From landmark anniversaries and key tourism developments to new flights and upcoming film releases, World Expeditions and its two European divisions, UTracks and Sherpa Expeditions, choose their top trips and destinations for 2018…

BALTIC STATES: CENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS

WHY: Following the end of World War I, the emerging Baltic States, previously part of the Russian Empire, declared one by one their Independence in 1918 – Lithuania on 16 February, Estonia on 24 February and Latvia on 18 November. The three countries will jointly celebrate their centenaries in 2018 through a series of specially hosted events, which will include the inaugural edition of the Riga International Biennial of Contemporary Art in June and the international Festival Europa Cantat in Tallinn in July. To commemorate the occasion, the central banks of the Baltic States will issue a new €2 coin that will depict a braid to symbolise the countries' intertwined fates.

BOOK IT: Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia may share the same coastline but their contrasting characters become evident as you take in the Treasures of the Baltic by Bike with UTracks (11 days); departs May-September, from £1,250 per person

UZBEKISTAN: TOURISM INFRASTRUCTURE UPGRADES

WHY: Uzbekistan caught everyone by surprise when, at the end of 2016, it announced plans for visa free travel... and then again a few weeks later, when the idea was postponed until 2021. But the country at the heart of the fabled Silk Road is already placing great emphasis on upgrading its tourism product, having recently completed a decades-long renovation of the iconic Registan Square and introducing high-speed train service between Tashkent and Bukhara. A series of cultural heritage sites are currently undergoing restoration projects, with ambitious plans to build a handicraft quarter, organise new festivals, establish a duty-free zone and create a tourism police force.

BOOK IT: Uzbekistan by Bike with World Expeditions (15 days) crosses at handle bar level one of the most ethnically, culturally and geographically diverse parts of the world; departs May-September, from £2,290 per person

AUSTRALIA: A NEW LONG-DISTANCE TRAIL CROSSES TASMANIA FROM TOP TO BOTTOM

WHY: Australia will be in the limelight in 2018 with the launch of the first-ever non-stop flight from London to Perth and the Commonwealth Games taking place in the Gold Coast – but fans of the outdoors are looking forward to the next big thing in adventure travel, the launch of the first ever fully-guided traverse of the entire length of Tasmania. Covering some of the most remote and pristine regions on Earth, the Great Tasmanian Traverse is World Expeditions' most ambitious wilderness adventure ever, combining iconic experiences such as trekking in Tasmania's pristine World Heritage regions, rafting down Franklin River and flying over the unspoiled West Coast.

BOOK IT: Exclusive to World Expeditions, the new Great Tasmanian Traverse (39 days) promises to be a wilderness experience like no other; launches 18 February, from £8,500 per person

SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN: 250 YEARS AFTER CAPTAIN JAMES COOK SET SAIL ON HIS FIRST VOYAGE

WHY: In August 1768 Captain James Cook set sail on a voyage into the largely unmapped southern Pacific Ocean – a part of the world that, 250 years later, will be celebrated through a brand new exhibition by the Royal Academy of Arts that debuts in September 2018. The scientific expedition, commissioned to seek evidence of the fabled 'Terra Australis Incognita', travelled through the scattered archipelagos of Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia before spending six months charting the New Zealand coast and becoming the first Europeans to reach Australia's east coast. James Cook had departed carrying 18 months of provisions; in the end, the voyage lasted nearly three years.

BOOK IT: Sail with World Expeditions into a world of idyllic islands and isolated villages that few have experienced on Secrets of Melanesia (12 days); departs 18 October, from US5,945 (approx. £4,530) per person

COSTA RICA: MORE FLIGHT OPTIONS FOR UK TRAVELLERS FOLLOWING A RECORD-BREAKING YEAR

WHY: Recording a major year-on-year increase of 50.3 per cent, Costa Rica attracted last year for the first time more visitors from the UK than any other European country (71,932 in 2016 compared to 47,499 in 2015) – and now access to Central America's tourist-friendly nation is gradually becoming even easier for travellers across the British Isles, as over the next few months three of Europe's biggest airlines are looking to put San Jose on the map. KLM relaunches the route after a 20-year gap, Air France is adding extra flights and Lufthansa will start serving the destination in March; between them, the three airlines cover 15 UK regional airports, offering a wider range of travel options.

