Top 10 travel destinations of 2014
Istanbul has emerged as the top destination in a ranking that serves as a barometer of the most popular travel hotspots trending around the world.
Istanbul has emerged as the top destination in a ranking that serves as a barometer of the most popular travel hotspots trending around the world.
The largest city in Turkey has pulled off an impressive feat in the sixth edition of TripAdvisor’s Travelers’ Choice Destinations 2014 report, leapfrogging 11 places from last year and knocking Paris off its perch.
Another big mover this year is Beijing, which moved up 17 positions to catapult its way into fourth spot. The jump is part of a larger trend among TripAdvisor users, who gave six of the top 25 spots to Asian cities.
The final ranking is compiled using an algorithm that combs through millions of reviews and takes into account the quantity and quality of ratings for hotels, attractions, restaurants and destinations over a 12-month period.
Meanwhile, though Paris may have fallen out of favor among TripAdvisor users, the French capital maintains it was the world’s top tourist destination last year, attracting 32.3 million tourists based on hotel occupancies.
Here are the top 10 destinations in 2014 according to TripAdvisor:
1. Istanbul, Turkey (+11)
2. Rome, Italy (+2)
3. London, England (0)
4. Beijing, China (+17)
5. Prague, Czech Republic (+4)
6. Morocco (+13)
7. Paris, France (-6)
8. Hanoi, Vietnam (New)
9. Siem Reap, Cambodia (+14)
10. Shanghai, China (+12)