Most popular holiday destinations 2023, from Crete to Cancun

• Tripadvisor has released its annual list of the top holiday destinations for 2023

• The travel reviews site has split the list into six categories: most popular, trending, nature, culture, food, and ski

• Dubai was named as the most popular destination for holidaymakers in 2023

• Read on to see the full list in addition to the top trending destinations, best places for culture and more

If there’s one thing we want to do more of in 2023, it’s travel. Luckily, Tripadvisor has now released its annual list of the best holiday destinations for the year ahead.

Along with traditional categories like the most popular destinations and the trending destinations, this year the travel reviews site has included new categories such as the best nature destinations and the best place for culture.

Read more: This UK destination has been named the top city in the world to visit

Foodies will delight at the site’s best food destinations, and those after a prime patch of powdery snow will be intrigued to see Tripadvisor’s list of the best places to ski.

This year, Dubai has been named as the most popular destination on Tripadvisor’s flagship category, followed by Bali in Indonesia, England’s capital of London, Rome in Italy and Paris in France.

Read more: Top UK places to visit in 2023 revealed – and there are some real surprises

It described Dubai as a destination “that mixes modern culture with history, adventure with world-class shopping and entertainment”, citing the Dubai Opera, the Burj Khalifa and floating above the desert in a hot air balloon as its top attractions.

The top 10 most popular destinations for 2023

1. Dubai, UAE

2. Bali, Indonesia

3. London, UK

4. Rome, Italy

5. Paris, France

6. Cancun, Mexico

7. Crete, Greece

8. Marrakech, Morocco

9. Dominican Republic

10. Istanbul, Turkey

As for trending destinations, Cuba took the top spot for its “fascinating opportunities for cultural exchange... and some simply amazing beaches”.

Vietnam’s Hoi An came in second as it’s a “​​well-preserved example of the important Southeast Asian trading port”, and it was followed by Mauritius and Cambodia’s Siem Reap who placed third and fourth respectively.

The top 10 trending destinations for 2023

1. Cuba

2. Hoi An, Vietnam

3. Mauritius, Africa

4. Siem Reap, Cambodia

5. Chiang Mai, Thailand

6. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

7. Fes, Morocco

8. Baku, Azerbaijan

9. Kathmandu, Nepal

10. Krakow, Poland

As well as placing as one of the top trending places to visit, Mauritius - “a tropical paradise with tons to do” - was named the best nature destination in one of Tripadvisor’s new categories.

Read more: World's coolest neighbourhoods to visit revealed – including five UK destinations

Nepal’s Kathmandu placed second, followed by the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Eqypts coastal city of Hurghada, and Lombok, which lies just east of Bali.

The top 10 best nature destinations for 2023

1. Mauritius, Africa

2. Kathmandu, Nepal

3. Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

4. Hurghada, Egypt

5. Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara

6. Kauai, Hawaii

7. Majorca, Balearic Islands

8. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands

9. Corsica, France

10. Koh Tao, Thailand

Morocco’s Fes got its second accolade in the Tripadvisor awards, taking top billing as the best place in the world for culture in 2023. The walled city here is a UNESCO Heritage Site, and it is also home to the world’s oldest university - the University of Al-Karaouine.

Other top contenders in the culture category included Jerusalem in Israel, Athens in Greece, Ireland’s capital of Dublin, and Jaipur in India.

The top 10 places for culture in 2023

1. Fes, Morocco

2. Jerusalem, Israel

3. Athens, Greece

4. Dublin, Ireland

5. Jaipur, India

6. Cuba

7. Budapest, Hungary

8. Berlin, Germany

9. Seville, Splain

10. Colombo, Sri Lanka

It probably comes as no surprise that Tripadvisor’s top ranked food destination for 2023 is Rome in Italy. It’s hard to go wrong when you have a city full of some of the best pizza and pasta in the world.

The Greek island of Crete comes in a close second, followed by Vietnam’s capital of Hanoi, Florence in Italy, and Paris in France.

The top 10 food destinations for 2023

1. Rome, Italy

2. Crete, Greece

3. Hanoi, Vietnam

4. Florence, Italy

5. Paris, France

6. Barcelona, Spain

7. Lisbon, Portugal

8. Naples, Italy

9. New Orleans, US

10. Jamaica

The final category in Tripadvisor’s destinations roundup is the best places to ski, so get your goggles ready.

It names Whistler near Vancouver in Canada as the world’s best for this year, due to its “down-to-earth” mountain culture. This is followed by Jackson in Wyoming, Zermatt in Switzerland, and Chamonix in France.

The top 10 places to ski in 2023

1. Whistler, Canada

2. Jackson in Wyoming, US

3. Zermatt, Switzerland

4. Chamonix, France

5. Livigno, Italy

6. Trento, Italy

7. Park City in Utah, US

8. Anchorage in Alaska, US

9. Lake Tahoe in California, US

10. Durango in Colorado, US

“We saw a resurgence of travel demand in 2022, and the outlook for this year is bright,” Sarah Firshein, head of editorial at Tripadvisor, said in a statement. “Long-haul trips have made a comeback, and we’re seeing a lot of travellers excited to plan trips to Asia and the Pacific region for the first time in several years.

“Cities like Paris and London, which may have taken a backseat to less populous destinations throughout the pandemic, are back on travellers' minds, while far-reaching parts of the United States like Alaska and previously restricted countries like Cuba are also piquing a lot of interest.”

Watch: Beautiful Destinations CEO Jeremy Jauncey on how social media has transformed the travel industry