The Unreachable Destinations of 2024

This year was focused on making the most of lost time. After the pandemic, tourists flocked to Europe's major cities and America's national parks as a form of "revenge travel," revisiting destinations that had been off-limits during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Nevertheless, the world has changed significantly since the start of the pandemic. With the shift to remote work, many businesses closed and not every tourist attraction emerged unscathed from this period.

Whether closing permanently or temporarily, heres a list of places you cant visit in 2024.

Centre Pompidou, Paris

The Centre Pompidou, despite its modern appearance, has been open for over five decades. After the Summer Olympics in Paris, the museum will close for a 260 million euro modernization project, with plans to reopen in 2030. Additionally, a sister museum in Brussels is scheduled to open in 2025.

Splash Mountain, Orlando, Florida and Anaheim, California

Visiting art lovers in Paris might find themselves facing the challenge of narrowing down their options. The Palais de Tokyo boasts an impressive modern art collection, and the Musee de Quai Branly, which opened in 2006, houses a diverse assortment of art and artifacts from different periods and cultures around the world.

Disney's famous attraction, Splash Mountain, held its final rides in 2023. The log flume ride was initially based on the controversial film "Song of the South," which has faced significant criticism for its depiction of slavery. The Splash Mountain rides at Disneyland and Disney World will undergo a transformation and reopen as Tianas Bayou Adventure, inspired by "The Princess and the Frog."

Noma, Copenhagen

Alternate Option: Now is the perfect opportunity for Disney enthusiasts to explore the company's parks in Japan and China as Asia begins to reopen. Disneyland Hong Kong, the smallest park, introduced the inaugural World of Frozen in the autumn of 2023.

René Redzepi's Noma was awarded three Michelin stars.

Thibault Savary/AFP/Getty Images

The worlds best restaurant is officially hanging up its crown.

Noma, the restaurant in Copenhagen that made New Nordic cuisine famous, will close its doors to diners in 2024. But don't worry, it's not going away for good.

Phantom of the Opera, New York City

Alternative Plan: Central, located in the popular foodie destination of Lima, is currently recognized as the world's top restaurant. If you're unable to secure a reservation, there are numerous other excellent dining options in the capital city of Peru that highlight local ingredients such as quinoa, potatoes, herbs, fish, chilis, and more.

'Phantom of the Opera' lovers are known as 'phans.'

Angela Weiss/AFP/Getty Images

After 35 years and nearly 14,000 performances, the iconic musical "Phantom of the Opera: took its final bow on the New York City stage in 2023.

Phantom may have retired as Broadway's longest-running show, but theatergoers can still enjoy a fantastic time with popular musicals like "Spamalot" and "Kimberly Akimbo" available on the TodayTix app. Skip the TKTS line and head to Times Square early to explore some surprisingly cool spots that even the snobbiest New Yorkers love.

The worst-behaved tourists of 2023

Pergamonmuseum, Berlin

The Pergamonmuseum, home to the renowned Ishtar Gate, is part of Berlin's UNESCO World Heritage-listed Museum Island complex. The museum will be undergoing an ambitious upgrade project until 2027, which includes the creation of a new central pedestrian zone and the expansion of exhibition halls, among other improvements.

Elephant Trunk Rock, Taiwan

Explore Plan B: Visitors eager to experience the Pergamonmuseum can explore Das Panorama nearby, where a selection of museum pieces will be exhibited during the renovation. Other attractions on Museum Island, such as the Neues Museum with its impressive collection of Egyptian art and artifacts, remain open for exploration.

Before and after views of Elephant's Trunk Rock.

CNN/Ruifang District Office (NTPC)

This popular Taiwan photo spot - which did, in fact, resemble an elephants trunk - collapsed into the sea on December 15, 2023.

The northeastern coast of the islands has been threatened by erosion for a long time, leading to restricted public access since 2010.

As an alternative, travelers looking to explore Taiwan's beauty have a variety of options. The Cuifeng Lake Circular Trail, the first certified "quiet trail" in the world, was introduced last year. Alternatively, for those who prefer to drive, the Southern Cross-Island Highway offers stunning views of Taiwan's countryside.

Park Hyatt, Tokyo

Widely considered the first Western-style luxury hotel in Japans capital when it opened in 1994, the Park Hyatt has had a glamorous life.

The hotel will undergo a "property-wide renewal" and will close in May 2024, coinciding with its 30th birthday. The iconic rooftop New York Bar, featured in the movie "Lost in Translation," will close for renovations in January and is set to reopen in 2025.

Notre Dame, Paris

Plan B: Why not consider leaving Tokyo and exploring the rest of the country? You can also check out other amazing accommodations. Two rural getaways worth mentioning are Nishiyama Onsen Keiunkan, which is the world's oldest hotel, and Treeful, a collection of handcrafted treehouses nestled deep in the Okinawan forest.

Notre Dame is due to reopen to the public at the end of 2024.

Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images

In 2019, the world watched in horror as Paris Notre Dame Cathedral caught fire, and donations quickly poured in to restore the popular icon.

The famed church Notre Dame will be restored to its original look, despite French President Emmanuel Macron's initial support for a more modern rebuild. Traditionalists won out, and the 850-year-old attraction is scheduled to reopen in December 2024.

France is full of stunning churches, with notable options including Notre-Dame de la Garde in Marseille, Strasbourg Cathedral, and Le Corbusiers Colline Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamp.

Smithsonian Castle, Washington, DC

The very first building that bore the name Smithsonian is taking some time off for a makeover.

The main building of the museum complex, known as the Smithsonian Castle, closed in February 2023 and is expected to remain shut for "about five years" for necessary repairs and upgrades. In the meantime, digital tours, talks, and other events will continue to be offered. As an alternative, visitors can explore the recently reopened National Air and Space Museum and National Museum of Women in the Arts, both of which have completed their own renovation work.

Leonardo Da Vincis Vineyard, Milan

It was a tourist destination for half a century, but a billionaire buyer has taken the remains of Leonardo Da Vincis Italian vineyard into private ownership.

French billionaire Bernard Arnault, CEO of luxury conglomerate LVMH, acquired the Milan property in December 2022 and has not commented on the potential for future public access. However, several of Da Vinci's renowned artworks can still be viewed at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Santa Maria delle Grazie church in Milan, and the Galleria dell'Accademia in Venice, even if his former property remains closed to the public.

Star Wars: Galactic Cruiser, Disney World

A stormtrooper walks through the crowd at Star Wars: Galactic Cruiser.

Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images

The Star Wars-themed Galactic Cruiser at Walt Disney World, despite its grand debut and ties to a globally renowned intellectual property, was shuttered in 2023. This immersive offering, which served as both a full-service hotel and a venue for lightsaber training, interactions with iconic droids and characters, and beverages at Ogas Cantina, was closed down by Disney, citing it as a "business decision."

Alternative Plan: Consider visiting real-life Star Wars filming locations for your next vacation. Hotel Sidi Driss in Tunisia served as the iconic Skywalker family home on Tatooine, while the black sand beach of Reynisfjara, Iceland, stood in for the planet of Eadu in "Rogue One."