TripAdvisor™, the world’s largest travel site*, today announced its 2015 Travellers’ Choice™ awards for Destinations. This year’s awards honour 469 top travel destinations worldwide including lists for Asia, Australia, Africa, Canada, Caribbean, Central America, Europe, China, Middle East, Russia, South America, the South Pacific, the U.K., and the U.S., based on the millions of valuable reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travellers.
“These world-class destinations chosen by our community are rich in history, culture and beauty and offer endless sights to explore,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor. “To help travellers discover these cities, TripAdvisor has surfaced value hotel options that are bookable on the site, along with fantastic places to eat and play.”
Southeast Asian destinations make up almost half of the Asian list, taking out 13 of the 25 winning destinations. Siem Reap, Cambodia took the top spot, and was also named 2nd in the world, after Marrakesh, Morocco.
"We are thrilled that Siem Reap has been recognised by TripAdvisor’s global community in the 2015 Travellers’ Choice Destinations awards. Cambodia has rich cultural heritage and tropical ecology and we hope these awards will encourage more travellers to visit our beloved Kingdom,” said Dr. Thong Khon, Minister of Tourism, Cambodia.
Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for hotels, restaurants and attractions in destinations worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period.
For travellers looking to experience the award-winning destinations, TripAdvisor can help them plan and book their trip by comparing hotel prices from hundreds of others sites to find the best value. TripAdvisor also features comprehensive information on more than 147,000 destinations around the world, including descriptions and travel guides, candid traveller photos, as well as insight on must-visit attractions and restaurants.
Top 10 Travellers’ Choice Destinations in Asia (with average nightly hotel rate in US$):
(+/- denotes change in ranking year-over-year, 0 is no change)
1. Siem Reap, Cambodia (+2) – average nightly hotel rate: US$55.42
Great value hotel2 option: Shinta Mani Resort, bookable on TripAdvisor for as low as US$175.98 per night.
Places to discover: Angkor Wat and Angkor Night Market
2. Hanoi, Vietnam (0) – US$39.77
Great value hotel option: Oriental Central Hotel, bookable on TripAdvisor for as low as US$46.99 per night.
Places to discover: Halong Bay and Hoa Sua Training Restaurant - Le Croissant
3. Ubud, Bali, Indonesia (+5) – US$156.29
Great value hotel option: Plataran Ubud Hotel & Spa, bookable on TripAdvisor for as low as US$128.87 per night.
Places to discover: Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary and Fair Warung Bale
4. Bangkok, Thailand (+1) – US$55.22
Great value hotel option: Oriental Residence Bangkok, bookable on TripAdvisor for as low as US$156.97 per night.
Places to discover: Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho) and Chatuchak Weekend Market
5. Kathmandu, Nepal (+5) – US$49.68
Great value hotel option: Hotel Mi Casa, bookable on TripAdvisor for as low as US$49.69 per night.
Places to discover: Durbar Square and Places Restaurant and Bar
6. Hong Kong, China (+1) – US$150.44
7. Hoi An, Vietnam (+7) – US$51.21
8. Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia (NEW) – US$116.90
9. Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia (+10) – US$202.84
10. Beijing, China (-9) – US$76.22
As an additional resource, TripAdvisor has curated Travel Guides for the top 25 award-winning destinations in the world, which can be found at: http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/TravellersChoice-Destinations. Travelers will also find hotel recommendations, tips on what to see in each destination, along with the complete list of winners.
To see the best hotels for luxury, bargain, romance and more, as honoured in the 2015 Travellers’ Choice awards for Hotels announced in January, go to: http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg/TravellersChoice-Hotels.
Notes to editors:
1 Average nightly hotel rates for summer 2015 are based on TripAdvisor data for June 1 through August 31, 2015, aggregated from booking partners, including online travel agencies and direct hotel suppliers.
2 Great value hotels have a minimum four out of five TripAdvisor bubble rating and currently have availability between June 1 and August 31, 2015. Hotel pricing is based on TripAdvisor data for June 1 through August 31, 2015, aggregated from booking partners, including online travel agencies and direct hotel suppliers.