LONDON, UK, 18 January, 2023 – TripadvisorⓇ, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, today announced its Travellers’ ChoiceⓇ Best of the Best Destination Awards for 2023. Based on authentic reviews from the global travel community, the awards highlight the top rated spots in the world across six categories: Popular, Trending, Food, Nature, Culture and Ski.
Every year, Tripadvisor analyses the millions of reviews submitted on its platform to reveal the definitive travel list for the year, as chosen by globetrotters across the world. Looking at the quantity and quality of reviews for international destinations, the Travellers’ ChoiceⓇ Best of the Best Destination Awards spotlight the most popular and up and coming destinations for the year ahead.
“We saw a resurgence of travel demand in 2022, and the outlook for this year is bright,” said Sarah Firshein, the Head of Editorial at Tripadvisor. “Long-haul trips have made a comeback, and we’re seeing a lot of travellers excited to plan trips to Asia and the Pacific region for the first time in several years. Cities like Paris and London, which may have taken a backseat to less populous destinations throughout the pandemic, are back on travellers' minds, while far-reaching parts of the United States like Alaska and previously restricted countries like Cuba are also piquing a lot of interest.”
“Above all, travellers are seeking out new adventures this year, and our Travellers’ Choice 2023 Destinations list reflects the very best places chosen by our devoted community," Firshein said. "The diverse range of choices offer opportunities for cultural immersion, incredible culinary experiences, awe-inspiring natural wonders, and more—it's really the ultimate reference guide for travellers dreaming about where to go next.”
See the winners across all subcategories here: tripadvisor.co.uk/TravellersChoice-Destinations.
2023 Travel Hot List
Dubai has held onto the top spot in Tripadvisors’ flagship category, Popular Destinations, to be crowned most popular destination in the world for a second year running. A favourite with celebs and influencers, the ‘City of Gold’ continues to attract tourists from all over the world seeking out their very own slice of luxury. London held onto a podium finish securing third most popular destination in the world, knocked off second place from last year by Bali for 2023. The UK capital did, however, retain its place as most popular destination in Europe, alongside Edinburgh, which was ranked No. 10.
Looking at up and coming travel hot spots for 2023, Cuba is the No. 1 Trending Destination in the world, with the greatest year-over-year growth in interest on Tripadvisor, followed by Hoi An, Vietnam at No. 2 and Mauritius at No. 3. Asia is the top trending region in this category, taking half of the top 10 spots.
This year’s travel inspiration
While big cities continue to dominate the most popular destinations lists, a new category for 2023 celebrates travellers’ appetite for adventure and the great outdoors. The best Nature Destinations provides inspiration to budding explorers planning bucket list trips, with Mauritius scooping the inaugural top spot for this category.
Another new category this year is the Best Places for Culture, looking specifically at reviews that highlight art, history and culture. Fes, Morocco, is No. 1 in the world for culture for 2023, while a bit closer to home, Dublin, Ireland comes in at No. 4.
Food is top priority for Brits, with 57% most excited about what restaurants to visit when it comes to planning a trip, according to Tripadvisor’s latest Travel Index. The best Food Destinations highlights locales known for their cuisine and burgeoning dining scenes. Rome reigns supreme for foodies taking the top spot in both the world and Europe lists.
As the ski season kicks off for 2023, Tripadvisor has unveiled the Best Places to Ski, according to those who hit the slopes last year. With its stunning landscape and down-to-earth mountain culture, Whistler, Canada is the No. 1 Ski Destination in the world this year while Zermatt, Switzerland tops the EU list.
Top 10 Trending Destinations in the World
1. Cuba
Don’t miss: wander around the charming streets of Old Havana
Don’t miss: explore Ba Na Hills and the picturesque Golden Bridge
3. Mauritius
Don’t miss: enjoy a Catamaran cruise to Ile aux cerfs
Don’t miss: sunrise tour of Angkor Wat
Don’t miss: take a Thai and Akha cooking class
Don’t miss: snorkel Stingray City
7. Fes, Morocco
Don’t miss: take a walking tour through the charming walled city
Don’t miss: explore the Absheron peninsula’s diverse attractions on a full day tour
Don’t miss: hop on a flight for close-up views of Mount Everest
10. Krakow, Poland
Don’t miss: dive into Polish culture and cuisine with a vodka tour
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Methodology
The Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best Destinations Awards honour travellers’ favourite destinations worldwide based on the quality and quantity of ratings and reviews, specific to each award subcategory, for accommodations, restaurants, and things to do in destinations from travellers globally on Tripadvisor over the 12-month period between November 1, 2021 and October 31, 2022.
Note to Editor
Don’t miss activities in each destination were selected by Tripadvisor’s editorial team based on highly-rated things to do, according to traveller reviews, in each destination.
About Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform*, helps hundreds of 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 1 billion reviews and opinions of nearly 8 million businesses, travellers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby. As a travel guidance company available in 43 markets and 22 languages, Tripadvisor makes planning easy no matter the trip type.
The subsidiaries of Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP), own and operate a portfolio of travel media brands and businesses, operating under various websites and apps, including the following websites: www.tripadvisor.com, www.viator.com, www.thefork.com, www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk and www.cruisecritic.com.
* Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly, September 2022
** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files
For further information: EMEApressoffice@tripadvisor.com