New research has shown that the Wonders of the World, long considered draw cards when it comes to attracting travellers, are now being overlooked. The latest survey conducted by Hotels.com has found that global holidaymakers are leaving many of these ‘must-see’ landmarks off their travel itineraries.
The Hotels.com had put global holidaymakers to the test to see if they knew their Great Wall of China from their Taj Mahal and, more importantly, if they had actually made the trip to see them.
Surprisingly, almost one in three travellers (30%) admitted they had never visited any of the Wonders, while a further one in five (20%) were not even aware of their existence.
Despite the appeal of the world's most spectacular natural wonders and manmade structures, some have been barely visited by global travellers, including Machu Picchu (5%), Peru’s Inca sacred site and Petra (6%), Jordan’s archaeological desert phenomenon.
On the other hand, the Wonders of the World that attracted the most global travellers included Rome’s ancient amphitheatre the Colosseum (33%) and Beijing’s Great Wall of China (17%).
Surprisingly, only one in eleven (9%) of travellers around the world have visited hugely famous sites such as Christ the Redeemer, Brazil’s infamous statue of Jesus Christ, and the Taj Mahal, India’s majestic marble mausoleum .
The Taj Mahal is however, the most visited new wonder of the world amongst Indians. It is not surprising that almost 90% of Indians have visited this historical monument in their country. The second new wonder that has attracted Indian travellers is the Great Wall of China which has been visited by 45% of respondents.
The research also revealed that the ancient wonders of the world are much less visited by Indians as compared to the new ones. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the most visited (28%) followed by the lighthouse of Alexandria at 11%. Other ancient wonders such as the Statue of Zeus at Olympia, Colossus of Rhodes have almost never been visited by Indian travellers. However, on a more positive note, all Indians are aware of the concept of ‘Wonders of the World’.