Honolulu moved up the rankings to No. 7 on the list of TripAdvisor’s 2016 U.S. Travelers’ Choice Destinations, which recognizes travelers’ favorites.
Honolulu improved six spots from the prior year, according to Julie Cassetina, TripAdvisor senior public relations specialist.
“I can’t speak to why exactly Honolulu has climbed the ranking year over year, but what I can share is that Honolulu is not only beloved by travelers for its incredible natural splendor, but it’s also home to highly rated hotels, restaurants and attractions, making it a perennial favorite among the TripAdvisor community,” Cassetina said.
While Honolulu posted year-over-year improvement, its ranking is significantly down from its overall best ranking, which occurred in 2011.
That year Honolulu achieved the second-highest U.S. ranking and the 19th in the world.
Nor was Honolulu’s annual improvement enough to push New York from the No. 1 spot, which it also occupied last year. On the travel planner and booking site’s list of World Traveler’s Choice Destinations, New York took No. 9.
Honolulu also failed to beat Las Vegas, which moved up two spots to second place in the TripAdvisor ranking, or Orlando, Fla., which saw a 15-spot gain to third. While Chicago dropped two spots from last year, it still ranked No. 4, outmaneuvering Honolulu. San Francisco, which improved one spot from 2015, came in fifth. Likewise, San Diego improved four spots to take the sixth-place ranking.
However, Honolulu was ranked higher than ninth-ranked Charleston, S.C., which dropped six spots from 2015. New Orleans dropped two spots to come in 10th place.
Also on the list was Lahaina, which ranked 22nd, down two spots from last year. Lahaina’s ranking also is lower than the No. 5 ranking it achieved in 2011, the first year it made the U.S. destination. Historically, Cassetina said, Poipu on Kauai and Kailua-Kona on Hawaii island also have made the list; however, they didn’t get mentions this year.
Award winners are determined by an algorithm of factors gathered over a 12-month period, according to TripAdvisor. Destinations were assessed based on the quantity and quality of reviews; ratings for hotels, restaurants and attractions; and booking interest.
“The Travelers’ Choice Destination awards recognize the world’s most beloved travel spots, based on feedback and booking interest from the TripAdvisor community,” said Barbara Messing, chief marketing officer for TripAdvisor.
