Published : Dec. 14, 2012 - 19:58
U.S. President Barack Obama (right) tours the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, Myanmar, on Nov. 19. (AP-Yonhap News)
NEW YORK (AP) ― Myanmar, Marseille, New Zealand and Gettysburg are all on the travel radar for 2013 thanks to new tours, events and anniversaries. But the best pitch for travel in the new year might just be coming from Ireland, which is running ads “calling all Flynns, O’Malleys and Schweizenbergs’’ to the Emerald Isle for a unique grassroots homecoming called “The Gathering.’’
Here are details on these and other places, events and travel trends for 2013.
Ireland’s ‘The Gathering’
“It’s a citizen-led initiative to attract people who are Irish-born, Irish-bred or Irish in spirit to join us in 2013,’’ said Bernard McMullan of Tourism Ireland. “It’s almost become a competition where one county, town or village tries to have as quirky a gathering as the next.’’
More than 2,000 events are already planned, including events for redheads and left-handers as well as reunions based on family names and clans.
The U.S. Census Bureau says 34.7 million Americans claim Irish ancestry, and Arabella Bowen, executive editorial director of Fodor’s Travel, is one of them. Even President Barack Obama has an Irish ancestor in the family tree. “There are Irish people all over the world,’’ said Bowen. “It will be great fun being able to connect with others going back for this event. It’s like an entire year of St. Patrick’s Day parties.’’
Myanmar
President Obama’s historic recent visit to Myanmar ― the first ever by a sitting U.S. president ― is adding to already heated-up interest in the country, which has only fully opened to tourism in the last few years. Fodor’s Bowen says it’s especially attractive to people who are already well traveled and are seeking that next unknown destination.
Many tour companies are adding Myanmar trips due to demand and the U.S. Tour Operators Association’s active members named Myanmar No. 1 on a list of “off-the-beaten path’’ countries they foresee becoming popular in 2013.
New Zealand
New Zealand received a huge boost in tourism from fans of “The Lord of the Rings’’ movie trilogy, and the release of the new movie “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey’’ is focusing attention on the destination once again. All four of the movies were filmed in New Zealand.
Marseille
The French port city Marseille is one of two European capitals of culture in 2013, along with the Slovakian city of Kosice. Fodor’s Bowen says Marseille “has been overlooked in the past’’ by a lot of travelers heading to the lavender fields and wineries of Provence, but she believes it’s ripe for a “renaissance’’ with new hotels, art galleries and culinary hotspots. XL Airways France is launching direct flights from New York in late May.