The 2020 Readers’ Choice Awards for Condé Nast Traveler just came out with the favorite travel destinations in the world. This year’s rankings resonate differently and feel like a true celebration of the joy of travel.
Since the late 1980s, the magazine has been a source of inspiration and desire for those with pangs of wanderlust.
For many readers who voted, these places were never journeyed to in 2020, but yearned for. Italy was rated the number one country in the world to visit, proving how badly travelers miss its beautiful coastline, fantastic restaurants and spectacular Alpine lakes.
“Many readers have told us that when we emerge from this pandemic, they want to turn their attention to the classics,” they wrote on Instagram. “Whether that means their personal favorites, or places they know have brought joy to others.”Italy scored high in other categories as well. For Best Small Cities in the World, Siena and Florence made the top 10 list in 7th and 9th place.
And on The Best Hotels in the World list, three are located in Italy. Overlooking the Amalfi Coast, Monastero Santa Rosa Hotel & Spa with its onsite restaurant, Il Refetorio, came in 50th place, followed by Portofino’s Belmond Hotel Splendido and Belmond Splendido Mare in 44th place and in 42nd place, the Grand Hotel Tremezzo on Lake Como, where they exclusively prepare the recipes by the “Father of Modern Italian Cuisine,” Gualtiero Marchesi.