Italy is a perennial favourite in our awards – when you see its scores for food, scenery and places to stay, well, that’s amore. More of a surprise is this year’s runner-up, though it shouldn’t be: in 2024, Qatar, with its world-class restaurants, museums and activities, drew more visitors than Malta and Jamaica. Once reclusive Bhutan is having a moment, thanks to its dragon-fired culture; Japan was rated highly for things to do and its streamlined transport; and you loved Thailand for its pungent food and famous welcome – a criterion that Morocco also embraced. In that spirit, a high five for Estonia: this is the Baltic nation’s first showing in our awards, with impressive scores for its slow-burn culture and outdoor activities.
Santiago, ChileGetty Images
20. Chile. Score 91.71
Chile is like an entire world stitched into one long, slender strip of land. Stretching around 4,300 kilometres from north to south, landscapes range from barren deserts at the peak to the southern, wind-lashed fjords of Patagonia. Such natural wonders drew just over five million international visitors to Chile in 2024, each returning home with awe-inspiring tales of the country’s incredible scale and contrast. From the Atacama Desert, where salt flats shimmer under breathtakingly starry skies, to the Central Valley, Chile’s most prominent wine-producing region, there are enough experiences across the land to make a shoestring tour feel like several individual adventures.
Nine Arch Bridge in Sri LankaGetty Images
19. Sri Lanka. Score 92.09
This South Asian nation packs a wallop into a single teardrop-shaped island only slightly larger than the state of West Virginia: Think high-elevation tea plantations that are eye-vibratingly green, national parks where sloth bears and endangered elephants roam, and friendly surf towns that, if you squint, might remind you of Costa Rica or Nicaragua some decades ago. Then there’s the capital city of Colombo, where you can shop for local spices, fly kites along the waterfront, or even charter a yacht. As Sri Lanka has worked in recent years to establish itself as a global tourism contender, it has faced several challenges. Now, it’s regaining the trust of visitors with its trademark hospitality and warm nature – not to mention an ever-expanding roster of new hotels and resorts.