Where to go in 2021 now pandemic has changed travel: not East Asia, according to Lonely Planet, as it picks places and projects making a difference in our fragile world

This year, instead of 10 best cities, regions and countries, the travel guide publisher highlights 30 inspirational people, destinations and tourism projects

Footprint Cafés in Siem Reap, Cambodia, which supports training, employment and start-ups to help lift people out of poverty, is named ‘best small business’

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Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel list for 2021 declared Palau “best island” for sustainability – part of a new approach by the guide book publisher to naming best destinations that also factors in diversity and community. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 4:15pm, 12 Dec 2020Updated: 10:12pm, 12 Dec 2020

Lonely Planet has unveiled its Best in Travel picks for 2021 – and East Asia is almost nowhere to be seen. Although Asia-Pacific is represented by projects in Australia, New Zealand and Palau, and Jordan in West Asia and Kazakhstan in Central Asia, get a mention, only Cambodia flies the flag for the continent’s eastern half.

“There was no attempt to exclude any particular organisation or country, and in previous years we would have made sure that we had a very good geographic spread,” says Noirin Hegarty, vice-president of digital content at the guide book publisher, whose annual compilation of places to visit in the coming 12 months is usually much anticipated.

Like everything else associated with 2020, though, travel has been anything but usual.

“It was a different proposition this year – we felt that it would be tone-deaf to produce a list of the 10 best cities, regions and countries. We had to interrogate what delivers on the principles of community, diversity and sustainability,” says Hegarty.

Footprint Cafés is a Khmer restaurant and co-working space for digital nomads and social enterprises in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Lonely Planet has thus highlighted 30 inspirational people, destinations and tourism projects focused on those three perceived trends for 2021.