Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel guidance platform, has 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, with Bali climbing back up to No. 2 for 2023. The popular island destination was also named No. 1 most popular destination in Asia this year. India dominates the popular destinations category, taking three of the top 10 spots for the region.
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 region in this category, taking half of the top 10 spots with Siem Reap, Chiang Mai, Baku and Kathmandu all also making it into the top 10 trending destinations world wide.
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 and Kathmandu, Nepal coming in at No. 2.
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.Jaipur, India and Colombo, Sri Lanka also made it into the top 10 at No. 5 and No. 10 respectively.
Food is top priority for travellers, with 58% 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. Hanoi, Vietnam came in at No. 3 as the only Asian destination to make this top 10 world list for 2023.
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.
Top 10 Popular Destinations in Asia:
Bali, Indonesia
New Delhi, India
Phuket, Thailand
Hanoi, Vietnam
Bangkok, Thailand
Jaipur, India
Goa, India
Da Nang, Vietnam
Singapore
Jakarta, Indonesia
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.
