They say that travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer. With that in mind, let’s check out the locations globetrotters are investing in this year.

Experts at Tripadvisor have crunched the data, analysing millions of reviews submitted to its platform, to reveal the definitive travel list for the year.

And the hottest up-and-coming travel spot for 2023 – drum roll please – is Cuba.

The most popular overall was Dubai.

The Caribbean island, which is home of the salsa, sashayed into the No.1 spot with the greatest year-over-year growth in interest on the site.

Hoi An, Vietnam, picked up the No.2 spot, with Mauritius third.

Asia is the top trending region in this category, taking half of the top 10 spots.

Cuba picked up the top spot on Tripadvisor. Photo: Getty

Travel hot list

Tripadvisor has organised locations across six categories – popular, trending, food, nature, culture and ski.

Dubai held onto the top spot in the popular destinations category, to be the most popular destination in the world for a second year.

Aussies will not be surprised that Bali picked up the No.2 spot.

Earlier in the month TND reported on how we’ve renewed our love affair with the tropical paradise.

In fact, according to market and consumer data company Statista, as of September, Australia was the largest market for direct foreign tourist arrivals to Bali in 2022, making about 352,000 visits to the island.

Anyway, back to the list of the popular destinations. Here’s the top 10.

In the South Pacific category, Viti Levu in Fiji took the No.1 spot, while Australian destinations make up four out of the top 10 most popular spots in the region.

Here’s the list in full:

1. Viti Levu, Fiji
2. Bora Bora, French Polynesia
3. Queenstown, New Zealand
4. Sydney, Australia
5. Hobart, Australia
6. Auckland, New Zealand
7. Melbourne, Australia
8. Te Anau, New Zealand
9. Margaret River, Australia
10. Rotorua, New Zealand

Sarah Firshein, the head of editorial at Tripadvisor, said travellers are seeking out new adventures.

“The diverse range of choices offer opportunities for cultural immersion, incredible culinary experiences, awe-inspiring natural wonders and more – it’s really the ultimate reference guide for travellers dreaming about where to go next.”

The great outdoors

Tripadvisor introduced a new category to celebrate travellers’ thirst for adventure and the great outdoors. The top spot for best nature destinations was Mauritius.

“We saw a resurgence of travel demand in 2022, and the outlook for this year is bright,” Firshein said.

“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 back seat 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.”

You can see the winners across all categories on the Tripadvisor website.