Based on reviews and ratings collected over the past 12 months, the Travelers’ Choice, Best of the Best award is decided by travelers around the world who share their reviews, opinions, and stories on Tripadvisor’s site. According to TripAdvisor, the Travelers’ Choice Best of the Best is the travel agency’s highest honor, and award winners are among the top 1 percent of listings on Tripadvisor.
The awards take place across several categories. Seven Italian cities were awarded, sometimes more than once, for being among the world’s best cultural, food, and skiing destinations. Below is a brief list of what Italy was recognized for in 2022.
Travelers' Choice Popular Destinations - World
Number of cities on the list: 2/25
Rome placed fourth on the list, behind Dubai, London, and Bali. The Eternal City was described as being a “real-life collage of piazzas, open-air markets, and astonishing historic sites.” Popular attractions and areas like The Trevi Fountain, Colosseum, Pantheon Via Veneto, and Campo de’Fiori also received shoutouts.
Florence placed 19th on the list for being “an art historian’s dream…Budding photographers can snap pics of the Ponte Vecchio bridge, and serious shoppers can spend a blissful afternoon wandering the shops of Piazza Santo Spirito.”
Travelers' Choice Best Food Destinations - World
Number of cities on the list: 3/25
Rome was ranked the world’s best food destination, and traditional Roman meals were highlighted including succulent fried artichokes, tender oxtail stew, and fresh pasta like cacio e pepe, carbonara, and amatriciana. Florence ranked fourth behind Crete, Greece, and Hanoi, Vietnam. Tuscan bread and olive oil were particular favorites. Naples was listed as the eighth best food destination in the world, its thick, doughy pizzas a standout.
Travelers' Choice Best Places to Ski - World
Number of cities on the list: 3/20
As Italians know, Italy is largely considered to be one of Europe’s best ski areas, home to impressive mountain ranges and traditionally lower prices than countries such as France and Switzerland. Now, it’s considered to be one of the world’s best skiing destinations.
The cities of Livigno and Trento came in fifth and sixth, respectively, while Dolomites-surrounded Cortina d’Ampezzo ranked 20th. Livigno was praised for being a hotspot for snowboarders while Trento was highlighted for its popularity with hikers and for being home to “architectural and historical gems.” Cortina d’Ampezzo made the list for its glamorous apres-ski scene.
Travelers' Choice Best Places for Culture - World
Number of cities on the list: 1/25
The lagoon city of Venice ranked 12th for its mixture of art, romantic ambiance, high-end restaurants, shopping, and accommodations. According to Tripadvisor, “waterfront palazzos, palaces, and churches make drifting down the Grand Canal feel like cruising through a painting,”
Asia London Palomba
Asia London Palomba is a trilingual freelance journalist from Rome, Italy. In the past, her work on culture, travel, and history has been published in The Boston Globe, Atlas Obscura,The Christian Science Monitor and Grub Street, New York Magazine's food section. In her free time, Asia enjoys traveling home to Italy to spend time with family and friends, drinking Hugo Spritzes, and making her nonna's homemade cavatelli.