Baku has been named number one by TripAdvisor's Traveler's Choice list for "Destinations on the Rise - Asia" for 2016. Baku also ranked high on TripAdvisor's global destinations on the rise, coming in at number five.
“We are excited to see Baku top the Asia list and also rank well as a top global destination on the rise, and we hope this win inspires more travel to and discovery of Baku in the year ahead,” Janice Lee Fang, Communication Director for TripAdvisor, Asia Pacific, told Caspian News.
Azerbaijan’s capitol city outshined all others in Asia to grab the top spot. TripAdvisor, the premier world-wide travel planning and booking site, bases its rankings on travelers' opinions of the cities they visit. According to Ms. Fang,
“The winners for our Travelers’ Choice Destinations on the Rise awards are selected based on a TripAdvisor algorithm that measures year-over-year increase in positive traveler review ratings for accommodations, restaurants and attractions, as well as an increase in booking interest for each destination.”
According to TripAdvisor surveys, nearly 65 percent of travelers in Asia look for and prefer an experience rich in culture.
Baku, once a major hub on the ancient Silk Road, is a historic and fabled city comprised of the history of the varied peoples who lived along the Caspian Sea, from Zoroastrians to artisans and foreign traders. Modern Azerbaijan, along with countries throughout Asia and Europe, are now defining the New Silk Road that takes resources, particularly oil and natural gas, as well as vast amounts of cargo by ship, rail and plane, to destinations throughout Eurasia, Asia and Europe.
Baku is a seamless melding of both Eastern and Western heritage with all of the trappings of a modern and cosmopolitan metropolis. Travelers can find ancient architecture, cuisine, art and even pre-historic rock carvings near to the city. Baku is also home to the ancient Maiden Tower and Palace of the Shirvanshahs, cited by UNESCO as one of the "pearls of Azerbaijan architecture."
“Personally, I have never been to Baku, but after having read so much about it I would absolutely love to visit. The country’s cultural history is fascinating and nothing beats experiencing and learning about a place first hand,” Ms. Fang said about a city whose architecture has been described as something out of Europe’s Middle Ages but with modern Flame Towers skyscrapers lighting up the city skyline.
Regarding Baku’s TripAdvisor ranking, Azerbaijan’s Culture and Tourism Minister, Abulfas Garayev, commented,
“Being a city situated on the crossroads of civilizations between the East and the West, the architecture of Baku is a mix of European and Oriental traditions. It is a real gem of the Caucasus and must-see destination for travelers looking for a combination of history and modernity in one place.”
The top 10 cities that made TripAdvisor’s Top Destinations on the Rise – Asia list are:
1. Baku, Azerbaijan
2. El Nido, Philippines
3. Jodhpur, India
4. Da Lat, Vietnam
5. Jeju, South Korea
6. Sapa, Vietnam
7. Hualien, Taiwan
8. Kuching, Malaysia
9. Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
10. George Town, Malaysia
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