It´s this point in a year where all the planning starts for the year ahead. In this context, I, of course, always look at places, which I would like to visit this year.
A travel bucket list for 2018
Here I always give myself the following parameters: Each year I would like to visit at least a) one new city or area in Germany, b) one new country in Europe, and c) one new country outside Europe.
A new city or area in Germany
As a new City in Germany I am planning to visit Bonn this year. Yet what is responsible about visiting Bonn?
Bonn used to be the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990, which is why it is an incremental part of Germany’s history. As a German citizen I therefore find it my duty to learn more about this era of our heritage.
Everyone has been to Berlin, seen the remains of its separation and heard about the fascinating and often cruel story of the DDR. But since Germany has been reunited Bonn somehow has been almost forgotten. I will therefore go there and learn about politics of a divided Germany from the West German point of view. I am planning to follow the path of democracy visit besides others the former plenary chamber and Regierungsbunker.
However, the political history of Bonn is not the only draw to this wee city. It has a very beautiful medieval city centre and is overlooked by a magnificent castle called Drachenburg. And by being the birthplace of Beethoven it has a strong importance to the landscape of classical music in Germany as well. There is therefore a lot to learn not only about politics, but German heritage in general. If you want to know more about it I recommend this article by the telegraph.
A new country in Europe
Since I am passionate about sustainable tourism I am always keen to see best practices. One of the most dominant examples in Europe is Slovenia, which is why I plan to visit Slovenia this year.
Slovenia has been declared the worlds most sustainable destination by the Dutch sustainability agency Green Destinations. Furthermore, Ljubljana was declared Europe’s Greenest Capital by the European Union in 2016. It was also recognised for its sustainable tourism communication with the WTM Responsible Tourism Award 2017.
And this does not come from nothing. The Slovenian Tourism board has developed their own “Green Scheme of Slovenian Tourism“. This is a tool to manage sustainability certification within the tourism sector and promote these efforts under the Slovenia Green brand. As you can see, they definitely have some best practice going on there, which it is absolutely worth a visit.
Also, some friends of mine visited Slovenia last year and said it was one of the best holidays they had in a long time and they travel A LOT. They absolutely raved about the natural landscapes and amazing hiking trips they did. So, to experience some almost untouched nature, with clear guidance how to conserve it, this is the best place to go!
A new place in the world as a whole
A friend of mine went to Botswana some years ago to do some volunteering and ended up moving there. Since then my facebook feed is regularly full with stunning pictures of this beautiful country so it´s about time for me to see it for myself. And the best thing about this plan is that Botswanas government has made sustainable tourism part of their political program. Isn´t that amazing?
Like the Slovenian tourism board, Botswana tourism also created their own certification system to ensure sustainability in their tourism development. While the initiative started with looking at the natural landscape and its wildlife, the strategy now encompasses the countries whole eco-system: the people, their culture and heritage, wildlife and natural resources.
And their strategy pays out. More and more international media outlets like the Independent and CNN report about their efforts and therewith foster their tourism industry. And with 40% of all Elephants in Africa residing in Botswana, I cannot think of a better place to go to see some 
What are your travel plans for 2018? Do you know of any other special sustainable travel best practices one should check out?
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