Tourists are increasingly looking for trips that offer the opportunity to enjoy unique, different, unrepeatable experiences, and in response to the market request, TripAdvisor presented the winners of the first-ever Travelers’ Choice award for Experiences. The awards recognize 345 experiences, tours, and activities globally, highlighting the world’s best experiences overall. They’re also broken down by country and by category including ‘Day cruises’, ‘Cultural experiences’, ‘Day trips’, ‘Multi-day tours’, ‘Hop-on hop-off tours’, ‘Food’, ‘Beer’ and ‘Wine’ experiences. According to the travel planning and booking site, a ‘Cooking Class and Lunch at a Tuscan Farmhouse with Local Market Tour from Florence’ is the world’s top holiday experience.
The ranking was drawn up following an algorithm that took into consideration reviews, opinions, and popularity of the experiences offered during the last year. The Tuscan culinary lesson obtains the important award thanks to the freshness and quality of the products chosen directly in the local market, the impressive scenery of Tuscan hills between Chianti, Orcia, and Arno, and the indisputable beauty of Florence.
On the fifth place of the global ranking there is Rome with a ‘Vatican VIP Experience: Exclusive Breakfast at the Vatican with Early Access to Vatican Museum and Sistine Chapel’ before the opening time and, thus, away from the crowds.
Italy also appears in other categories: ‘Food’ – 1st with the Tuscan cooking class, and 3rd with a gastronomic tour of Rome -, ‘Wine’ – 1st with a wine tasting for small groups in the Tuscan countryside -, ‘Multi-day tour’ – 4th with a three-day journey from Rome to southern Italy -, ‘Day cruise’ – 7th with a boat tour on the Grand Canal in Venice, and 9th with a cruise from Sorrento to Capri -, and ‘Hop-on hop-off’ – 8th with a tour of the center of Florence -, and ‘Cultural experiences’ – 10th with a underground tour of the Colosseum.
Ilona Catani Scarlett