Categories: Travel

Australia’s top tourist hotspot is not Uluru or the Great Barrier Reef

A new poll conducted by TripAdvisor has shown that the Australian War Memorial is receiving more visitors than the Australian landmarks that usually dominate the popularity polls.

The Australian War Memorial has overtaken the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru and the Sydney Opera House as ‘must see’ places not just in Australia but in the world.

Not only does the War Memorial outrank all other Australian tourist favourites but it has also kicked dust in the eyes of other world famous international landmarks including San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janiero.

Voted by TripAdvisor travelers as one of the 17th best places in the world to visit, this Canberra landmark is joined on the list of 25 best places in the world by Sydney’s Opera House in the number 25 spot.

The Australian War Memorial has also climbed the ranks locally and is now, according to the TripAdviser poll, considered to be the best tourist destination in Australia.

“The Australian War Memorial is the most sincere place I have ever visited,” wrote one traveller on the TripAdvisor blog.

TRIPADVISOR WORLD’S TOP 25 TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

1. Machu Pichu, Peru
2. Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque Center, UAE
3. Taj Mahal, India
4. Great Cathedral and Mosque, Spain
5. St Peter’s Basilica, Italy
6. Angor Wat, Cambodia
7. Bayon Temple, Cambodia
8. Church of Our Saviour on Spilled Blood, Russia
9. Gettysburg National Military Park, USA
10. Ancient City Walls, Croatia
11. Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
12. Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool, USA
13. Petra World Heritage Site, Jordan
14. Great Wall of China, China
15. Ancient City of Ephesus, Turkey
16. The Alhambra, Spain
17. Australian War Memorial, Australia
18. Siena Cathedral, Italy
19. Milan Cathedral, Italy
20. Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, Spain
21. Golden Gate Bridge, USA
22. Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
23. Teotihuacan World Heritage Site, Mexico
24. Golden Temple, India
25. Sydney Opera House, Australia

“The folly of war and the suffering are clearly there for all to see and it was heart-warming to see so many families coming to pay their respects and to educate their children about the bravery and the sacrifice of so many fellow countrymen and women so they can have the life they enjoy today,” wrote another traveller about the Australian War Memorial.

Australia was certainly one of the TripAdviser favourites with Sydney being listed as the 22nd best city in the world and a number of Australian beaches also making their mark.

Queensland’s Whitehaven Beach in the Whitsundays was vioted fifth best beach in the world this year, followed by Exmouth’s Turquoise Bay in 20 and Broome’s Cable Beach in 22.

See the World’s Top Beaches list, here

Australian Times

For, by and about Aussies in the UK.