Wanderlust Magazine’s Annual Reader Travel Awards — which recognises destinations, tour operators and travel brands across 22 categories — have drawn to a close and the results are in: more than 3 million votes were cast, and Australia emerged victorious as the World’s Most Desirable Country.
This is not the first time that Aussies take home the gold in this category: in fact, it is the third time in four years! Australia is in good company, with Canada and Japan taking second and third place, respectively.
It perhaps shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise, as international tourism to our country has risen 85% in the last five years and, on average, tourists are making longer trips Down Under than they did in 2019.
Numbers aside though, it only makes sense that people should want to see the beauty of Australia and its natural wonders for themselves, and Wanderlust mentioned wildlife encounters such as whale sharks in Ningaloo Reef, or the fauna of Kangaroo Island and Tasmania as highlights that tourists seek out.
Add to that the increase in Aboriginal-run cultural tours and experiences, which coincides with rising interest in Indigenous cultures around the world, and it’s no wonder that Australia’s the hottest (plane) ticket!
Top 10 most desirable countries in the world
- Australia
- Canada
- Japan
- USA
- New Zealand
- Costa Rica
- South Africa
- Brazil
- South Korea
- Peru