TripAdvisor names top U.S., worldwide destinations

TripAdvisor has examined millions of travelers' reviews posted on its website to come up with the top U.S. and worldwide destinations for this year.

And the winners are: New York City for top U.S. destination and Istanbul for top worldwide destination.

The sixth annual Traveler's Choice Destination awards honored nearly 500 locales across all continents. TripAdvisor weighs users' rankings for hotels, attractions, and restaurants at the destinations over a 12 month-period.

New York City was the top U.S. destination for the fourth year in a row. It was followed by Chicago, San Francisco, and Las Vegas. New Orleans moved up the rankings five spots from last year to claim the No. 5 spot.

Rounding out the top 10 domestic destinations are Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, Washington, D.C., and Orlando.

San Diego is new to the top 25. Other newbies are: Austin (18), Branson, Mo. (19), Atlanta (20), Phoenix (21), St. Louis (23), and Nashville (24).

Miami fell 13 spots to 25, the most significant drop in rankings in the top 25.

Houston had the biggest improvement, rising 13 spots to No. 12.

Texas had a strong showing in general. In addition to Houston and Austin, San Antonio moved up one spot to No. 16.

Ten of the top 25 U.S. destinations are in the south, including New Orleans, Charleston, S.C. (13), Atlanta, and Nashville.

On the worldwide front, Istanbul moved up 11 spots to claim the No. 1 spot, toppling last year's winner, Paris. Paris dropped six spots to No. 7.

Rome, London, Beijing, and Prague followed. Rounding out the top 10 are: Marrakech, Paris, Hanoi, Siem Reap in Cambodia, and Shanghai.

Asian destinations rose in prominence this year, with six making the top 25. Four Asian cities climbed at least 10 spots year-over-year. Beijing jumped 17 spots, Siem Reap 14, and Shanghai 12. Hanoi made its debut on the list as No. 8. Other newbies are Dubai, Budapest, and Lisbon.

Despite being named the top U.S. destination, New York plummeted 10 spots on the worldwide list to No. 12. Barcelona dropped 10 spots and Australia 12.

"Our global travelers are the tastemakers for uncovering the best places to visit around the world," says Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor.

TripAdvisor also calculated the peak months for traveling to the most popular destinations. Tourists flock to New York in December and to Istanbul in May.

For a complete list of winners go to to www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersChoice-Destinations.

Top 25 U.S. Destinations

1. New York City
2. Chicago
3. San Francisco
4. Las Vegas
5. New Orleans
6. Los Angeles
7. San Diego
8. Seattle
9. Washington, D.C.
10. Orlando
11. Honolulu
12. Houston
13. Charleston, S.C.
14. Boston
15. Portland, Ore.
16. San Antonio
17. Palm Springs, Calif.
18. Austin
19. Branson, Mo.
20. Atlanta
21. Phoenix
22. Myrtle Beach, S.C.
23. St. Louis
24. Nashville
25. Miami

Top Worldwide Destinations

1. Istanbul
2. Rome
3. London
4. Beijing
5. Prague
6. Marrakech, Morocco
7. Paris
8. Hanoi
9. Siem Reap, Cambodia
10. Shanghai, China
11. Berlin
12. New York City
13. Florence
14. Buenos Aires
15. Barcelona
16. St. Petersburg, Russia
17. Dubai
18. Chicago
19. Cape Town
20. Bangkok
21. Budapest, Hungary
22. Sydney
23. Lisbon, Portugal
24. Chiang Mai, Thailand
25. San Francisco