How We Chose the 2024 World’s Greatest Places

The world is smaller than ever. The global proliferation of video on social media has made other cultures more accessible, tempting travelers to venture farther and do more, whether to experience what they saw online or to find something novel and authentic beyond the grid. The tourism industry rebounded to pre-pandemic levels in 2023, and surged ahead in 2024, setting consumer-spending records and accounting for an estimated 9% to 10% of global GDP, and this year, it looks to pull in even more money.

For our annual list of the World’s Greatest Places, TIME sought out one-of-a-kind spots and experiences around the globe. In Lima, Peru, we found AWA, a restaurant popularizing traditional Amazonian cuisine. In Zimbabwe, locally owned luxury resort Mbano Manor Hotel overlooks Victoria Falls, just outside Zambezi National Park. In Flagstaff, Ariz., The Lowell Observatory—famous as the site of Pluto’s discovery—now features an open-air planetarium, where visitors can get live commentary on that night’s sky from the comfort of heated seats. And chugging through Europe, the L’Observatoire carriage on the Venice Simplon-Orient Express—designed with precise detail by French artist JR, complete with puzzles and hidden surprises, and observation windows for taking in the scenery—is part of a resurgence of luxury train travel.