NEEDHAM, Mass., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tripadvisor^®, the world's largest travel platform, together with Viator, the world's leading tours and activities platform and a Tripadvisor company, today announced the 2020 Travelers' Choice^® Awards for Experiences. The awards recognize the world's top bookable experiences - tours and activities - as decided by Tripadvisor and Viator travelers. Tripadvisor also released its winning list of top attractions as a part of this promotion, a list of the top 199 globally. 

This year, Tripadvisor and Viator are partnering to announce the Travelers' Choice Awards for Experiences. Bookable experiences on Tripadvisor are powered by Viator, combining Tripadvisor's power and influence as the biggest travel guidance platform in the world and Viator's expertise providing the world's largest selection of high-quality experiences, making this truly the definitive list of experiences that travelers love. 

The Travelers' Choice Awards for Experiences recognize 375 experiences, tours, and activities globally, highlighting the world's best experiences. They're also broken down by country, and by category, including day cruises, cultural tours, day trips, multi-day tours, hop-on-hop-off tours, and food, beer, and wine experiences. Winners were determined using an algorithm based on reviews and ratings for bookable experiences over a 12-month period.

"Viator's global partnership with Tripadvisor ensures that more of the incredible experiences bookable on our site are also available to the world," said Ben Drew, president of Viator. "No one simply travels to a destination to stay in their hotel room and calls it 'memorable.' Viator and Tripadvisor give more travelers the opportunity to experience the richness that a destination can offer, making memories that will last a lifetime -- whether you're sandboarding in the Arabian desert, or making pizza in a Tuscan farmhouse. This year's winners illustrate travelers' appreciation for experiences that are truly unforgettable, and that they'll remember and talk about for years to come."

The top global winner this year is a Dubai camel riding and desert BBQ experience, and a Chicago architecture river cruise captured the top spot in the U.S.

Travelers' Choice Experiences

Tripadvisor and Viator are proud to announce the top experience providers who are winners of the Travelers' Choice awards in the United States and globally. They include:

Top 5 Experiences in the US:

1. Chicago Architecture River Cruise – Chicago, Illinois, bookable from $36
   Cruise down the Chicago River to see the city's famous architecture on this boat tour. With commentary from your onboard guide, watch the spectacular skyline glide by, including more than 40 notable buildings like Navy Pier, the Wrigley Building, and the John Hancock Building. Cover all three branches of the Chicago River, passing the East Bank Club, the old Post Office Building and the Willis Tower (formerly known as the Sears Tower).
2. Skip-Line Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island – New York City, New York, bookable from $49
   Check two New York landmarks off your bucket list on this exciting guided tour of the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Start the tour by getting early Reserve Line Access boarding on the ferry to Liberty Island. Once there, go inside the pedestal of the statue (if upgrade selected) and head to the observation decks for an awesome view of New York City and its surroundings. Then hop back on the ferry to Ellis Island to learn about the intriguing history of immigration to America that took place here between 1892 and 1954.
3. New York in One Day Guided Sightseeing Tour – New York City, NY, bookable from $89
   Make the most of your time in the city that never sleeps on a guided tour of NYC's top attractions. Travel by both boat (seasonal) and bus as you swing by the 9/11 Memorial, Central Park, Rockefeller Center and more. Then hop aboard a luxury boat for a sightseeing cruise past the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, complete with stunning views of the world-famous skyline and Brooklyn Bridge.
4. Charleston's Old South Carriage Historic Horse & Carriage Tour – Charleston, South Carolina, bookable from $35
   Experience more than 300 years of history on this guided carriage tour of Charleston. See the many mansions, churches, and gardens as your horse-drawn carriage tour covers more than 2.5 miles and 30 blocks of historic Charleston. Belgian and Percheron draft horses will lead you through the streets while you learn about this "Holy City" and its role in the Civil War.
5. Grand Canyon All-American Helicopter Tour – Las Vegas, Nevada, bookable from $410
   Departing from the Las Vegas Strip, see America's most iconic natural wonder, the Grand Canyon. After hotel pickup by limousine, enjoy a scenic flight to the West Rim, flying over Hoover Dam, and then land on a canyon bluff for a glass of Champagne and snacks. On the return flight, zoom over the Las Vegas Strip for an aerial view of the city skyline. There and back in just a few hours leaves you plenty of time to enjoy Las Vegas for the rest of the day.

Top 5 Experiences in the World:

1. Premium Red Dunes & Camel Safari with BBQ at Al Khayma Camp – Dubai, United Arab Emirates, bookable from $60
2. Pizza and Gelato Cooking Class in Tuscan Farmhouse – Florence, Italy, bookable from $85
3. Luxury Small-Group Canal Cruise in Open-Air Boat – Amsterdam, Netherlands, bookable from $22
4. Discover Berlin Half-Day Walking Tour – Berlin, Germany, bookable from $12
5. Northern Ireland Highlights Day Trip Including Giant's Causeway from Dublin – Dublin, Ireland, bookable from $79

Our Travelers' Choice Awards for Experiences identified the top bookable travel experiences listed on Tripadvisor globally. Winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account a business's reviews, opinions and popularity with travelers over the last year.

Prices may vary due to seasonality and are accurate as of 31 July 2020.

