Top Tourist Attractions

I use this Hub to keep track of websites that provide lists to the most important tourist attractions around the world -- which I use for my work. Suggestions are welcome.

1 - Planetware - Attractions listed by country - based on Baedeker Guides, this may be the most complete list of top attractions (4 and 5 star-rated), listed by country, that is available anywhere. From this link, click on a country, then click on Top Attractions. For a more complete list (and alternative attractions) click on the Attractions link.

2 - World Tourist Attraction Guide - A fairly comprehensive list of major world tourist attractions by region. Also includes country information, contact addresses for additional tourist information, videos and photos of some destinations, and maps. Some areas may still be under construction.

3 - Hillman Wonders - World's Top 1000 Wonders listed by Country - Also ranked by Gold (top 100), Silver (101-200) and Bronze (201-1000) - Individual descriptions are provided for most sites, especially the Gold ones.

4 - TopWorld.com - Click on a region, then a country to find a lists of the Top 10 (in their opinion) Adventure Travel Experiences in that country.

5 - Travel Chronicle - A geographic approach to attractions - the best coverage is of India and Europe, but every other country of the world is also included.

1. UNESCO World Heritage List - Even better is The Tentative List, which includes sites that countries plan to propose to the Heritage List in the future, and many of which are "undiscovered" by the mass tourism industry.On the other hand, they also have their World Heritage in Danger List.

2. Best Historic Places - Rated by National Geography Society experts - published Oct. 2008.

3. Top Adventure Travel Experiences - Rated by TopWorld.com - Click on a region, then a country to find a lists of the Top 10 Adventure Travel Experiences in that country.

4. Protected Planet - A Google Map showing protected natural areas of the world, with links to additional information.

1 - Travel Suggestion Sites - The five websites on this blog post suggest attractions for you based on your destination, interests and time frame.

2 - World Tourism Directory - Comprehensive list of tourism offices, tourism schools, country and attraction information, and more. Also try the Tourism Offices Worldwide Directory (official tourism offices); the Destination Marketing Association International (does not include all countries of the world); and UNWTO Membership Directory.

3 - PlanetWare.com - Very comprehensive list of tourist attractions based on countries, states and cities around the world -- though it does not emphasize the *top* attractions. Also includes much background information, including photos and travel links.

4 - Travel Photo Base.com - Nice selection of annotated photos for a huge number of places around the US and the World. - Also see: Fotopedia.com, which seems to have become more popular in recent years.

5 - Tourism Offices Worldwide - These are the official offices around the world

6 - My Favorite Travel Websites - This is a list of sites that I use for booking my travels