Where next, wanderlust?
The ancient Colosseum is seen during an heavy snowfalls early morning in Rome. – Reuters file picKUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — Guess where is the world’s most popular travel spot? Hint: Diamond Jubilee and Olympic Games. If you haven’t guessed it yet, London was named the world’s best travel spot in TripAdvisor’s 2012 Traveller’s Choice Destination awards. The annual awards — in its fourth year — honour top travel spots around the world according to millions of reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travellers. Winners are chosen based on popularity of destinations, with travellers’ favourite and highly-rated places marking the spot.
TripAdvisor’s 2012 Traveller’s Choice Destinations awards covers 440 destinations in 37 markets, covering Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Central America, China, Europe, India, Mexico, the Middle East, South America, the South Pacific and the United States.
TripAdvisor is a free go-to site for travellers, providing guides and research on their intended destination. It is also a community for travellers, enabling users to post opinions on destinations, rate the places they have been to and engage in travel-related discussions.
“Whether travellers are looking for a grand annual vacation or a quick weekend getaway, they can be inspired by hundreds of incredible travel destinations as identified by TripAdvisor’s community of travellers,” said Jean Ow-Yeong, TripAdvisor spokesperson.
While London scored the top spot for the world’s, Europe’s and UK’s best destination, New York and Rome came in second and third places respectively. In Asia, Siam Reap won travellers’ favourite destination in Asia. It is no surprise, seeing that Angkor Wat is one of the most popular temples in the world. Beijing and Shanghai won first and second runner-up consecutively.
For the complete list of 2012 Travellers’ Choice Destinations winners, go here.
Top 25 Travellers’ Choice World Destinations:
1. London, England
2. New York City, New York
3. Rome, Italy
4. Paris, France
5. San Francisco, California
6. Marrakech, Morocco
7. Istanbul, Turkey
8. Barcelona, Spain
9. Siem Reap, Cambodia
10. Berlin, Germany
11. Chicago, Illinois
12. Florence, Italy
13. Buenos Aires, Argentina
14. Sydney, Australia
15. Beijing, China
16. Prague, Czech Republic
17. Las Vegas, Nevada
18. Bora Bora, French Polynesia
19. Shanghai, China
20. Honolulu, Hawaii
21. Los Angeles, California
22. New Orleans, Louisiana
23. Cape Town, South Africa
24. Chiang Mai, Thailand
25. Dublin, Ireland
Top 25 Travellers’ Choice Asia Destinations:
1. Siem Reap, Cambodia
2. Beijing, China
3. Shanghai, China
4. Chiang Mai, Thailand
5. Male, Maldives
6. Goa, India
7. Boracay, Philippines
8. Hong Kong, China
9. Hanoi, Vietnam
10. Kathmandu, Nepal
11. Kyoto, Japan
12. Tokyo, Japan
13. Singapore
14. Ubud, Indonesia
15. Hoi An, Vietnam
16. Luang Prabang, Laos
17. Xi’an, China
18. Ko Phi Phi Don, Thailand
19. Taipei, Taiwan
20. Koh Tao, Thailand
21. Seoul, South Korea
22. Ho Chin Minh City, Vietnam
23. New Delhi, India
24. Varanasi, India
25. Halong Bay, Vietnam