Travelers' Choice Attractions 

Tripadvisor is also pleased to announce the Travelers' Choice Awards for Attractions, inclusive of the Best of the Best Water Parks and Amusement Parks in the United States and globally. The awards recognize 199 attractions around the world. The Travelers' Choice Amusement Park and Water Park award-winners were determined based on the quality and quantity of traveler reviews and opinions for attractions on Tripadvisor in 2019.

Top 5 Amusement Parks in the US:
An amusement park or theme park is an entertainment complex featuring a variety of attractions, rides and activities.

1. Magic Kingdom Park – Orlando, FL
   Fairytale dreams come true for children of all ages at Magic Kingdom Park. Delight in classic attractions, enchanting fireworks, musical parades and beloved Disney Characters across 6 whimsical lands. 
2. Universal's Islands of Adventure – Orlando, Florida
   Prepare for a place where super heroes, beasts, and magical creatures stand before you. You're entering lands where everything is real. Let the adventures begin.
3. Disney's Animal Kingdom – Orlando, Florida
   Encounter exotic animals and exciting adventures at Disney's Animal Kingdom park, one of the largest animal theme parks in the world.
4. Universal Studios Florida – Orlando, Florida
   Hang on tight. Your heroes are about to burst through the screen and yank you into the story. You're the star here and you'll disappear into one jaw-dropping adventure after another.
5. Universal Studios Hollywood – Los Angeles, California
   Get ready for the ultimate Hollywood experience! Find a full day of action-packed entertainment all in one place: thrilling theme park rides and shows, a real working movie studio, and Los Angeles' best shops, restaurants and cinemas at CityWalk.

Top 5 Amusement Parks in the World:

1. Magic Kingdom Park – Orlando, FL 
2. Puy du Fou – Les Epesses, France
3. Universal's Islands of Adventure – Orlando, Florida 
4. Disney's Animal Kingdom – Orlando, Florida
5. Universal Studios Florida – Orlando, Florida

Top 5 Water Parks in the US:
A water park is an entertainment complex featuring a variety of water attractions, rides and activities.

1. Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park – Orlando, Florida
   Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, one of two Water Parks in Walt Disney World Resort, features attractions for the whole family—from fast waterslides to a children's area with pint-sized raft rides.
2. Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park – Orlando, Florida
   Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park features one of the world's tallest and fastest free-falling waterslides, as well as slides and rides for the whole family—like a kid-sized, snow-castle fountain play area with scaled-down versions of the more thrilling attractions.
3. Shipwreck Island Waterpark – Panama City Beach, Florida
   Plunge, ride, whirl, dunk, swim - whew! At the end of your day at Shipwreck Island, you'll be exhilarated, exhausted and soaked.
4. Kalahari Waterparks – Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin
   Join us for 125,000 square feet filled with Wet. Wild. Fun. At Wisconsin's Largest Indoor Waterpark. Water you waiting for? Come splash!
5. Waldameer & Water World – Erie, Pennsylvania
   Give your family all the fun and excitement of more than 100 great rides, slides, and attractions at Waldameer. You'll find thrilling rides and family classics, plus some awesome rides for the little ones!

Top 5 Water Parks in the World:

1. Siam Park  – Tenerife, Spain
2. Waterbom Bali – Kuta, Indonesia
3. Atlantis Aquaventure Waterpark – Dubai, United Arab Emirates
4. Aqua Dome – Tralee, Ireland
5. Aquapark Istralandia – Novigrad, Croatia

Check out the 2020 Travelers' Choice Award winners across all categories at tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice to discover highly rated places near you, or get inspired for future trips and save your favorites for when you're ready to visit. Travelers can also follow the conversation on Twitter at #travelerschoice.

Methodology
Travelers' Choice winners are calculated based on the millions of reviews and opinions collected in 2019 from travelers around the world on Tripadvisor. The awards take into account the quality and quantity of traveler reviews and ratings specific to each award category. The hallmark of winners continues to be remarkable service and quality experiences for travelers.

About Tripadvisor
Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel platform*, helps 463 million travelers each month** make every trip their best trip. Travelers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to browse more than 860 million reviews and opinions of 8.7 million accommodations, restaurants, experiences, airlines and cruises. Whether planning or on a trip, travelers turn to Tripadvisor to compare low prices on hotels, flights and cruises, book popular tours and attractions, as well as reserve tables at great restaurants. Tripadvisor, the ultimate travel companion, is available in 49 markets and 28 languages.

The subsidiaries and affiliates of Tripadvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ:TRIP) own and operate a portfolio of websites and businesses, including the following travel media brands:

www.bokun.io, www.cruisecritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com (including www.lafourchette.com, www.eltenedor.com, and www.bookatable.co.uk), www.helloreco.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.housetrip.com, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.seatguru.com, www.singleplatform.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com and www.viator.com.

*  Source: Jumpshot for Tripadvisor Sites, worldwide, November 2019
** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files, average monthly unique visitors, Q3 2019

About Viator
Viator, a Tripadvisor company, makes it easy to find and book incredible tours and activities. With access to the world's largest selection of high-quality experiences, there's always something new to discover, both near and far from home. With industry-leading flexibility and last-minute availability, it's never too late to make any day extraordinary. From must-do moments to who-knew discoveries, Viator is here to make the most of your time off.

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SOURCE Tripadvisor

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