London Named Second Best-Rated Destination in the World for 2018

(Source: London & Partners)

London is today named the second best rated destination in the world and Europe and number one the UK in the tenth annual Travellers’ Choice awards for Destinations, announced by TripAdvisor, the travel planning and booking site.

Paris takes the title of world number one this year, with Rome following behind London in third place and Bali coming in fourth. Interestingly, New York, a long-time favourite with travellers worldwide, slips down to tenth place this year from fifth last year, with Crete, Barcelona, Prague Marrakech and Istanbul – which come in fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth respectively – all ranking above the Big Apple.

The TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice awards for Destinations reveal the world’s best-rated destinations each year, based on millions of reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travellers. Award winners were determined using an algorithm based on 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 traveller booking interest on TripAdvisor.

Laura Citron, CEO London & Partners, the Mayor of London’s official promotional agency for city said, “It’s wonderful to see that visitors continue to be drawn in by London’s extraordinary mix of history and heritage, cutting-edge contemporary culture alongside an array of major events and festivities. This year promises another jam-packed programme of blockbuster exhibitions, shows and exciting new openings to tempt visitors of all ages, interests and budgets”

European destinations dominate the world top ten this year with seven of the top ten from the region; Paris, London, Rome, Crete, Barcelona, Prague and Istanbul.

“This year’s awards show that the UK’s capital is still a firm favourite among global travellers as it maintains its position in the top two destination in the world. Travellers planning a visit to one of the top 10 destinations in the world will get the best value in Istanbul, with the average nightly hotel rate on TripAdvisor coming in at £78,” commented TripAdvisor spokesperson, Hayley Coleman.

UK category: North continues to beat South with more winning destinations

The awards also reveal the UK and Channel Isles best-rated destinations and while London ranks as the UK’s number one destination overall, the north also has a lot to celebrate with six winning destination in the top 10 versus four southern winners. And it is not the first time that the north has boasted more winning destinations than the south in the Travellers’ Choice Destinations awards; in fact, this has been the case for six years running.

Edinburgh, Liverpool, York, Glasgow, Blackpool and Belfast take second, third, fifth, sixth, ninth and tenth place respectively. While to the south of the UK and Channel Isles, London, Jersey, Isle of Wight and Bath come in first, fourth, seventh and eighth respectively.

To help travellers plan their next trip to the world’s top ten destinations, TripAdvisor has identified highly-rated value hotels that cost less than the destination average.

World top 10

Paris, France

Average annual hotel rate in Paris: £166 per night on TripAdvisor

Highly-rated value hotel: Hotel Bradford Elysees - Astotel, from £110 per night on TripAdvisor

London, England

Average annual hotel rate in London: £191 per night on TripAdvisor

Highly-rated value hotel: The Piccadilly London West End, from £176 per night on TripAdvisor

Rome, Italy

Average annual hotel rate in Rome: £136 per night on TripAdvisor

Highly-rated value hotel: Deko Rome, from £121 per night on TripAdvisor

Bali, Indonesia

Average annual hotel rate in Bali: £111 per night on TripAdvisor

Highly-rated value hotel: The Villas Tejakula, from £101 per night on TripAdvisor

Crete, Greece

Average annual hotel rate in Crete: £121 per night on TripAdvisor

Highly-rated value hotel: Elounda Garden Suites, from £61 per night on TripAdvisor

Barcelona, Spain

Average annual hotel rate in Barcelona: £166 per night on TripAdvisor

Highly-rated value hotel: Yurbban Passage Hotel & Spa, from £130 per night on TripAdvisor

Prague, Czech Republic

Average annual hotel rate in Prague: £105 per night on TripAdvisor

Highly-rated value hotel: Hotel Pod Vezi, from £80 per night on TripAdvisor

Marrakech, Morocco

Average annual hotel rate in Marrakech: £125 per night on TripAdvisor

Highly-rated value hotel: Riad Dar Dialkoum, from £95 per night on TripAdvisor

Istanbul, Turkey

Average annual hotel rate in Istanbul: £78 per night on TripAdvisor

Highly-rated value hotel: Dersaadet Hotel Istanbul, from £72 per night on TripAdvisor

New York City, New York

Average annual hotel rate in New York City: £291 per night on TripAdvisor

Highly-rated value hotel: The Blakely New York, from £180 per night on TripAdvisor

Europe top 10

Paris, France

London, UK

Rome, Italy

Crete, Greece

Barcelona, Spain

Prague, Czech Republic

Istanbul, Turkey

Lisbon, Portugal

Majorca, Spain

Santorini, Greece

UK top 10

London, London

Edinburgh, Scotland

Liverpool, Merseyside

Jersey, Channel Isles

York, North Yorkshire

Glasgow, Scotland

Isle of Wight, Hampshire

Bath, Somerset

Blackpool, Lancashire

Belfast, Northern Ireland

For the complete list of Travellers' Choice Destination award-winners for 2018, as well as the latest reviews and candid traveller photos, visit www.TripAdvisor.co.uk/TravellersChoice-Destinations. Travellers can also follow the conversation on Twitter at #TravellersChoice.