PHOTO: How about a dinner on the Bosphorus Strait in Istanbul where Europe meets Asia. (courtesy Ciragon Hotel)
TripAdvisor announced the winners of its Travelers' Choice awards for Destinations. The sixth annual awards honor nearly 500 destinations including the winners for the top spots in the world, and individual lists for Africa, Asia, Australia, Canada, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, China, Middle East, Russia, South America, the South Pacific, the U.K. and the U.S.
"If you're looking for trip inspiration, look no further than the Travelers' Choice Destinations," said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. "Our global travelers are the tastemakers for uncovering the best places to visit around the world."
Travelers' Choice Destinations honor top travel spots worldwide based on the millions of valuable reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travelers. Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for hotels, attractions and restaurants in destinations worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period.
Top 25 Travelers' Choice World Destinations:
(+/- denotes change in ranking year-over-year, 0 is no change and new is new to the top 25)
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 (-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 (-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 (-18)
And here are the top 25 Travelers' Choice U.S. Destinations:
1. New York City (0)
2. Chicago (+1)
3. San Francisco, Calif. (-1)
4. Las Vegas (0)
5. New Orleans, La. (+5)
6. Los Angeles (+2)
7. San Diego, Calif. (New)
8. Seattle, Wash. (+3)
9. Washington, D.C. (-3)
10. Orlando, Fla. (-5)
11. Honolulu (-2)
12. Houston(+13)
13. Charleston, S.C. (+2)
14. Boston (-7)
15. Portland, Ore. (+4)
16. San Antonio, Texas (+1)
17. Palm Springs, Calif. (+6)
18. Austin, Texas (New)
19. Branson, Mo.(New)
20. Atlanta (New)
21. Phoenix (New)
22. Myrtle Beach, S.C. (-1)
23. Saint Louis, Mo. (New)
24. Nashville, Tenn. (New)
25. Miami (-13)
Some quick takeaways from the study:
- Asian destinations climb world list of top spots: Six of the top 25 world spots are from Asia and four Asian cities saw a climb of at least 10 places in the world top 25 list year-over-year. Beijing jumped 17 spots to No. 4 in the world, Hanoi is new to the list this year at No. 8, Siem Reap rose 14 spots to No. 9, and Shanghai climbed 12 places to No. 10.
-Texas and Southern destinations rise in the U.S.: Ten of the top 25 in the U.S. are southern destinations and it was a particularly strong showing from the Lone Star state this year. Houston saw the biggest jump on the U.S. list, up 13 spots to No. 12. San Antonio moved up one spot to No. 16 and Austin was new to the list at No. 18. Other southern spots that climbed the charts this year: New Orleans (+5 to No. 5) and Charleston (+2 to No. 13), while Atlanta (No. 20) and Nashville (No. 24) are new to this year's U.S. top 25.
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