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LONDON, UK, August 23, 2018 – TripAdvisor research today reveals countries and destinations that put travellers in the heart of nature are the world’s top-ranked for travel experiences, according to travellers themselves. The data revealed Costa Rica - known for rainforests, volcanos, beaches and surfing - to be the world’s best destination for travel experiences, taking top spot on both the country and destination lists. New Zealand, famed for its adventure tourism, ranked second among the best countries, while Vietnam, known for its bustling cities, delicious food and beautiful coastline took third place.
Closer to home, Scotland’s variety of scenic experiences for travellers, like the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park Tour and a four-day tour of the West Highlands and Isle of Skye, propelled the country into the list of top five countries worldwide for experiences.
The lists, announced today by TripAdvisor®, the world’s largest provider of bookable tours and activities, recognise the top places – countries and destinations – in the world for travellers to do local tours, activities, and experiences, based on the combined average destination ratings and reviews for bookable experiences on the site.
Costa Rica Named Best in the World for Experiences
Globally, Costa Rica proved to be the favourite for travel experiences, taking the top spot in the country list, while its La Fortuna de San Carlos region – boasting experiences like volcano hikes waterfall treks and a Sloth Seeing Tour – took first place in the destinations list. La Fortuna de San Carlos beat out two of the world’s most scenic destinations: Hawaii’s Kauai, known for its beautiful Na’Pali Coast accessible by both boat and helicopter, and Tromso Norway, famous for the Northern Lights, its fjords and crystalline waterfalls.
Smaller Capitals, like Belfast and Edinburgh, Topped Europe’s Iconic Cities
Travellers are showing appreciation for destinations beyond global favourites, with cities like London, Paris, and Rome being outranked by places like Tromso, Norway, St. Petersburg, Russia, and Santorini, Greece, which topped the list of best destinations for experiences in Europe.
Two UK cities are featured among the top European destinations for tours and activities, according to travellers. Northern Ireland’s capital, Belfast, with activities like the Troubles Historical Tour and the Titanic Walking Tour, is the fourth best European destination for experiences, while the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, with experiences like a multi-day trip to the Isle of Skye and an Old Town Walking Tour, ranks among the top 10.
“These rankings show travellers’ growing appetite and appreciation for travel experiences beyond Europe’s iconic cities,” said Hayley Coleman, a TripAdvisor spokesperson. “With places like Tromso, Belfast and Funchal all ranking amongst Europe’s top destinations for experiences, it’s clear travellers are breaking away from the big cities and thoroughly enjoying it! These destinations are perfect inspiration to start planning your next trip and with over 121,000 experiences available to book on TripAdvisor, you’ll never be stumped with what to do, somewhere new.”
These are the top 10 countries and top 10 destinations in the world for experiences, according to travellers’ ratings and reviews.
Best Countries in the World for Experiences
|
Rank |
Country |
Average Country Rating* |
Top-Rated Experiences |
|
1. |
Costa Rica |
4.66 |
|
|
2. |
New Zealand |
4.65 |
|
|
3. |
Vietnam |
4.62 |
|
|
4. |
Ireland |
4.57 |
|
|
5. |
Scotland |
4.57 |
|
|
6. |
Australia |
4.54 |
|
|
7. |
Portugal |
4.52 |
|
|
8. |
Mexico |
4.50 |
|
|
9. |
United States |
4.50 |
|
|
10. |
Iceland |
4.49 |
Best Destinations in the World for Experiences
Best Destinations in Europe for Experiences
|
Rank |
Destination |
Average Destination Rating* |
Top-Rated Experiences |
|
1. |
Tromso, Norway |
4.77 |
|
|
2. |
St. Petersburg, Russia |
4.70 |
|
|
3. |
Santorini, Greece |
4.69 |
|
|
4. |
Belfast, Northern Ireland |
4.68 |
|
|
5. |
Funchal, Portugal |
4.65 |
|
|
6. |
Split, Croatia |
4.65 |
|
|
7. |
Berlin, Germany |
4.60 |
|
|
8. |
Porto, Portugal |
4.60 |
|
|
9. |
Edinburgh, Scotland |
4.57 |
|
|
10. |
Dublin, Ireland |
4.56 |
TripAdvisor is the world’s largest online provider of tours, activities and attractions, offering more than 121,000 bookable tours, activities and experiences to help travellers unleash the full potential of their trips.
Methodology
The best destinations for experiences were determined based on the average rating for bookable experiences in destination.
*Ratings are based on a five-point scale.
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site*, enables travellers to unleash the full potential of every trip. With over 661 million reviews and opinions covering the world's largest selection of travel listings worldwide – covering approximately 7.7 million accommodations, airlines, experiences, and restaurants -- TripAdvisor provides travellers with the wisdom of the crowds to help them decide where to stay, how to fly, what to do and where to eat. TripAdvisor also compares prices from more than 200 hotel booking sites so travellers can find the lowest price on the hotel that's right for them. TripAdvisor-branded sites are available in 49 markets, and are home to the world's largest travel community of 456 million average monthly unique visitors**, all looking to get the most out of every trip. TripAdvisor: Know better. Book better. Go better.
The subsidiaries and affiliates of TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) own and operate a portfolio of websites and businesses, including more than 20 travel media brands:
www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bokun.io, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.citymaps.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, www.iens.nl and www.dimmi.com.au), www.gateguru.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.housetrip.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.onetime.com, www.oyster.com, www.seatguru.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com and www.viator.com.
* Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, worldwide, November 2017
** Source: TripAdvisor log files, average monthly unique visitors, Q2 2018
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