Hot Destinations

Please find the latest lists of hot destinations and cities and countries that are rapidly emerging on to the MICE market.

Our lists are purely based on our experience and curent market sentiment. We will update the lists on a frequest basis as new destinations emerge and tired destinations fall away.

Sydney - Laid-back, vibrant and gorgeous, Sydney is the cosmopolitan capital of New South Wales. The city has food to rival any in the world, and is at the forefront of cutting-edge design, with chic hotels and excellent restaurants.

New York - Known as the city that never sleeps, New York is bursting with energy from morning till night. Offering everything from great monuments and museums to chic hotels, shops and lively restaurants, New York is a very popular city-break destination - particularly during the Christmas present buying season.

Paris - Paris deserves its reputation as the most romantic city in the world. Its centre is small and ideal for visiting on foot, with every turn revealing a famous landmark, a cosy café, a smart boutique or a busy boulevard. There are hotels to suit every visitor, from the palatial to the contemporary, the trendsetting to the classical. Paris is also the home of great food and boasts a plethora of restaurants from traditional bistros to smart, trendy restaurants and Michelin-starred establishments.

Rome - The eternal city has been attracting visitors for two millennia but it is still one of the most exhilarating and romantic destinations in the world

Barcelona - Barcelona has emerged as one of Europe's most popular tourist destinations, and it's not hard to see why. With a stunning diversity of architecture, from the medieval of the Barrio Gótico to the Modernism of Antonio Gaudí, works from artists such as Roy Lichtenstein and Claes Oldenburg on street corners, world class museums and galleries, and dance and music festivals such as The Festival del Grec every June, the city has a wealth of culture. The city is divided into different barrios , which all have a very different look and feel and are perfect to explore on foot. Barcelona is enjoying a culinary renaissance, and boasts some of the most inventive cuisine in the world, as well as lively bars and more traditional tapas restaurants, which are ideal for soaking up the atmosphere of this vibrant and cosmopolitan Catalan city.

Venice - With its 150 canals, 400 bridges and magnificent 16th- and 17th-century palaces and piazzas, it is no surprise that Venice is considered one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Gloriously romantic in spring, triumphant in summer, noble in autumn and seductive in winter, it is a popular city break destination year round.

San Francisco - Known as the City by the Bay, San Francisco is arguably the most cosmopolitan and bohemian city in America. It is also one of the most beautiful, with its pretty houses and hilly streets providing beautiful views of the bay and the famous Golden Gate Bridge.

Cape Town - With the striking Table Mountain as a backdrop, beautiful beaches and a relaxed and cosmopolitan atmosphere, it is no wonder Cape Town is attracting more visitors than ever. Fortunately, there are enough stylish and affordable places for every visitor to stay in, ranging from chic boutique hotels in the city centre to out-of-town mansion houses. The city also boasts historical buildings, interesting museums, shopping malls, restaurants, jazz cafés, theatres and nightclubs. On top of this, there are excellent surfing beaches and charming vineyards along the pristine coastline, and the spectacular Cape of Good Hope 70km south of the city.

Amsterdam - Amsterdam is one of the most photographed cities in the world and with a population of just under a million, it may be regarded as a cosmopolitan village. Images of gabled houses, bicycles and the notorious red-light district are all synonymous with the city. The rise in smart restaurants, trendy shops and stylish luxury hotels has been prolific since big corporations like IBM and Nissan chose to base their European headquarters here.

Berlin - Berlin is a fascinating city and a monument of living history. The Berlin Wall was dismantled in 1989, but the East and West district of the city still show signs of the political, cultural and physical divide that existed for almost 30 years. There is plenty to see - from graffiti covered remnants of the wall itself to Hitler's bunker and the new Jewish synagogue centre. Berlin is by no means stifled by its extraordinary past - it is hurtling headfirst into the future with hip bars attracting a trendy young crowd in the Mitte and Charlottenburg districts. Excellent luxury hotels and gourmet restaurants ensure its chic European status.

Copenhagen - The capital of the world's oldest kingdom has become a cutting-edge city boasting avant-garde design, art and architecture as well as chic and inventive new restaurants. Its medieval centre is perfect for exploring by foot, and the city also boasts some of the best in contemporary design, particularly when it comes to interiors. Copenhagen is very child friendly, and is a good choice for families. The Danes have a reputation for being friendly, tolerant and allegedly the happiest nationality on earth - making their capital a great choice for a hip, laid-back and relatively undiscovered weekend break destination.

Dubai - The duty-free zone of Dubai is a shopper's paradise, offering some of the most lavish malls on earth, as well as super-luxury hotels and miles of pristine beach.

Marrakech - A mixture of sensuous luxury and aesthetic simplicity, the historic Moroccan city of Marrakech attracts a fashionable crowd of winter sun seekers. The dusky, pink-walled Medina, the 'old city', boasts a greater density of chic boutique lodgings than possibly anywhere else in the world and the multitude of emporia will keep shopaholics busy for days. Even non-shoppers will be amazed by the colour, diversity and vibrancy surrounding the souks. In short, fabulous nightclubs, new-wave riads and radical new Moroccan food makes this the coolest place to be.

