This is the best tourist attraction in Europe. It won against the Eiffel Tower, the Colosseum and the Acropolis
The best tourist attraction in Europe chosen. No one expected such a winner. An inconspicuous object defeated European giants.
The World Travel Awards has selected the winner of the competition for the best tourist attraction in Europe. In 2023, the plebiscite included 12 nominated objects from the old continent. Despite the presence of such famous and popular places as the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Buckingham Palace in London or the Colosseum in Rome, the attraction from Ireland won the vote.
The first place is surprising
The first place in the competition was taken by the Guinness Brewery Museum (Guinness Storehouse). It may seem surprising, but the attraction located in Dublin was already a winner of the World Travel Awards in 2015. It is visited by one million tourists every year – since its first opening in 2000, the Guinness Storehouse was visited by 22.9 million people by the end of 2022. It is the most frequently visited place in Ireland. Famous personalities have also visited here in history – Queen Elizabeth and Prince William with his wife Kate.
Guinness is a powerful, recognizable brand. The museum introduces tourists to the history of this drink and how it is produced. There are several restaurants at guests’ disposal, including the Bar & Brasserie serving Guinness and oysters, and the Gravity Bar, which offers 360-degree views of Dublin.
The Guinness Museum beat out famous European attractions
The nominees included the boulevard in Batumi, the Passadiços do Paiva piers in the Arouca Geopark in Portugal, and the Bulgarian “Castle in Love with the Wind”, which was built independently by one man, Georgi Tumpalova, since 1996.
Of course, there were also more iconic places, which were ultimately defeated by the Irish museum. Facilities such as Buckingham Palace, the Eiffel Tower, Sagrada Família, the Colosseum and the Acropolis did not arouse sufficient recognition this year from Internet users who awarded the title of the best attraction.
The competition’s managing director, Catherine Toolan, said it was “fantastic praise” for Ireland. “This award is a great recognition of the quality of the Guinness Storehouse and is particularly important as the winner is chosen by tourists,” added Paul Kelly, CEO of Fáilte Ireland.
