Here are the most popular locations for round-the-world backpackers

New year, new me, new resolutions...bla bla bla.

Rather than give something up, why not give into your wanderlust and start booking a trip abroad? Travelling is always an essential part of any good year, and despite the fact that 2017 is still in its early stages, it's very likely that the majority of you have been keeping an eye open for a trip abroad while checking to see that your passport is still in date. If you're struggling to come up with a new and exciting location to visit, the people at Hostelworld have done some research and discovered the emerging hot spots for 2017, along with the most popular cities and countries for backpackers throughout 2016. In relation to the top ten countries to watch in 2017, travellers are keen to venture off the beaten track. The United Arab Emirates is the destination that has seen the biggest jump in popularity, increasing by an impressive 80% when compared to 2015. Myanmar takes second place with a rise of 62%; Kyrgyzstan jumped by 52%; Indonesia continues its growth with 50% and coming in fifth we have the Cook Islands with an impressive increase of 47%. Here's the list of emerging locations in full. Unsurprisingly, 90% of Hostelworld’s customer database are under 35 years old, and here are the countries and locations that proved to be most popular with their users throughout 2016. While England and Scotland both feature on the list, London and Edinburgh are the only British cities in the top 20. (Note: 17 and 18 are presumably the Czech republic and Peru)