Ukraine & Poland are Top Travel Destination in Europe in 2012 - CNN

KYIV, Ukraine, January 10, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

The editorial board of the CNN special project - CNN Go,  has published the list of the most attractive travel destinations in 2012. The Top 3 places to visit included Southern Korean Yeosu, Antarctica, Ukraine and Poland. Ukraine shares the third position with Poland, thus becoming top European travel destination in 2012,as the two countries will co-host the Euro 2012 European Football Championship.

The CNN Go list comprised of seven positions occupied by eight countries. The Top Places to Visit in 2012 list was headed by the coastal city of Yeosu, South Korea. The city will host this year's marine-focused World Expo (May 12-August 12). Yeosu was followed by Antarctica. CNN Go authors recommended visiting the white continent before it changed beyond recognition given recent global climate change.  

CNN motivates their readers to visit the countries sharing the third position - Ukraine and Poland - with catchy "Who doesn't love a major sporting event with "crazy road trip" written all over it?" They go on: "Euro 2012 - the 14^th European Football Championship - looks like just the ticket."

UEFA's top management has got to be tired of the sights of traditional football sites such as France and England, guessed the authors of the Top 7 places list. Therefore, Europe's largest tournament decided to go for something different, choosing the eight stadiums in Ukrainian and Polish cities (four in each country). CNN authors think that the two Eastern European countries are "the farthest out the tournament has ever ventured, or likely ever will."

The capital cities of the two countries - Kyiv and Warsaw - will host the quarter and semi-finals. Ukraine's Kyiv will host the final game. The authors also give the fans recommendations about purchasing the tickets (reminding that the ticket sales have been feverish since last spring), accommodation, and travelling to the sites.

The other hot spots on the list, following Ukraine and Poland, were Pearl Harbor (Oahu, Hawaii), Calgary (Canada), Myanmar, and London (England). Earlier in 2011, the well-known British tourist guide Lonely Planet chose Ukraine as one of the top three tourist destinations for 2012 as well. Ukraine, the second runner-up, was referred to as the great unknown of Europe.