10 top destinations to visit in 2015

To help get you motivated, we've identified 10 destinations that are sure to make headlines in 2015. Some will host major global events, while others will celebrate anniversaries, unveil new attractions or stand in Mother Nature's spotlight. The Bahamian Riviera With four hotels, 200,000 square feet of convention space, a 2,000-seat performing arts center, 18-hole Jack Nicklaus Signature golf course, 30 restaurants and bars, 14 distinct pools and a 100,000-square-foot casino large enough to rival any in Las Vegas or Macau, the $3.5 billion development known as Baha Mar is kind of a big deal. In fact, the so-called "Bahamian Riviera" is the largest single-phase luxury resort project in the history of the Caribbean and the most substantial currently in development in the Western Hemisphere. Located along Nassau's famed Cable Beach, Baha Mar is expected to send ripples across the Caribbean when it opens to the public in late spring 2015 with a grand gala produced by music and entertainment legends Jamie King and Emilio Estefan. The event is meant to herald the arrival of a new Riviera -- one full of 21st-century entertainment located right in Florida's backyard. Mons, Belgium Mons, Belgium, has a population of just 93,072 people, but the small city expects 2 million visitors to ply its medieval streets when it hosts more than 1,000 cultural and artistic events in 2015 as the offical European Capital of Culture. Highlights of the yearlong celebration include an illuminating new Van Gogh exhibit, three multidisciplinary arts festivals, numerous public installations and art-infused parties. Moreover, Mons will unveil not one, not two, but an astounding five new museums in April, including The Artotheque (art library) and Mons Memorial Museum. Think of 2015 as a coming out party for this former mining and industrial center that's completely reinventing itself. Downtown Los Angeles A decade ago, you'd have struggled to find life on the streets of downtown Los Angeles after the office lights went dim for the night. But what was once the city's dark center has rapidly transformed into one of its most exciting neighborhoods, with more than 500 shops, restaurants, bars and clubs opening their doors in the past five years alone. Exciting new hotels like the Ace, stores like Acne Studios and food venues like the revamped Grand Central Market -- in addition to the recently completed $3 billion sports and entertainment complex known as L.A. Live -- have injected downtown with a jolt of energy that's helped lure visitors and residents away from LA's sunny perimeter and into its urban core. The downtown scene is expected to heat up in 2015 when billionaire art collector Eli Broad's $140 million vanity project, theBroad Museum, opens to the public in the fall. The honeycomb-encased gallery has been heralded as the crowning jewel of downtown LA's revival, and will house works by some of the most prominent artists of recent decades, including Jeff Koons, Roy Lichtenstein and Cindy Sherman.

See the full list