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Where should travellers spend their next island holiday? A new ranking names the ten most recommended places. Image: Adobe Stock

These are the 11 best places for island holidays

From Mykonos to the Fiji Islands and the Maldives – Island holidays are very popular with travellers all over the world. A new ranking shows which islands promise the best holidays.

Island holidays are very popular with the Swiss. This has been confirmed by surveys on the most popular holiday destinations and the booking figures from the major tour operators. Whether Mallorca, the Maldives or Phuket, the demand for holidays on the world's most beautiful islands remains high.

Personal preference largely dictates where travellers are drawn to. While the Azores, for example, have made a name for themselves as an active holiday destination, Hawaii is considered a surfing paradise, Indonesia a diving hotspot and Aruba a beach jewel.

Bounce, an international luggage storage provider, set out to identify the best islands for holidays, focusing on an overall perspective rather than catering to specific target groups.

For a balanced ranking, analysts scrutinised average temperatures, the amount of rain, the number of beaches, the activities on offer and beer prices, among other things. The result is a ranking in which almost all regions of the world are represented.

1. Phuket, Thailand

The Thai holiday paradise of Phuket has been voted the best island destination for 2024. The authors of the study commend its numerous beautiful beaches, pleasant temperatures, and diverse attractions such as museums and temples. Additionally, Phuket scores highly for its moderate hotel prices.

2. Zanzibar, Tanzania

The African archipelago of Zanzibar comes in second place. Its biggest plus points are the pleasant air and water temperatures as well as the low hotel and beer prices. With its range of attractions and sights, the island paradise is in the midfield. The biggest drawback: large amounts of rain are possible, especially in spring.

3. Crete, Greece

Europe also makes it onto the podium with the Greek island of Crete. Crete boasts a wide range of beaches, sights, and attractions. A notable advantage for tourists is the relatively low amount of rainfall, even in the rainiest month of December. However, it loses points for the comparatively expensive beer.

4. Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico takes 4th place. The island in the Caribbean offers a wide range of beaches and activities. In addition, the risk of rainy holidays for travellers is extremely low. Points are deducted, however, for the rather high hotel prices and the comparatively low average temperature (24 degrees) in the warmest month of August.

5. Mallorca, Spain

The Balearic island of Mallorca, a favorite among travelers from Germany and Switzerland, also ranks high on the list. Its advantages include a diverse array of beaches, a wide range of activities, and generally low rainfall. However, it loses points for its comparatively expensive beer and cooler sea temperatures compared to many of the other islands analyzed.

6. Cozumel, Mexico

The Mexican Caribbean island of Cozumel comes in 6th place, with the plus points being high air and, above all, water temperatures as well as affordable hotels and low beer prices. Cozumel scores poorly, however, in terms of the number of beaches. In addition, depending on the time of year, there can be heavy rainfall.

7. Mauritius

The holiday paradise of Mauritius ranks 7th, offering very pleasant water temperatures. Additionally, there is also plenty to experience away from the beaches. While beer prices in Mauritius are extremely moderate, a hotel stay can quickly add up.

8. Aruba

Aruba in the Caribbean makes it to 8th place, with the highest air and water temperatures and low rainfall. These attributes are, however,  offset by expensive hotels and high beer prices. Moreover, there are too many beaches in Aruba – but the quality of the offer is impressive.

9. Bali, Indonesia

The Indonesian holiday island of Bali is ranked 9th, combining many advantages: very pleasant water temperatures, little rain, a huge range of possible activities and rather low beer prices. With these attributes, it should actually make it onto the podium. The problem is that the hotels are significantly more expensive than in all the other top-ranked locations.

10. Sardinia, Italy/ Ibiza, Spain

The Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Ibiza share 10th place with exactly the same number of points. Sardinia scores with a record-breaking number of beaches and a wide range of activities. It scores minus points, however, for the high beer prices. Ibiza doesn't really come up trumps anywhere, but doesn't fall completely short in any category either. This is just enough to make it into the top ten.

(RSU)