BOOK IT: World Expeditions is the only UK operator to offer a multi-activity Costa Rica Traverse (12 days) from the Pacific coast to the Caribbean Sea by trekking, cycling, kayaking and rafting; departs September-May, from £2,090 per person

UK: A HOLLYWOOD DARLING

WHY: If you let the big screen inspire your travels, a staycation is in the cards for 2018. England features prominently in three of next year's most-anticipated theatrical releases, with scenes having filmed extensively across various locations in the country: premiering in March, Peter Rabbit, the first CGI-animated film of the Beatrix Potter-created beloved character, has filmed in the Lake District; Greenwich and Hampton Court Palace will 'star' at the upcoming Holmes and Watson movie; while the long-awaited Mary Poppins Returns, a Christmas release, has filmed a number of scenes across Westminster and the City of London.

BOOK IT: Immerse yourself in the timeless landscapes of Beatrix Potter (and Peter Rabbit!) on the Cumbrian Way: Crossing the Lake District with Sherpa Expeditions (8 days); departs April-October, from £570 per person

SPAIN: THE COUNTRY'S OLDEST NATIONAL PARKS TURN 100

WHY: It was in summer 1918 when Ordesa y Monte Perdido, in the Pyrenees, and Picos de Europa, at the borders of Asturias, Cantabria and Castile and León, became the first parts of Spain to be awarded 'National Park' status. Gearing up to celebrate their centennial in 2018, the two National Parks in northern Spain – which are also protected as UNESCO Biosphere Reserves – have seen their total area extended significantly over the years: from merely 21 km² in 1918, Ordesa y Monte Perdido has now grown to 156 km², while Picos de Europa has quadrupled its originally protected surface to 646 km².

BOOK IT: Added to the UTracks portfolio to mark the centenary of Spain's oldest National Park, the new Pyrenees Ordesa Canyons Walk (7 days) launches 1 May, with further daily departures until late October, from £750 per person

RWANDA & UGANDA: 'GORILLAS IN THE MIST' 30 YEARS LATER

WHY: The thought provoking 'Gorillas in the Mist' film premiered in 1988 but, 30 years later, it continues to inspire wildlife enthusiasts to head to Rwanda and Uganda for a chance to view up close the critically endangered mountain gorillas. WWF estimates that, in these three decades, their population increased from 620 animals to approx. 880 today but they are as elusive as ever. Whichever you choose – Rwanda now benefits from a direct link with London, although gorilla permits in Uganda are more competitively priced – travel between the two countries has become much easier following the recent introduction of the East Africa Tourist Visa.

BOOK IT: Best of Uganda with World Expeditions (10 days) covers all the ultimate wildlife encounters in the country; departs monthly year round, except May and October, from £2,990 per person (price includes gorilla and chimpanzee permits)

MONGOLIA: TOURISM AMBITIONS LED BY NEW STATE-OF-THE-ART AIRPORT

WHY: Mongolia has come a long way since its first democratic election in 1990. Tourism was heavily controlled by the previous communist regimes but, with a 28.3 per cent increase in visitor arrivals so far in 2017, today the country features among the world's fastest growing tourist destinations, according to a recent report by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. With a brand new state-of-the-art airport opening next summer south of capital Ulaanbaatar, plans for the introduction of a 72-hour visa-free transit policy and international luxury hotel brands expanding their portfolio in the country, Mongolia is catching up quickly with the western world.

