As 2016 unfurls, a new year of fresh adventures and travel experiences ripe for the picking awaits. According the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Monkey dictates we should be heading north, northwest and west this year for fruitful journeys. So, Australia is sitting pretty for Kiwi travel dollars.  But whether you’ve begum planning and plotting a dream holiday or remain open to being inspired, here’s a wrap on some of the headlines events, openings and trends that look set to help define the year ahead in travel.

Rio de Janeiro is high on the minds of globe-trotters as the spectacularly scenic city gears up, in customary chaotic Brazilian fashion, to stage the world’s greatest sporting extravaganza in August. South America’s accessibility is extra hot with Kiwis thanks Air New Zealand’s direct services to Buenos Aires. The great thaw in USA-Cuba relations will continue to see the Caribbean nation welcome unprecedented numbers of tourists this year, with more direct flights and cruises operating from the USA.  See it now, before it changes too much. 

Japan has been enjoying a renaissance in Kiwi travellers and that looks set to continue, well beyond Tokyo. The Japanese are particularly excited that their latest bullet train will be launched in March, connecting Tokyo with Hokkaido, way up north. It will particularly resonate with snow-bunnies; Niseko Resort is widely considered the nation’s best.  And of course visit in spring, and surrender to the sublime beauty of the cherry blossom season, where parks and roadways are festooned with pink sakura blossom.

Another trending destination with Kiwis is the Philippines.  The national carrier, Philippine Airlines, commenced direct flights between Auckland and Manila in December and our national carrier has signalled its desire to do the same this year. With over 7000 islands, some with celestial beaches and fringed by striking coral reefs, the Philippines is highly likely to become a new and familiar holiday destination for Kiwis.

Stratford-upon-Avon is gearing up for a special year as the English-speaking world marks the 400^th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s death. A slew of festivals, exhibitions and special performances will play out in his place of birth and across the UK, all year.  Meanwhile, Rome is bracing itself for Mecca-style crowds with the Pope declaring 2016 the Year of Mercy. An additional 10 million pilgrims are forecast to swoon on Rome in this Holy Year, which also includes the September canonisation of Mother Teresa in St. Peter’s Square. If you want to be there for the making of a saint, book your hotel now! Rome will sell out.

2016 is also shaping up to be a barnstormer for theme park fanatics. It’s been years in the planning, but on April 7, Universal Studios in Hollywood will finally open the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. You’ll gain access to Hogwarts Castle, explore the village of Hogsmeade – and hurl yourself at the 3-D Forbidden Journey ride. Meanwhile, Disney has a frenetic year of exciting big reveals starting with Frozen Fever, the spanking new themed boat ride through Elsa’s ice palace at Disneyworld in Florida.

In June, Mickey’s embrace of Asia extends to Shanghai, when the world’s newest Disneyland theme park will open, with the tallest and grandest castle of all Disney parks.  But the biggest Disney buzz is all about Star Wars, which of course is the company’s biggest ever acquisition. The Star Wars franchise and Lucas Films was purchased for US $4Billion. Walt Disney’s original theme park in Anaheim is undergoing its biggest ever expansion to make way for Star Wars Land, which will sprawl over 14 acres. 

Some of the park’s familiar features are being permanently shut down and removed to make way for Star Wars, particularly from Frontierland. No launch date for the new Star Wars area has been confirmed, but it’s likely to be late this year. Disney Chief Executive Robert Iger has indicated the park will feature a re-creation of the Millennium Falcon, whereby guests can take the controls for a "customised secret mission," along with a multi-sensory, full-throttle attraction that will put visitors into "a climactic battle between the First Order and the Resistance." Bring it on!

Not to be outdone, Kentucky will open a Noah’s Ark theme park later this year.

A diverse range of quirky hotel openings, new attractions and signature experiences pepper the travel calendar, none more so than the Charlie Chaplin Themed Hotel in Switzerland. Opening next month, the property will pay homage to the Hollywood legend Charlie Chaplin with the four-star hotel named after Chaplin's successful movie, Modern Times. Occupying a plum lakefront position along the Montreux Riviera in Vevey, the hotel takes its deign cue from the actor's life and work, while offering complimentary transport and access to the nearby Chaplin's World museum in the actor's former residence.

