LONDON, UK, 21 February, 2024 – Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, today announced the Best of the Best Beaches for 2024 as part of its annual Travellers’ Choice® Awards - with two UK beaches named most sustainable in the world in new subcategory.
Analysing the tens of millions of reviews submitted by global travellers over the past 12-months, looking at the quality and quantity of ratings for beach experiences, Tripadvisor reveals travellers’ favourite beaches of the year.
Europe tops global charts
According to Tripadvisor reviewers, Europe’s beaches are the best in the world, beating the likes of the Caribbean and Hawaii to secure the top three spots. Praia da Falésia in Portugal’s Algarve has been named the world’s best beach this year, while Sicilian beach, Spiaggia dei Conigli comes in at No. 2. La Concha Beach in Spain’s Basque region climbs an impressive 12 places from last year to be named No. 3 in the world.
This year’s world winner, Praia da Falésia, which came in at No. 6 last year, is known for its dramatic red, sandy cliffs and can be reached by a wooden staircase. It is beloved by Tripadvisor reviewers for its soft, powdery sand, perfect for sunbathing strolls along the beach.
Across the rest of the world, winners span Iceland to Australia, with new entries this year from Anse Lazio, Seychelles at No. 6, Playa Pilar, Cuba at No. 11 and Balandra Beach, Mexico, at No. 12.
“Last year, Tripadvisor received millions of reviews for beaches—it’s clear that our community absolutely loves them. But as our Travellers' Choice lists reveal, there's no one-size-fits-all ‘beach day’: Our top 25 winners alone encompass 18 countries across five continents. The top three beaches are all in Europe, ousting the perennially popular Caribbean from those spots—a sign that some travellers are eager to swap typical resort vacations for the coastlines of Portugal, Italy, and beyond.” – Sarah Firshein, Head of Editorial at Tripadvisor.
UK Top for Sustainability
With over half (55%) of global Tripadvisor users saying helping the environment is important to them*, this year’s Travellers’ Choice Best of the Best Beaches sees the launch of a new sub-category - World’s Best Sustainable Beaches. The UK comes out top with Sandbanks Beach in Poole, Dorset named No. 1 and Saundersfoot Beach in Pembrokeshire, Wales, coming in at No. 3, following Radhanagar Beach on India’s Havelock Island at No. 2.
Measured by a combination of inputs from sustainable data partner BeCause (via the Blue Flag program) and Tripadvisor traveller reviews, winners stand out for their commitments to sustainability including sustainable transport options, waste disposal and water quality.
Europe comes out top again in this list, taking seven of the top ten spots, with India, South Africa and the UAE also making the list.
Europe’s Best Beaches
Two Dorset beaches represent the UK in the Top 20 Beaches in Europe, with Weymouth Beach at No. 19 and Bournemouth Beach climbing four places from last year to reach No. 20.
When it comes to Europe’s top beaches, Gran Canaria, Spain and Vik, Iceland come out top with two entries each in the top 10. In Iceland Reynisfjara Beach comes in at No. 4 and Black Sand Beach, a new entry for 2024, is No. 10. Gran Canaria’s Playa de las Canteras is No. 5 and Playa de Maspalomas No. 9, both also new for this year.
Greece also sees three new entries this year, with Myrtos Beach, Kefalonia at No. 8, Anthony Quinn Bay, Faliraki at No. 12 and Matala Beach, Crete at No. 14.
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Note to Editor
*GWI Q3 2023
Methodology
- The Travelers' Choice Awards Best of the Best Beaches honour travellers' favourite beaches worldwide, based on the quality and quantity of global reviews and ratings on Tripadvisor for beaches, gathered over the 12-month period from October 1, 2022 to September 30, 2023.
- The Best of the Best Sustainable Beaches list was developed in partnership with sustainability data hub BeCause, utilising data from the international Blue Flag program (BF), a leading non-profit organisation of the Foundation for Environmental Education. Eligible beaches were awarded a Blue Flag for their specific tourist period (May 1, 2023 to April 23, 2024). Tripadvisor then overlaid its data by analysing these beaches for English-language traveller reviews referencing sustainability, such as "environmentally friendly", "eco-tourism", "clean water", etc. in addition to requiring a four bubble rating or higher and a minimum number of reviews over a 12-month period. The resulting winners were ranked based on the highest combined weighting of percentage (%) of total reviews discussing sustainability and average review bubble score over the 12 month period.
About Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform*, helps millions of people each month** become better travellers, from planning to booking to taking a trip. Travellers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than a billion reviews and contributions, travellers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby.
Tripadvisor LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tripadvisor, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRIP). The subsidiaries of Tripadvisor, Inc. own and operate a portfolio of travel media brands and businesses, operating under various websites and apps.
* Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly, September 2023
** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files
For further information: emeapressoffice@tripadvisor.com