Vancouver - Vancouver is a perfect Pacific city, shimmering on the edge of a beautiful harbour. Nestled against the Coastal Moutains and remote from the buzz of Ottawa and Toronto, Vancouver is a laid-back, outdoor city, where residents are often to be found skiing, sailing or scuba diving after work.

Emerging Destinations

China - For centuries, Beijing has been seen as China's promised land. Originally a walled bastion for emperors and officials, it remains a majestic political and architectural marvel. The Chinese capital geared up for the 2008 Olympics on a grand scale, with the World Tourism Organisation predicting China will be the most visited country on the planet by 2020. Beijing is adding 200 more hotels to its existing 600, including major new developments by Starwood and Hyatt. Factory 798, a Bauhaus industrial complex in north-east Beijing, built in the 1950s by East German engineers, is now a collection of galleries, cafés, bars and restaurants. The Forbidden City, home to 24 successive emperors, was off-limits to Beijing's citizens and visitors for more than 500 years and now, along with neighbouring Tiananmen Square, it's the hottest district in the city.

Croatia - Post-war restoration has put the Old City of Dubrovnik back on the map as one of Europe's most beautiful and enchanting. It is a place for quiet exploration and relaxing, as well as sunbathing and swimming

India - No one comes to Mumbai for rest and relaxation. Brash, chaotic and glitzy, first impressions of the city tend to be dominated by its chronic shortage of space. Crammed onto a narrow strip of land that curls into the Arabian Sea, the city has been transformed from a fishing settlement to a sprawling metropolis of over 16 million people in less than 500 years. Mumbai generates nearly 40 per cent of India's GNP and the port handles half the country's foreign trade. Mumbai is booming with more than its fair share of world-famous chefs, fashionable boutiques and Bollywood stars.

Oman - On the edge of the Arabian peninsula, the state of Oman attracts eco-tourists with its lush wadis, diverse markets and rich culture. Half a century after the explorer Wilfred Thesiger first saw Oman, it still remains relatively undiscovered, and is everything you don't expect from the Middle East. It has the most wonderful climate during our winter, glorious mountains, spectacular deserts, medieval cities and a thousand-odd miles of seaside. The people are gentle and charming. The Sultan, Qaboos bin Said, has turned Oman into a modern and luxurious travel destination, combining the traditional values of an ancient civilisation with up-to-date luxury, complete with shining new, chic hotels

Baltics - Tallinn feels quite unlike anywhere else; unlike Scandinavia and unlike Europe. Walking its faded, cobbled streets you are reminded of some other town - a salmon-pink palace is pure St Petersburg in miniature, a carved and decorated medieval merchant's house might be in Lubeck. But despite the beautiful eclecticism of Tallinn's old centre, shimmering in the dazzlingly clear Northern light, it has a unique atmosphere, and is both endearingly shabby and amazingly pretty. For stylish travellers seeking uncharted territory, fabulously-undiscovered Estonia is fast becoming the destination of choice. Visit as soon as possible, before Tallinn really takes off.

Russia - Built on a swamp as the new capital of Russia, St Petersburg is an 18th-century city of remarkable grandeur, slowly reviving from its Communist era. With their colourful, playful Baroque facades, its buildings exude the opulence of Tsarist Russia, but are more European in essence than the Kremlin domes of Moscow. It was from St Petersburg that the tsars ruled Russia for two centuries until their downfall in 1917

Lithuania - Lithuania's capital of Vilnius enjoyed limited freedom even in the Soviet era; but democracy has transformed the city beyond recognition. Once a Soviet backwater, Vilnius is now extraordinarily pretty, almost every building in the centre has had the Cinderella treatment. There is a sense of novelty about the swish cafés and the good-looking bars. The youthful vibe on the street is partly down to the fact that 90% of the population seems to be under the age of 24 and out for a good time. Vilnius is a great place for a honeymoon or a hand-holding, affordable weekend à deux . Or, you could spend a perfectly contented weekend here just pottering around the Old Town

Slovenia - It has a medieval fortress and a dragon, but Slovenia's capital is a safe, sophisticated place in which to relax. Compared with the other capitals of the 10 countries that acceded to the EU in May, Ljubljana seems oblivious and indifferent to its potential as a tourist destination. There are no boutique hotels as there are in Poland and the Baltic States and nothing to which the term 'design' might apply. But, nevertheless, Ljubljana is improbably pretty, with its candy-coloured baroque and dizzyingly ornate Secessionist architecture. There are decorative footbridges over the willow-shaded river, a romantic hilltop castle and cobbled piazzas filled with café tables. It is not unlike Prague, but its austere, northern geometry has been tempered by sunny, southern frivolity.