Bali Beats London and Paris to Be Crowned World's Best Destination by TripAdvisor

Jakarta Globe, I Nyoman Mardika, April 22, 2017

Balinese Hindus walk along a beach during Melasti, a purification ceremony
 ahead of the holy day of Nyepi, in Gianyar, Bali, on March 25, 2017.
(Reuters Photo/Agung Parameswara)

Jakarta. Travel app and website TripAdvisor crowned Bali as the "World’s Best Destination in 2017," the first place in Asia to top its "Top 10 Travelers’ Choice Destinations" list.

TripAdvisor's head of destination marketing for Asia Pacific Sarah Mathews handed the award to Bali governor's economic and development assistant Dewa Putu Sunartha in a ceremony at the Seminyak Beach Resort and Spa in Bali on Thursday (20/04).

The Ministry of Tourism's resources development deputy Gede Pitana, who attended the ceremony, said,"This award should attract even more tourists to Bali and Indonesia. We expect 20 million foreign tourists in 2019."

Mathews said the award was based on ratings and reviews written by travelers on the TripAdvisor website. Bali was on top of a list of 419 outstanding tourist destinations across the globe.

"Bali offers the best experiences in food, culture and ecotourism. We want to share them to the rest of the world," Mathews said.

Bali beat London in second place and Paris in third to top the list.

TripAdvisor also declared Ritz Carlton Reserve's Mandapa Resort in Ubud, Bali, as the second best hotel in the world after Aria Hotel in Budapest, Hungary.

Bali's Nusa Dua Beach was also declared one of Asia's Top 25 Beaches in TripAdvisor's 2017 Travelers' Choice list.