Salaam.
The accommodations are more rustic, but the likelihood of running into other safari vehicles is far slimmer, and you'll feel alone in the wild.
For the best game-viewing experience, visit the Serengeti from December to March or June to October, and the southern parks between June and October.
Qatar Airways recently launched operations in Kilimanjaro, increasing access to the northern part of the country.
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