BOOK IT: Cross one of the last few wildernesses on earth with World Expeditions on Highlights of the Gobi (14 days); departs May-September, from £2,490 per person

LAOS: THE COUNTRY SPRUCES UP AHEAD OF CELEBRATING 2018 AS 'VISIT LAOS YEAR'

WHY: Indochina's only landlocked country is gearing up preparations to celebrate 2018 as 'Visit Laos Year'. New flights have been recently added from regional air hubs such as Singapore and Bangkok and with tourism one of its fastest growing industries, a series of travel-themed activities and events have been drawn up to highlight Laos' natural and cultural assets. Throughout the year, 18 festivals will be organised to showcase each province's diverse cultures and customs, infrastructure upgrades are underway across a number of historical sites, while various specially-themed activities will be introduced, including caravan tours, cliff climbing, as well as motorcycle and off-road car racing.

BOOK IT: Highlights of Laos with World Expeditions (11 days) takes you through the heart and soul of this diverse and fascinating country steeped in ancient traditions; departs monthly year round, from £1,490 per person

NETHERLANDS & BELGIUM: LONG-AWAITED DEBUT OF EUROSTAR'S DIRECT RAIL LINK

WHY: The London-Amsterdam route has always been one of Europe's largest international airline markets (during the week there are on average more than 40 daily flights each way between the two cities), however as of 2018 UK travellers will finally have a convenient alternative to flying from the heart of the British capital. Eurostar is launching its direct, high-speed rail link between the two cities in December 2017, with regular services expected to fully run in time for the Easter break. The long-awaited service will also call at Antwerp, Belgium's second city and biggest port, and hip Rotterdam, allowing for more choice to anyone looking for an easy break across the Channel.

BOOK IT: Take advantage of the new Eurostar service and venture on a fascinating Amsterdam to Bruges Bike and Barge trip (8 days) with UTracks through Belgium and the Netherlands; from £830 per person, departs April-September

For more information and bookings please contact:

World Expeditions: 0800 0744 135, www.worldexpeditions.co.uk

UTracks: 0845 241 7599, www.utracks.com

Sherpa Expeditions: 0800 008 7741, www.sherpaexpeditions.com

All quoted prices do not include international flights, however these can be arranged on request.

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Notes for editors:

One of the very first operators in what is now becoming a very popular area in travel, since its inception in 1975 World Expeditions has earned itself an outstanding reputation as a world leader in small group adventure holidays and cultural journeys. World Expeditions remains independently owned and a truly global company, with seven offices around the world, including the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The two factors that distinguish World Expeditions from its competitors, the number of inclusions and the exceptional value of its trips, can be found today in more than 500 stand-alone itineraries across all continents, escorted by expert leaders and meticulously designed for those travellers who want to 'take the paths less travelled'. Always innovative, it was, among others, the first operator to offer cycling holidays in India (1977) and China (1978) and trekking trips in Mongolia (1980), Tibet (1981) and Japan (1999). As of 2011 World Expeditions is the only commercial company to offer the Full Nepal Traverse of the newly mapped Great Himalaya Trail. Exclusive to World Expeditions, a number of permanent eco-campsites, designed to increase travellers' comfort levels, are in operation in the Himalaya (Everest, Annapurna); new design-led campsites can also be found on the iconic Larapinta Trail in Australia. The European division of World Expeditions, activity holiday specialists UTracks and Sherpa Expeditions, cover over 20 countries, with more than 400 stand-alone itineraries, from short four-day breaks to longer two-week trips. The World Expeditions Travel Group consists of 10 travel brands in total, also including Adventure South, Australian Walking Holidays, Great Canadian Trails, Huma Charity Challenge, Tasmanian Expeditions, World Youth Adventures and Yomads.

For high-res images and PR/media enquiries:

World Expeditions | UTracks | Sherpa Expeditions

020 8875 5060

Tom Panagos pr@worldexpeditions.co.uk

Gordon Steer gordon@worldexpeditions.co.uk

Els van Veelen els@worldexpeditions.co.uk