by Josh Lew
Last updated: 6:00 PM ET, Thu July 7, 2016
Photo courtesy of Thinkstock
Travel + Leisure has released its anticipated annual "best of" awards for 2016. The comprehensive list of categories covers virtually every major destination and travel niche. The rankings are compiled based on the voting by T + L readers.
The big question with rankings like this: Do they really paint an accurate picture of the year's top travel performers and of the state of the travel industry?
Let's take a look...
Islands
The list of 10 best islands, accord to Travel + Leisure readers, is mostly without surprises. Santorini and Bali are on the list alongside Maui, Kauai and Hilton Head Island, which came in first. The Philippines performed especially well, with Boracay and Palawan taking the top two spots.
Most of the top 10 islands have similar traits. They are accessible and popular, but you can still find quiet corners away from the tourist crowds. Some of the 10 best have obvious alternatives. Lombok, for example, is a less mainstream version of Bali that might appeal to tourists seeking somewhere less touristy.
More far-flung islands, like those in Fiji, the Canary Islands, the Maldives or French Polynesia would probably have cracked the top 10 if they had more visitors to vote for them.
Cities
The list of the world's 15 best cities was a little more diverse than the island rankings. Some major metropolises made the cut: Barcelona, Rome, Florence, Bangkok and Kyoto.
Interestingly, T + L readers also found smaller cities attractive. Chiang Mai, Thailand and Luang Prabang, Laos were two more far-flung small cities that made the list. Savannah, Georgia came in at number nine and Charleston, South Carolina came it at number one thanks to its charming streets, deep history and surprisingly cosmopolitan eating and dining scenes.
It looks like people are starting to embrace smaller cities, and these destinations, for their part, are starting to showcase their attractions and their cosmopolitan flair. Yes, these towns will never compete with larger metropolises in terms of overall number of attractions, but they can win when it comes to accessibility, user-friendliness and pleasantness. Like Charleston, they just have to have enough of the right kind of attractions to draw urban-minded travelers.
Airports
Dubai, Singapore Changi, Zurich, Munich, Hong Kong and Amsterdam Schiphol have spent much of the past decade at the top many airport rankings. Tokyo Haneda, which is being heavily promoted by the city and by airlines as a more convenient alternative to far-flung Narita, earned the ninth spot this year.
One of the world's safest airports, Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion also earned a spot in the top 10, coming in at number six. Perhaps this shows that security has become more important to travelers after the terror attacks of the past year.
Hotel brands
In the age of hotel consolidation, finding a good, reliable brand can be difficult. That said, once you realize that you can get the same level of service and quality from almost every Four Seasons, Dorchester or Langham, searching for the "perfect" place to stay gets easier.
These hotel companies might not be as widespread as major brands, but they are better at providing personalized services and, more importantly, they have a well defined brand and consistently provide the same kind of experience. T + L's top ranked brand, Oberoi, is known for its unobtrusive service, grand surroundings and exotic locations in India, Mauritius and Indonesia.
The Travel and Leisure "best of" rankings do hit many of the world's top destinations, brands and services. The rankings give insight into travel industry trends as much as they tell you which places are the best for this year.
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