{"id":37787,"date":"2024-11-12T10:27:01","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T10:27:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/?p=37787"},"modified":"2025-02-20T09:23:56","modified_gmt":"2025-02-20T09:23:56","slug":"sri-lanka-named-most-desirable-island-in-the-world-at-the-wanderlust-reader-travel-awards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/sri-lanka-named-most-desirable-island-in-the-world-at-the-wanderlust-reader-travel-awards\/","title":{"rendered":"Sri Lanka Named \u201cMost Desirable Island in the World\u201d at the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After more than 3 million votes were cast by 168,000 passionate, travel-loving readers, the results for the 23rd Annual Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards are now in, and Sri Lanka has clinched a prestigious gold award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As a symbol of its global appeal, Sri Lanka has been crowned &#8220;Most Desirable Island\u201d, representing a turnaround for the destination, which climbed from 08th place last year to take the top spot in the globally celebrated awards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The journey to #1 hasn\u2019t been easy for Sri Lanka. After it fell from glory in 2022 due to its economic crisis, the country suffered from lower interest among tourists globally. However, 02 years later, the island nation has slowly, yet surely climbed up the ranks. If anything, this award is a crystal-clear reflection of how travellers around the world currently feel about the \u201cPearl of the Indian Ocean\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following challenges, including the 2019 Easter bombings, the island worked hard to rejuvenate its tourism. Thanks to strategic travel promotions and improved safety, the world now sees Sri Lanka as a warm and welcoming paradise once again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In its winning entry, Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards, the well-recognised UK-based travel magazine lauded Sri Lanka&#8217;s &#8220;captivating blend of culture, history and natural beauty&#8221;.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cIts leopard-filled national parks and the jungle-fringed beaches show off the island\u2019s natural side and it\u2019s the tea plantations and lush highlands of the center that have caught the eye,\u201d the magazine said in its description of the destination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Following its promotional efforts, Sri Lanka Tourism recently hosted 30 top influencers, reaching an awe-inspiring audience of over 7 million people worldwide through more than 10,000 social media posts. The Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority (SLTDA) reported that over 30,000 visitors arrived on the island nation during the first five days of November.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sri Lanka: &#039;Most Desirable Island&#039; in the World | Sri Lanka Wins Gold\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fYojo1oQQ9g?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"heading\" ><u>Top Reasons to Book a Sri Lanka Holiday in 2025<\/u><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Let&#8217;s break down some of the individual aspects highlighted in the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards&#8217; review of the destination. Here are some of the top reasons to <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/holidays-to-sri-Lanka\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/holidays-to-sri-Lanka\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">book a Sri Lanka holiday in 2025<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cultural Heritage &#8211;<\/strong> Explore ancient cities, temples and colonial architecture, showcasing 2,500 years of history. Sri Lanka is known to let travellers take a step back in time almost effortlessly. Popular highlights fitting this category include Sigiriya Rock Fortress, Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic, Kandy and Anuradhapura.<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Tea Plantations &#8211;<\/strong> Discover the misty highlands and learn about the destination&#8217;s well-recognised Ceylon tea. It&#8217;s bound to be an undeniable highlight of your holiday. Popular hotspots fitting this category include Nuwara Eliya, Ella and Haputale.<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rich Wildlife:<\/strong> Take a walk on the wild side and experience thrilling safaris in Sri Lanka&#8217;s national parks. It&#8217;s bound to be a journey teeming with leopards, elephants and exotic birds. Popular highlights fitting this category include Yala National Park, Udawalawe National Park and more.<br><br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Beachside Bliss:<\/strong> From the golden sands of Bentota to the serene waves of Unawatuna and Mirissa, Sri Lanka offers idyllic beaches perfect for sunbathing, surfing, or snorkelling. This is one of the best ways to experience a sun-kissed retreat. This is one of the most important pieces of the destination illuminated in the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"559\" src=\"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/inside-1024x559.jpg\" alt=\"Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards - 1\" class=\"wp-image-37791\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/inside-1024x559.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/inside-300x164.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/inside-768x419.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/inside.jpg 1100w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\" id=\"heading\" ><u>Conclusion<\/u><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">What do you think about Sri Lanka\u2019s comeback at the Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards? Do you agree with its win or feel as if another destination deserved it? Let us know in the comments below. We\u2019re also excited to tell you more about our <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/holidays-to-sri-Lanka\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/holidays-to-sri-Lanka\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cheapest Sri Lanka holidays for 2025<\/a><\/strong> \u2013 so if you\u2019re interested, just get in touch with us for a free consultation with our team of specialists. As an <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/\" target=\"_blank\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">award-winning UK travel agency<\/a><\/strong>, we\u2019re ready to help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After more than 3 million votes were cast by 168,000 passionate, travel-loving readers, the results for the 23rd Annual Wanderlust Reader Travel Awards are now in, and Sri Lanka has clinched a prestigious gold award. As a symbol of its global appeal, Sri Lanka has been crowned &#8220;Most Desirable Island\u201d, representing a turnaround for the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":358,"featured_media":37790,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[683,689],"tags":[462],"class_list":["post-37787","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-announcements-travel-updates","category-sri-lanka","tag-sri-lanka"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37787","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/358"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37787"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37787\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37846,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37787\/revisions\/37846"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37787"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37787"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.travelcenter.uk\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}