TripAdvisor(R), the world's largest travel community, today announced the winners of its 2008 Travelers' Choice(R) Destinations Awards. In its inaugural year, the TripAdvisor Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards honor the world's top destinations, earning their distinction from those who know them best -- real travelers.

Only TripAdvisor's Destinations Awards represent the opinions of millions of travelers. The winners were determined by a combination of TripAdvisor's travelers' favorite places and overall popularity on TripAdvisor.

"Whether it's for their unique beauty, or abundance of attractions, the 2008 Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards honor the most beloved destinations from around the world," said Michele Perry, vice president of global communications for TripAdvisor. "Determined by millions of travelers, the Travelers' Choice Destinations Awards are unique because they single out not just popular places but truly exceptional places that enthrall travelers and keep them coming back."

  2008 Travelers' Choice World Destinations
  1.  Milford Sound, New Zealand
  2.  Queenstown, New Zealand
  3.  Philipsburg, St. Maarten
  4.  Cayo Largo, Cuba
  5.  Rhodes, Greece
  6.  Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
  7.  Cruz Bay, St. John
  8.  Bridgetown, Barbados
  9.  Banff, Canada
  10. Lake Tahoe, California

  2008 Travelers' Choice U.S. Destinations
  1.  Lake Tahoe, California
  2.  Big Sur, California
  3.  San Francisco, California
  4.  Poipu, Hawaii
  5.  Sedona, Arizona
  6.  New Orleans, Louisiana
  7.  Carmel, California
  8.  Napa, California
  9.  Lahaina, Hawaii
  10. La Jolla, California

  2008 Travelers' Choice Europe Destinations
  1.  Rhodes, Greece
  2.  Salzburg, Austria
  3.  Amalfi, Italy
  4.  Bath, England
  5.  Siena, Italy
  6.  Dingle, Ireland
  7.  Bruges, Belgium
  8.  Lucerne, Switzerland
  9.  Vatican City, Italy
  10. Edinburgh, Scotland

For the complete 2008 Travelers' Choice Destinations list, go to www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations.

About TripAdvisor Media Network

TripAdvisor(R) Media Network, operated by TripAdvisor, LLC, attracts nearly 30 million monthly visitors* across ten popular travel brands, TripAdvisor(R), airfarewatchdog.com(TM), bookingbuddy.com (TM), cruisecritic.com(TM), holidaywatchdog.com(TM), independenttraveler.com(TM), seatguru.com(R), smartertravel.com(TM), travel-library.com(TM) and travelpod.com(TM). TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 25 million monthly visitors*, six million registered members and 15 million reviews and opinions. Featuring real advice from real travelers, TripAdvisor-branded sites cover 300,000+ hotels and attractions and operate in the U.S. (http://www.tripadvisor.com/), the U.K. (http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/), Ireland (http://www.tripadvisor.ie/), France (http://www.tripadvisor.fr/), Germany (http://www.tripadvisor.de/), Italy (http://www.tripadvisor.it/), and Spain (http://www.tripadvisor.es/). TripAdvisor(R) Media Network provides travel suppliers with graphical advertising opportunities and a cost-per-click marketing platform. Collectively, the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network have won hundreds of awards and accolades from press and industry worldwide. TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Network are operating companies of Expedia, Inc. .

TripAdvisor, SeatGuru, Travel-Library, Holiday Watchdog and TravelPod are either registered trademarks or trademarks of TripAdvisor LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Airfarewatchdog, Booking Buddy and Smarter Travel are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Smarter Travel Media LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Cruise Critic and The Independent Traveler are either trademarks or registered trademarks of The Independent Traveler, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix, Digital Calculator Report, July 2007

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SOURCE: TripAdvisor