NEWTON, Mass., May 1, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site*, today announced the winners of its 2012 Travelers' Choice^® Destinations awards.  In the fourth year of its awards, TripAdvisor has honored 440 outstanding destinations in 37 markets across the globe, including lists for Africa, Asia, Australia, the Caribbean, Central America, China, Europe, India, Mexico, the Middle East, South America, the South Pacific, and the United States. 

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The Travelers' Choice Destinations awards honor top travel spots worldwide based on millions of valuable reviews and opinions from TripAdvisor travelers.  Award winners were determined based on the popularity of destinations, taking into account travelers' favorites and most highly rated places.  

Top 25 Travelers' Choice World Destinations:

1. London, England
2. New York City, New York
3. Rome, Italy
4. Paris, France
5. San Francisco, California
6. Marrakech, Morocco
7. Istanbul, Turkey
8. Barcelona, Spain
9. Siem Reap, Cambodia
10. Berlin, Germany
11. Chicago, Illinois
12. Florence, Italy
13. Buenos Aires, Argentina
14. Sydney, Australia
15. Beijing, China
16. Prague, Czech Republic
17. Las Vegas, Nevada
18. Bora Bora, French Polynesia
19. Shanghai, China
20. Honolulu, Hawaii
21. Los Angeles, California
22. New Orleans, Louisiana
23. Cape Town, South Africa
24. Chiang Mai, Thailand
25. Dublin, Ireland

Top 25 Travelers' Choice U.S. Destinations:

1. New York City, New York
2. San Francisco, California
3. Chicago, Illinois
4. Las Vegas, Nevada
5. Honolulu, Hawaii
6. Los Angeles, California
7. New Orleans, Louisiana
8. Seattle, Washington
9. San Diego, California
10. Orlando, Florida
11. Washington, D.C.
12. Portland, Oregon
13. San Antonio, Texas
14. Savannah, Georgia
15. Boston, Massachusetts
16. Branson, Missouri
17. Atlanta, Georgia
18. Houston, Texas
19. Sedona, Arizona
20. Napa, California
21. Lahaina, Hawaii
22. Austin, Texas
23. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
24. Charleston, South Carolina
25. Kailua-Kona, Hawaii

"The TripAdvisor community has once again helped pinpoint hundreds of the most amazing and beloved travel destinations of the year," said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor.  "For travelers planning their big annual vacation or just a weekend getaway, these awards highlight awe-inspiring travel locations of all varieties around the globe."

For the complete list of 2012 Travelers' Choice Destinations winners, sponsored by LAN Airlines, go to http://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Destinations.

About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor^® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features with seamless links to booking tools. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 50 million unique monthly visitors*, and over 60 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also includes TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor's millions of monthly visitors.

TripAdvisor, Inc. (NASDAQ: TRIP) manages and operates websites under 19 other travel media brands, and together the sites attract more than 69 million unique monthly visitors**. TripAdvisor's travel media brands include www.airfarewatchdog.com, www.bookingbuddy.com, www.cruisecritic.com, www.everytrail.com, www.familyvacationcritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.holidaywatchdog.com, www.independenttraveler.com, www.onetime.com, www.seatguru.com, www.sniqueaway.com, www.smartertravel.com, www.tingo.com, www.travel-library.com, www.travelpod.com, www.virtualtourist.com, www.whereivebeen.com, and www.kuxun.cn.

*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, January 2012

**Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Inc. and its subsidiaries, Worldwide, January 2012

©2012 TripAdvisor, Inc. All rights reserved.

SOURCE TripAdvisor