London has today been named the best rated destination in the world in the eighth annual Travellers’ Choice awards for Destinations, announced by TripAdvisor, the travel planning and booking site.

The TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards for Destinations reveal the world’s best rated destinations each year, based on millions of reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travellers. 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, as well as traveller booking interest on TripAdvisor.

This win for London comes at a time when the city and the rest of the UK is poised for celebrations as the Queen marks her 90^th birthday in April and throughout the summer.

This year, London jumped five places up from its sixth place finish in 2015 to be crowned the world’s number one destination – ahead of global rivals such as Marrakech, Rome and New York.

“This is the first time since 2012 that London has topped our world award rankings, proving that the capital’s tourism industry is still reaping the benefits of the Games’ legacy,” commented James Kay, TripAdvisor spokesperson.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said, “London is undoubtedly the cultural capital of the world thanks to our iconic attractions, buzzing entertainment scene and amazing museums and galleries. Coupled with our abundance of top-notch hotels and restaurants offering every type of cuisine one's taste buds could desire, it is no wonder that London has been named the best travel destination in the world. It is an incredibly dynamic city, with something for everyone and we look forward to welcoming even more visitors to our wonderful metropolis.‎”

Of the top ten best rated world destinations, Siem Reap offers the cheapest hotel value with average bookable room rates on TripAdvisor at £50 a night.

Travellers’ looking to experience something special might want to consider a stay at the Golden Temple Residence. The hotel was named number one in Asia for service in the Travellers’ Choice Awards for Hotels this January. Bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of £99 in 2016, while more expensive than the average hotel rate in Siem Reap, it won’t break the bank. Travellers can get the best deal at this hotel in August when the average rate is £86.

UK category: North trumps South

When it comes to the UK winners, Despite London taking the top spot, this year the north comes up trumps overall as seven out of ten destinations are located north of the midlands.

Edinburgh, Liverpool, Llandudno and Blackpool take second, third, fourth and fifth place respectively, York comes in at seventh and Glasgow and Manchester rank ninth and tenth respectively.

Among the top ten UK destinations, Blackpool offers the cheapest hotel rooms with the average bookable hotel rate on TripAdvisor for 2016 at £66 – less than half the price of a comparable hotel room in London.

Visiting the world’s best rated destination

For those looking to visit the capital and world’s #1 destination this year, whether it’s a bargain break or luxury trip, London has a highly rated hotel to suit.

For those splashing out, the Egerton House Hotel, which was named 15^th best rated hotel in the world in the Travellers’ Choice Awards for Hotels, is bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of £353 per night. While a more affordable option but also highly rated but is the Premier Inn London Bank (Tower) Hotel. Named best rated family hotel in the UK in the Travellers’ Choice Awards for Family Hotels this month, travellers can hotel book a room on TripAdvisor for an average of just £139.

When it comes to things to do, Travellers’ wanting to get a look at London’s main sights with the added benefit of a guided tour in an exclusive, small group, can book the full-day London Sightseeing Tour on TripAdvisor at £60 per person.

Plan a 2016 trip to the top 10 Travellers’ Choice Destinations in the world:

1. London, United Kingdom – TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all hotels bookable in London, £1411

Highly rated hotel in London: Egerton House Hotel – bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of £343 per night

Highly rated bookable tour: London Sightseeing Tour, £60 per person.

2. Istanbul, Turkey* – TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all hotels bookable in Istanbul, £63

Highly rated hotel in Istanbul: World Heritage Hotel Istanbul - bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of £82 per night

3. Marrakech, Morocco – TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all hotels bookable in Marrakech, £72

Highly rated hotel in Marrakech: Riad Kheirredine - bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of £139 per night

4. Paris, France – TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all hotels bookable in Paris, £117

Highly rated hotel in Paris: Saint James Paris – Relais et Chateaux - bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of£366 per night

5. Siem Reap, Cambodia – TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all hotels bookable in Siem Reap, £50

Highly rated hotel in Siem Reap: Golden Temple Residence - bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of £99 per night

6. Prague, Czech Republic – TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all hotels bookable in Prague, £60

Highly rated hotel in Prague: Hotel Residence Agnes - bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of £137 per night

7. Rome, Italy – TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all hotels bookable in Rome, £91

Highly rated hotel in Rome: Hotel Majestic Roma - bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of £106 per night

8. Hanoi, Vietnam, – TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all hotels bookable in Hanoi, £56

Highly rated hotel in Hanoi: Hanoi La Siesta Hotel & Spa - bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of £73 per night

9. New York City, United States – TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all hotels bookable in New York City, £224

Highly rated hotel in New York City: Casablanca Hotel Times Square - bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of £276 per night

10. Ubud, Indonesia – TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all hotels bookable in Ubud, £90

Highly rated hotel in Ubud: Wapa di Ume Resort and Spa - bookable on TripAdvisor for an average of £155 per night

2016 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Destinations winners and average bookable room rates on TripAdvisor:

-Ends-

For more information please contact Hayley Coleman / hcoleman@tripadvisor.com / 0773 982 7951

Notes to editors:

* TripAdvisor is aware of the March 19 terrorism attack in Istanbul, and other attacks in Turkey over the past few months.  AllTravellers’ Choice destination award winners were selected based on the quantity of positive traveller feedback shared on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period from November 2014 – November 2015.  Istanbul’s recognition is a reflection of its consistent status as a favourite tourist destination among millions of travellers worldwide.

We strongly advise that travellers consult government websites for the latest security information, alerts and advisories when planning trips.

¹Average nightly rates of all bookable properties in each destination are based on TripAdvisor pricing data for March 1 through August 31, 2016, aggregated from booking partners including online travel agencies and direct hotel suppliers.

Additional quote:

Chris Gottlieb, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at London & Partners, the Mayor’s official promotional organisation for London said, “We are delighted that the capital has once again been hailed as the world's best rated destination by TripAdvisor travellers across the globe.

“London boasts an unrivalled mix of history, cutting edge contemporary culture and a rich calendar of special happenings to entice international visitors and encourage online reviews - and our latest tourism campaign, Fans of London, will shine a spotlight on some very exciting events to come, including the celebrations around the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s legacy, and the first international exhibition of the Rolling Stones, EXHIBITIONISM.”

About TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor^® is the world's largest travel site*, enabling travellers to plan and book the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers advice from millions of travellers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools that check hundreds of websites to find hotel prices. TripAdvisor branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, reaching 350 million unique monthly visitors**, and 320 million reviews and opinions covering 6.2 million accommodations, restaurants and attractions. The sites operate in 48 markets worldwide.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) manages and operates websites under 23 other travel media brands:

www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com,www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com,www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl, www.besttables.com and www.dimmi.com.au), www.gateguru.com,www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.jetsetter.com,www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com,www.tingo.com, www.travelpod.com, www.tripbod.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com, andwww.virtualtourist.com.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, November 2015

**Source: TripAdvisor log files, Q3 2015