If you’re as nosy as I am about other people’s travel habits, then ponder no longer, as TripAdvisor reveals their Travelers’ Choice™ awards for Destinations, compiled from millions of reviews.
Now in their sixth year, around 500 destinations are ranked in terms of the most popular spot, by continent and overall – with some intriguing inclusions:
Top 25 Travelers’ Choice World Destinations:
1. Istanbul, Turkey (+11)
2. Rome, Italy (+2)
3. London, England (0)
4. Beijing, China (+17)
5. Prague, Czech Republic (+4)
6. Marrakech, Morocco (+13)
7. Paris, France (-6)
8. Hanoi, Vietnam (New)
9. Siem Reap, Cambodia (+14)
10. Shanghai, China (+12)
11. Berlin, Germany (0)
12. New York City, New York (-10)
13. Florence, Italy (-5)
14. Buenos Aires, Argentina (+4)
15. Barcelona, Spain (-10)
16. St. Petersburg, Russia (+4)
17. Dubai, United Arab Emirates (New)
18. Chicago, Illinois (-4)
19. Cape Town, South Africa (-3)
20. Bangkok, Thailand (-7)
21. Budapest, Hungary (New)
22. Sydney, Australia (-12)
23. Lisbon, Portugal (New)
24. Chiang Mai, Thailand (0)
25. San Francisco, California (-18)
In top spot is the pulsating Turkish city of Istanbul, which has seen has a huge surge in popularity over the last twelve months, propelling it into first place on the Travelers’ Choice list.
In second place is the cultural gem that is Rome and in third spot, London continues to ride high following the seriously impressive Olympic Games two years ago. The biggest climber is the city of Beijing, jumping seventeen places, to claim fourth place.
My personal favourite, the enigmatic city of Hanoi in Vietnam, is a new addition to the annual compilation, coming in at number eight. A huge endorsement indeed from the millions of travellers on TripAdvisor, who use their own algorithm to place the destinations, according to reviews received over the last twelve months.
And the biggest losers are revealed as Sydney and San Francisco who fell 12 and 18 places respectively. New York City and Barcelona also dropped 10 places on the worldwide list.
What do you think about the rankings on these destinations? Leave your comments in the section below…
