SINGAPORE, 26 February 2020: Indian port city Kochi earns bucket-list status as the world’s top trending destination according to Tripadvisor’s 2020 Travellers’ Choice Destination Awards.
Tripadvisor announced the winners of the 2020 Travellers’ Choice Destination awards Wednesday.
Two new categories ‘Trending’ and ‘Emerging’ joined this year’s line-up with Kochi topping the trending list, and Kaliningrad a tiny sliver of Russia, trapped between the Baltic Sea, Poland and Lithuania topped the emerging destinations list.
Kochi: World #1 Trending Destination
Tripadvisor said Kochi earned its bucket list status, seeing the biggest spike in top reviews, ratings and traveller interest on Tripadvisor over the last year.
It described the destination as “a blending of small villages on India’s southwest coast that created the current incarnation of Kochi (or Cochin), famed for its sunset trails, fresh fish from seaside vendors and boat rides to islands just offshore.”
Travellers to India have traditionally prioritised trips to the nation’s mega-cities, but the trend is shifting to exploring smaller cities such as Kochi that has stunning historic sites, including Portuguese-built churches and forts.
While Kochi topped the global list, regional differences were also evident in the review data. For example, travellers in Singapore were most interested in Luzon, Philippines, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and Cebu, Philippines, showing that regional travel is still a popular option for travellers in Singapore.
‘Trending’ recognises destinations that are on the rise, having seen the biggest spikes in positive reviews and ratings over the last year.
‘Emerging’ looks ahead and identifies up and coming hotspots — the destinations that are still ahead of the curve that smart travellers are already saving to their Trips on Tripadvisor.
“The Trending and Emerging Destination winners are based on the feedback and growing interest from travellers on Tripadvisor and are therefore fantastic sources of inspiration and planning for discovering somewhere new,” said Tripadvisor VP of Brand Neela Pal.
Top 10 Global Trending Destinations
1. Kochi (Cochin), India
2. Luzon, Philippines
3. Porto, Portugal
4. Porto Seguro, Brazil
5. Gramado, Brazil
6. Lombok, Indonesia
7. Da Nang, Vietnam
8. Zakynthos, Greece
9. Tel Aviv, Israel
10. Krakow, Poland
While Kaliningrad came in first on the global list, the top three emerging destinations for travellers in Singapore were Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam, Darwin, Australia and Agra, India.
Global Emerging Destinations
1. Kaliningrad, Russia
2. Saranda, Albania
3. Beirut, Lebanon
4. Luxor, Egypt
5. Naoussa, Greece
6. Rugen Island, Germany
7. Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
8. Monopoli, Italy
9. La Paz, Mexico
10. Curaçao, Caribbean
