Everyone has a travel bucket list. Most of us wouldn’t mind seeing all kinds of different places in the world, but there are always a few that stand out the most as the ones we’d like to prioritize given the opportunity. But have you ever wondered how your top travel priorities might compare to those of other people? Sometimes, looking into the places others have put high on their own lists can expand your horizons and give you a few more exciting places to think about visiting one day.
Keep that in mind as you consider the following places that consistently pop up as sought after travel destinations, in one way or another.
Tenerife, Canary Islands
You probably didn’t expect this one, did you? Well, somewhat surprisingly, Tenerife was actually near the top of a list on Business Insider of the most popular travel destinations in the world, as of earlier this year. It’s unexpected to see it that high on a list of this kind, simply because it’s a little more obscure than a lot of other popular destinations – but it’s not at all surprising that people are dying to go there. Tenerife is a gorgeous island marked by a dormant volcano (Mt. Teide) and featuring some of Europe’s greatest beaches. It’s a terrific place for those looking to relax, with plenty of excellent resorts, but also a fun place for active travelers, thanks to a focus on scuba diving and watersports.
London, England
Nearby Paris tends to be more at the forefront of people’s minds in discussions like this one, but London has actually become a pretty concrete top-10 tourism city in the world in recent years. It’s certainly one of the most interesting cities in the world, thanks to everything from vibrant sport and theater scenes to postcard monuments like Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. And London offers additional perks for travelers as well. It’s a nice “home base” for a larger tour of England and all its picturesque towns and regions, and it’s also a stop en route to continental Europe for a lot of overseas travelers.
Kyoto, Japan
A lot of people want to go to Japan in general. In fact, a survey of where people might like to travel if they won $100 million had Japan listed first among men, and second among women – indicating it’s truly the top priority for a lot of people. Kyoto in particular tends to pop up on a lot of travel bucket lists, and is another city that was featured in the aforementioned Business Insider piece. For the most part, it’s a city people visit in order to soak up one of the most unique and beautiful cultures in the world. There are temples and shrines to visit, stunning natural areas to take in, and authentic, historic wooden houses that you can stay in.
Paris, France
We already mentioned Paris once, and it almost seems too easy to include them on the list. But if we’re truly looking into the most popular travel destinations in the world, it would simply be inaccurate not to include the so-called City Of Lights. The Eiffel Tower dominates the skyline, the bakeries and cafés (and wine) are usually even better than advertised, and there may not be a better place in the world to spend time with a significant other. It’s a dreamlike destination, and one where you can enjoy yourself to the fullest without stressing out about hitting particular landmarks or attractions (though an afternoon at the Louvre is certainly recommended).
Bangkok, Thailand
Bangkok came in first on the list of the most visited cities in the world in 2016, with over 21 million overnight visitors passing through during the year. That’s a pretty astounding number (London was second at 19.8 million), and says more than we ever could about how popular this Southeast Asian destination has become. In terms of the types of attractions you can enjoy, they’re similar to those in Tokyo: shrines, temples, marketplaces, etc. But there are also plenty of more traditional urban attractions in the city, from great restaurants to entertaining bars.