India’s Taj Mahal has been a popular tourist destination for many decades. — Photos: Pixabay
The list of Unesco World Heritage Sites is a useful tool when planning for a trip: It allows travellers to identify the must-see spots for an itinerary.
But some of these spots generate more curiosity and daydreams than others, starting with the Taj Mahal.
Unesco’s World Heritage list features 1,154 cultural, natural and mixed properties – a host of ideas providing inspiration when it comes to planning a future trip. The country that is home to the site most often searched for online by holidaymakers is India.
The Nabataean city in Petra, Jordan is a fascinating place to check out.According to data collected by the Zitango Travel website, the Taj Mahal is the most popular destination for travellers seeking online inspiration over the month of March. The pristine mausoleum generated no fewer than 1.4 million searches in a month. The monument created by a Mughal emperor of Muslim faith as a tribute to his wife is one of the most beautiful proofs of love, so it’s no surprise that it generates such fascination and interest among travellers.
Would-be adventurers are also interested in ancient civilisations and so it makes perfect sense that the majestic Machu Picchu, in Peru, sparks curiosity. The ancient Inca city tallied 1.1 million searches during the studied period.
Travellers are attracted by such sites built by ancient societies or mystical groups whose customs and rites still hold many mysteries, such as Stonhenge in Britain, the Nabataean city of Petra in Jordan and Chichen Itza in Mexico.
As the world’s leading tourist destination, France has not failed to make its mark with the presence of the palace of Versailles, which attracts 464,000 searches per month. – AFP Relaxnews
Most-searched Unesco World Heritage sites
- Taj Mahal (1,400,000 searches) – India
- Machu Picchu (1,100,000) – Peru
- Rio de Janeiro (824,000) – Brazil
- Yellowstone National Park (793,000) – United States
- Stonehenge (782,000) – Britain
- Statue of Liberty (757,000) – United States
- Petra (575,000) – Jordan
- Cinque Terre (550,000) – Italy
- Palace of Versailles (464,000) – France
- Chichen Itza (445,000) – Mexico