Surely Sepp Blatter won’t be on the invite list, but the FIFA Museum opens in April. Billed as an extraordinary journey through the history of FIFA, no doubt the current tribulations might be conveniently airbrushed over, but the new Zurich attraction is set to enjoy pilgrimage-status for hardcore football fans.

In the Middle East, the best museum money can buy is finally due to open its doors late this year, five years behind schedule. Abu Dhabi's horrendously expensive Louvre museum will see Arab masters and European icons like da Vinci and Van Gogh share the same walls beneath the museum’s colossal domed structure. The final cost of the construction is expected to top US$100 million. In addition, US$525 million was paid by Abu Dhabi to be associated with the Louvre name, and an additional $747 million will be paid in exchange for art loans, special exhibitions and management advice. But despite the billion dollar price-tag, Abu Dhabi’s deep pockets will help cement the emirate as an art powerhouse in the Arabian Gulf.

Come March, Billy Idol fans will have the opportunity to see the peroxide king of the 80s perform the music of his career from early days fronting Generation X to worldwide hits including White Wedding and Dancing with Myself, as  he begins his residency at the House of Blues Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino. The show, Billy Idol: Forever Beginning is his first-ever multi-date residency and early ticket sales have been strong.

How big can they get? It’s a frequently asked question that floats around the world with no clear answer. Yes, the boom in mega-sized cruise liners continues and Royal Caribbean’s latest big boy will enter service in May.  Harmony of the Seas will be the largest cruise ship at sea with a passenger capacity of 5,400 passengers. Plying the Caribbean and the Mediterranean, the ship boasts the cruise brand’s signature new trimmings, including the family-friendly Perfect Storm waterslide and adults-only Bionic Bar.

Fancy a fresh dose of luxury on the rails? The world's newest luxury train, the Belmond Grand Hibernian, will commence operation in August, operating a variety of itineraries across Ireland. Offering two, four and six-night journeys from Dublin, the elegant train will project a strong Irish interior design theme with 20 luxury en-suite cabins, two dining cars and an observation car.

It’s a perennial bucket lister: the northern lights. Magical winter experiences are drawing more travellers to the deepest, darkest depths of Alaska, Iceland and Norway in the thick of winter. Fans of the movie Frozen are flocking to Norway in their droves. In fact, it’s very much Norway’s Lord of the Rings equivalent.

If you’re toying with the idea of doing a safari, it’s a big trender in global travel and Botswana is attracting unprecedented interest as a great-value and safe safari destination.  Botswana celebrates its 50^th anniversary of independence this year. Alongside South Africa, Tanzania and Zimbabwe are also triggering huge appeal with their increasing array of safari options.

If your travel appetite is strongly influenced by your stomach, here’s a big tip for foodies should take a bite out of the Big Apple this year. New Yorkers' love affair for food halls is all the rage and the most anticipated newcomer, is being crafted by none other than Anthony Bourdain. He is hand-selecting purveyors and providores from around the world for his planned food hall on Pier 75 at 15th Street. Rather ego-centrically, it will be known as the Bourdain Market.

Finally, on the foodie front, if you’re planning a trip to Italy, Emirates now gives you an extra-appetising option, with direct flights from Dubai to Bologna. It’s a bit like flying into Cairns, rather than Sydney. No billowing queues, no crowd crush. It’s fast and fuss-free gateway into Italy.

Among Italians, Bologna is affectionately nicknamed "La Grassa": the fat one. And after a few days in Bologna, that’s precisely how you may feel after devouring your way through this gastronomically obsessed city. Foodies flock here for all of its fabulous, famous regional produce; the spiritual home of prosciutto, balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese and tortellini. What a welcome to Italy!

Wherever your wanderlust may take you, here’s to a bumper year of travel and discovery.

By Mike Yardley, Newstalk ZB’s Travel Correspondent on Jack Tame Saturdays.