This Map Shows The Top Tourist Attraction In Every Country In The World
What do you think is the number one tourist attraction in the United States? Think of the possibilities: the Grand Canyon, the Las Vegas strip, Disney World, the Statue of Liberty, the Everglades, Niagara Falls. With 50 states and so many natural wonders (as well as some pretty sweet theme parks), it’s hard to decide, right?
Well, according to a new map created using TripAdvisor data, the number one must-see U.S. attraction is New York City’s Central Park. People come from all over the world to row boats in the lake, pose for pictures on the Alice in Wonderland statues, and pay their respects to John Lennon in Strawberry Fields.
How did Central Park earn this top rating?
The team at Vouchercloud did what many of us do — they turned to TripAdvisor for travel advice. Using TripAdvisor’s top-rated “thing to do” in every country, they created a map to make it visually easy for tourists to discover new and exciting places around the world.
Vouchercloud prioritized the best of the very best, highlighting only one attraction per country.
Top Spots
Some are rather obvious, including world-famous sites like the Taj Mahal in India. The mausoleum, built between 1621 and 1648 by emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife, attracts as many as 8 million visitors annually.
Another popular location was (surprise, surprise) the Great Wall of China. The most popular section of the wall averages around 10 million visitors per year, according to CNN.
However, some of the other suggested spots are more off the beaten path.
Did you expect Mexico’s number one attraction to be a museum? Or the Harry Potter Studio Tour to be the pride of the United Kingdom?
Color-Coded Map
The map is even color coded so tourist can see quickly what type of attraction they can expect.
The categories include: historic (green), natural (pink), religious (beige), and tourist (purple).
That being said, f you’re planning a trip to one of these countries, relying on only this map would be a miss. There are so many monuments and sites that didn’t make the cut, such as Big Ben in London, the Louvre in Paris, or driving the Pacific Coast Highway.
Instead, use this map as as jumping-off point. While most of us are aware of some of the top sights to see in popular countries to visit, there are plenty of smaller, less well-known locations that you may not have considered, like the Grandvalira Ski Resort in Andorra.
After looking at this travel map, I’m afraid my own bucket list is overflowing. Did anything in particular get you inspired to pack your bags?
[h/t Insider]