Newsroom
TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest travel site, has announced Bali as the world winner of its 2017 Travelers’ Choice™ awards for destinations[1]. The award marks the first time an Asian destination has taken the top spot in the history of its run, which honors 418 outstanding destinations across the globe.
The top 10 Travelers’ Choice Destinations in the world are:
“It is really an honour for us to be chosen the best in the world this year. I believe that this award will strengthen our position as a tourism nation” said I Gde Pitana, Deputy Minister for International Tourism Marketing. “The 2017 Travelers’ Choice Award surely supports our effort to reach our 20 million tourist target as well as uplifts in our Wonderful Indonesia branding. Besides Bali as the Best Destination in the World, Lombok was also awarded as one the top 10 destinations in Asia.”
“Bali is a destination with top-notch experiences for every type of traveler be it natural, cultural or gastronomical so users tend to want to share these with the world,” said TripAdvisor spokesperson for Asia Pacific, Sarah Mathews. “User-generated content plays such a key role in traveler discovery and we encourage more travelers to share their wonderful Bali experiences with other global users on TripAdvisor to encourage them to visit the island.”
Global reviews and opinions on TripAdvisor have now crossed the 500 million milestone, with the popular travel planning and booking site and app receiving 290 pieces of content every minute of every day. Bali has seen steady year-on-year[2] growth in user reviews across all three categories – accommodation (25%), attraction (38%) and eatery (38%) – indicating sustained global interest in the full spectrum of Bali’s tourism offerings.
In Bali, the most reviewed accommodations on TripAdvisor are Padma Resort Legian, Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa and Melia Bali Indonesia; most reviewed restaurants are Potato Head Beach Club, Ku De Ta and La Lucciola; and the most reviewed tourist attractions are Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, Waterbom Bali and Tanah Lot Temple.
The top source market for Bali is China with search interest on TripAdvisor having increased by 73% year-on-year[3], followed by The Netherlands at 57% and India at 37%.
TripAdvisor’s impact on Indonesian travel economy
At the same time, an Oxford Economics study* found that TripAdvisor’s breadth of content, trusted consumer reviews, and booking facilities not only influenced travel decisions but also generated incremental travel for Indonesia. In 2015, TripAdvisor generated1 569,000 tourism trips and 2.5 million tourism nights, as well as US$853 million of additional tourism spend.
The report also revealed that TripAdvisor content gives travelers the confidence to choose a property based on reviews, ratings and photos from other travelers, rather than more traditional decision-making factors such as brand recognition or previous experience. This trend particularly benefits non-branded businesses, enabling small and independent businesses to compete on more of an equal footing with larger, more internationally recognisable brands.
Said I Made Widnyana, owner of Celebrity Bike Tour in Bali, “As a small tour operator with little marketing budget, word of mouth is really how people find out about my business so TripAdvisor’s reach and influence is really important to my success. Our free listing on TripAdvisor has opened up opportunities to showcase our bike tours to both local and international travellers, which would not have been possible otherwise.”
Other key findings of TripAdvisor’s impact on Indonesia include:
For the complete list of winners from the 2017 Travelers’ Choice awards for Destinations, more reviews and candid traveler photos, go to www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Destinations.
For more information and to download the complete report, The Global Economic Contribution of TripAdvisor, please visit TripAdvisor Insights.
TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel site*. Travelers can read millions of reviews and opinions and book their next trip at www.tripadvisor.com.
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Notes to editors:
*Methodology: Study commissioned by TripAdvisor and undertaken by Oxford Economics, quantifying the economic impacts of TripAdvisor on Indonesian travel market. Extensive econometric testing proved that TripAdvisor content is a causal factor in travel activity, in addition to being positively correlated.
1Generated: defined as incremental trips, nights, and spending that would not have happened without the content and functionality of TripAdvisor.
2Influenced: defined as any travel in which TripAdvisor played any role. This includes generated impact as well as any travel that would have otherwise occurred but used TripAdvisor reviews and scores to inform behaviour.
[1] Award winners was 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 traveler booking interest on TripAdvisor.
[2] Comparing 2015 vs 2016
[3] Comparing search interest in Bali on TripAdvisor based on internal data, 2015 vs 2016