TripAdvisor has released its annual list of “destinations on the rise” and the winner is somewhere you’ve quite possibly never heard of.
The top gong went to Ishigaki - a small Japanese island found in the country’s southwestern Okinawa Prefecture which is a three hour flight from Tokyo.
The list, which is part of the company’s sixth annual Travellers’ Choice awards, looks at data and determines which destination has enjoyed the most year-on-year increase in positive TripAdvisor feedback - looking at accommodation, restaurant, activity ratings and booking numbers.
229 sq km with a population of 48,000, Ishigaki in Japanese means “stone wall” but the name couldn’t be more misleading.
Neon blue waters, white sands, coral reefs and a tropical climate make it an excellent, off-the-beaten-track destination for any discerning sun worshipper and according to TripAdvisor, it’s also of interest to foodies. The island is known for its Yaeyama soba noodles, which are made of flour instead of the more traditional buckwheat.
Already looking likely to overtake Hawaii in number of visitors per year, in 2016 the island group (a collection of more than 150 islands between Taiwan and Japan’s mainland) welcomed a record 8.77 million people (a 10.5 per cent year-on-year increase), compared to the 8.93 million tourists in Hawaii (a 2.9 per cent rise).
With new flight connections to the Japanese Prefecture - get ready to see Instagram feeds filled with envy inducing snaps for this desert island imminently.
