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Last Updated 2 years ago

Popular Package Holiday Company Ranks The Happiest Places Based On Specific Travel Metrics

We all have our happy places, whether that’s at home or a special place abroad, but for the most part, they’re subjective ideals we’ve built based on our own experiences. Popular package holiday company Club Med thinks they can quantify the happiness levels found in different travel destinations and announced their list last week.

The company analyzed a number of the world’s most popular tourist destinations and awarded them a happiness ranking out of a hundred across several different metrics listed below.

Crime Index
Safety Index
Pollution Index
Cost of Domestics beer 0.5L draught (in a restaurant) in £
Number of outdoor activities by 100,000 population
Number of day trips by 100,000 population
Number of spas & wellness centres by 100,000 population
LGBTQ+ friendly
Happiness score

1.    Bali

Ranking in first place was the Indonesian island of Bali. The paradise island, popular with a wide range of tourists and a haven for thousands of digital nomads, ranked high on a multitude of fronts that combined to make it the happiest destination in the world.

In particular, the island’s world-class spa and wellness centers and outdoor activities were the major kickers, pushing it to an overall score of 73.7 out of 100.

Its position doesn’t come as a huge surprise to many. Its beaches, lush rainforests, and low cost of living make it an amazing place for anyone.

2.    Las Vegas

Despite a nickname like Sin City, Vegas pulled a respectable second place in the rankings with a score of 67.1. The Nevadan city is known the world over for its vast array of tourist attractions, from world-beating casinos, indoor theme parks, unbelievable nightlife, and of course, its excellent shows.

More interesting to some may be its safety score. Las Vegas ranked extremely high on Club Med’s safety metric, meaning visitors can enjoy everything the city can throw at them without worrying too much about themselves. That doesn’t mean you should drop your guard completely- there’s still a few pickpockets around, but you’re fine to let your hair down a bit.

3.    New Orleans

The US grabbed another high spot on the list with New Orleans pulling in at third. Of course, everyone knows the city for its famous Mardi Gras festival, which essentially transforms parts of the city into one big party. It pulled its big points after scoring the maximum for LGBT tourists.

New Orleans, along with Barcelona, both set themselves apart for inclusivity, making them ideal spots for anyone and everyone to get in on the fun.

4.    Barcelona

The eclectic city of Barcelona ranked as the happiest European city on the list. As mentioned earlier, it pulled in the highest possible score for LGBT inclusivity, while its wealth of tourist attractions, both inside and out, made up the numbers to earn a score of 66.6.

The city is one of the greatest in the world for food, culture, art, and nightlife. Despite being home to one of the worst pickpocketing reputations, the city is still safe for tourists too, so as long as basic precautions are being taken, a visit to the Catalan capital will be nothing but wonderful.

5.    Amsterdam

The iconic Dutch city of Amsterdam rounds out the top five thanks to its stellar safety score. The city is known for its safety despite the massive crowds that swarm its canals every year, so a visit to the beautiful town is unlikely to end badly for you.

On the other side of the equation, it also has the highest cost of a pint of beer in the list, so make sure that any visit is backed up with deep enough pockets to enjoy a drink.

The list continued into a top ten featuring Budapest, Vancouver, San Francisco, Dubai, and Rio de Janeiro.

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Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, hotel, airline, or other entity. This content has not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of the entities included within the post.