The world is loaded with landmarks. Famous clocks, rocks, pyramids, temples, buildings and bridges. Oh, and let’s not forget big prawns, pineapples and potatoes …
Luxury travel provider Kuoni sought to find the landmarks global travellers want to see most, by analysing Google search data from 176 countries.
It found the Burj Khalifa in UAE is the world’s most desired landmark, followed by the Eiffel Tower in France and Peru’s Machu Picchu.
Two British landmarks featured in the top 10 list; Big Ben in 4th and Stonehenge in 8th position. But the United Arab Emirates’ Burj Khalifa is the number one landmark people want to travel to see most, topping the wish lists of 66 countries.
Read: Breathtaking views from the world’s tallest skyscrapers
Brits, Canadians and Australians put the Eiffel Tower atop their bucket list, while US travellers want to visit Pompeii the most and the Dutch are most interested in the Taj Mahal.
Online searches for the world’s most famous landmarks have risen by 20 per cent over the past month. Kuoni chalks it up to COVID-induced wanderlust.
“Whilst we can’t travel freely just yet, wanderlust is at an all-time high right now,” a Kuoni spokesperson commented.
“We were keen to discover which landmarks are at the top of travellers’ bucket lists once we can travel and explore again, to inspire people to dust off the cobwebs on their suitcases and make the most of what the world has to offer.”
Read: Debbie does Abu Dhabi
Kuoni analysed the most Googled foreign landmarks in most countries and ranked the average monthly search volume for each landmark, excluding landmarks local to that country.
Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, currently renowned for being the tallest building in the world (829.8m), was the most searched landmark across the world. The skyscraper topped landmark searches for 37.5 per cent of countries analysed, including India, Switzerland and most African nations.
Named for the president of the UAE and ruler of Abu Dhabi, Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the towering structure was built to garner international recognition and increase tourism to Dubai.
Looks like it worked.
Top 10 Landmarks the world wants to see the most
| Landmark | Number of countries that search this landmark most | |
| 1 | Burj Khalifa, UAE | 66 |
| 2 | Eiffel Tower, France | 29 |
| 3 | Machu Picchu, Peru | 19 |
| =4 | Big Ben, UK | 11 |
| =4 | Taj Mahal, India | 11 |
| 5 | Pompeii, Italy | 9 |
| 6 | Alhambra, Spain | 5 |
| 7 | Notre Dame, France | 4 |
| 8 | Stonehenge, UK | 4 |
| =9 | Petra, Jordan | 3 |
| =9 | Great Wall of China, China | 3 |
Favoured by 29 countries, the Eiffel Tower was the second most popular landmark. In third, the Peruvian architectural marvel Machu Picchu was tops for 19 countries including Spain and Portugal. The 15th century citadel is considered one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Big Ben and the Taj Mahal were the joint fourth most searched landmarks globally. The world’s most famous clock is known as Big Ben, it’s the great bell within the clock tower that is the true owner of the name. France, Poland and Russia were among 11 countries googling the iconic British landmark most.
Read: Seven world-famous timepieces
Taj Mahal, which translates to ‘Crown of the Palace’, was commissioned in 1632 as a tomb and is another landmark in the 10 most searched that is simultaneously both a UNESCO World Heritage site and one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Tourists from Japan, Sweden and UAE were most interested in the Taj Mahal.
Italy’s ancient Roman city Pompeii is the fifth most searched landmark globally, most searched by nine countries including North America, Norway, Israel and Thailand.
The map below showcases (nearly) every country’s most searched for foreign landmark at a glance.
To view the map and for continental and country specific information, visit www.kuoni.co.uk
Which of the top 10 would you like to visit? Which have you already visited? Why not share your experiences in the comments section below?
If you enjoy our content, don’t keep it to yourself. Share our free eNews with your friends and encourage them to sign up.
