London named Europe’s most popular destination for 2022

UK capital beats Paris, Rome and Barcelona

London came out on top (Shutterstock)

London has been crowned Europe’s most popular destination for 2022 in the latest edition of the Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards.

The UK capital was also the second most popular destination in the world, beaten only by Dubai.

It trumped other popular European cities including Rome, Paris and Barcelona, which came third, fifth and sixth respectively.

The UK had another showing in the European top 10, with Edinburgh coming in ninth place.

London was also named the second best place in the world for food, pipped to the top spot by Rome.

“From Shoreditch’s swaggering style to Camden’s punky vibe and chic Portobello Road, London is many worlds in one,” says Tripadvisor.

“The city’s energy means that no two days are the same. Explore royal or historic sites, tick off landmarks from your bucket list, eat and drink in exclusive Michelin-starred restaurants, enjoy a pint in a traditional pub, or get lost down winding cobbled streets and see what you stumble across – when it comes to London, the possibilities are endless.”

The Travellers’ Choice Awards are based on the quality and quantity of reviews of destinations made over the 12-month period between 1 November 2020 and 31 October 2021.

Categories include Trending Destinations, Destinations for Sun Seekers, Destinations for Skiers, Destinations for Outdoor Enthusiasts and Destinations for City Lovers.

Elsewhere in the awards, the UK also scored highly for its national parks.

Hampshire’s New Forest National Park and Snowdonia National Park in Wales placed first and second in Europe and 10th and 11th in the world respectively.

According to Tripadvisor data, more travellers are planning on taking trips in 2022 than the previous year, with 78 per cent of Brits saying they are likely to travel for leisure in 2022, compared to 72 per cent of those who said that they travelled for leisure in 2019.

“As the world returns to travel, priorities are changing, and people want more memorable experiences on their trips. Almost three-quarters (70 per cent) of Brits say that it’s important they ‘see new places’ when thinking about their future travel plans,” said Steven Paganelli, director of destinations, hotels and OTAs, Americas at Tripadvisor.

Most popular European destinations

1. London, UK
2. Crete, Greece
3. Rome, Italy
4. Istanbul, Turkey
5. Paris, France
6. Barcelona, Spain
7. Tenerife, Spain
8. Corsica, France
9. Edinburgh, UK
10. Florence, Italy
11. Madrid, Spain
12. Lisbon, Portugal
13. Amsterdam, Netherlands
14. Athens, Greece
15. Porto, Portugal
16. Corfu, Greece
17. Madeira, Portugal
18. Venice, Italy
19. Prague, Czech Republic
20. Liverpool, UK