U.S. News & World Report Announces the 2014-15 Best Vacation Destinations in the World

Paris is Still the World's Best Place to Visit

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Jun 24, 2014, 12:01 ET

WASHINGTON, June 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for summer vacation, U.S. News & World Report today released its annual rankings of the World's Best Places to Visit. The new list features 25 of the most recommended vacation destinations by travel experts and consumers.

For the second year in a row Paris held tight to the No. 1 spot, with a 79 percent approval rating among voters. London moved into second place with a 78 percent approval rating, while Barcelona took the No. 3 spot with an approval rating only a fraction lower than London's.

The U.S News Best Vacations rankings identify top vacation spots based on a methodology that combines expert and consumer opinions. The 2014-15 Best Vacations rankings help travelers narrow the scope of worthwhile destinations to visit across the world. In total, more than 300 destinations were analyzed, but only a select few ranked among the best.

2014-15 Top 5 World's Best Places to Visit:

Paris
London
Barcelona
Maui
New York City

See full list: World's Best Places to Visit

U.S. News also ranks the Best Places to Visit by region. This year, Maui soared five spots to claim first place on the list of the Best Places to Visit in the USA. The U.S. Virgin Islands also saw a surge of voter approval, jumping from the No. 5 spot to the No. 1 spot and bumping the Cayman Islands into second place on the list of the Best Places to Visit in the Caribbean. And although Paris may hold the title of the World's Best, it did not trump Rome on the list of the Best Places to Visit in Europe.

2014-15 Top 3 Best Places to Visit in the USA:

Maui
Yellowstone
Washington, D.C.

See full list: Best Places to Visit in the USA

2014-15 Top 3 Best Places to Visit in the Caribbean:

U.S. Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
St. Kitts & Nevis

See full list: Best Places to Visit in the Caribbean

2014-15 Top 3 Best Places to Visit in Europe:

Rome
Paris
Barcelona

See full list: Best Places to Visit in Europe

Destinations that rank in the top third on the World's Best Places to Visit list are identified as U.S. News Best Vacations and receive a gold award. The top-third of ranked destinations in each region are identified as a Best Vacation in their market and receive a silver award.

U.S. News also ranks the best destinations in Mexico, Canada, Asia, Africa and The Middle East, Central and South America, and Australia and The Pacific. For more information about Best Vacations, or to contribute a vote, please visit http://travel.usnews.com/Rankings/, or find us on Facebook and Twitter.

About U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report is a multi-platform publisher of news and analysis, which includes the digital-only U.S. News Weekly magazine, www.usnews.com and www.rankingsandreviews.com. Focusing on Health, Personal Finance, Education, Travel, Cars and Public Service/Opinion, U.S. News has earned a reputation as the leading provider of service news and information that improves the quality of life of its readers. U.S. News & World Report's signature franchise includes its News You Can Use® brand of journalism and its annual "Best" series of consumer Web guides and publications that include rankings of colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, mutual funds, health plans and more.

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SOURCE U.S. News & World Report