20 happiest places to travel … based on selfies

June 21, 2023

By Kim Komando

We all get a limited number of vacation days each year, so when we travel, we’re all trying to get the most joy for our buck. 

Researchers used AI analysis of facial expressions in 63,000 Instagram photos taken at tourist destinations worldwide, showing that not all vacations are created equal — and some places are more grin-inducing than others. 

Fun-filled selfies

Researchers took the top 10 most popular tourist attractions via Tripadvisor for 100 countries and retrieved a sample of geotagged pictures at that location.

Then, they used Amazon’s Rekognition API (yep, even Amazon has facial recognition software now) to analyze the facial expressions in each picture and score them on a “happiness scale” from zero to 100. 

Finally, they grouped the scores by the tourist attraction to determine the percentage of happy faces in each place. 

Ok, so, where’s the real happiest place on Earth?

Step aside, Disneyland — natural attractions in Brazil scooped up four of the top 20 happiest tourist destinations, and parks in Honduras captured two of the top five spots.

1. Manawakie Eco Nature Park, Honduras (smiles featured in 76% of selfies).
2. Tobago Forest Reserve, Trinidad & Tobago (70.6% smiles).
3. Gumbalina Park, Honduras (68.5% smiles).
4.  Botanical Gardens, Brazil (66.7% smiles).
5. Inca Trail, Peru (66.7%).

Who else made the list?

What if you’re not much of a tropical traveler?

Noticing a theme?

Amongst the top 20, there were two common threads:

💃Latin America. Latin American destinations provide the most joy collectively, accounting for 14 of the 20 happiest tourist spots! 

🌳Nature. Every single one of the top happiest tourist spots featured natural attractions, from native gardens to rock formations to hiking trails.

My take? If you want a break from the old grind, get outside. Even if you can’t swing a trip around the world, the U.S. is full of natural wonders — check out the 10 best apps to plan your next RV, camping, or road trip to plan your next adventure. 

Still want to go abroad but are not much of a tropical traveler?

If castles and cliffs are more your thing, consider Europe

Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher captured the top spot in Europe, with Our Saviour’s Church of Denmark and a “UFO Observation Deck” in Slovakia rounding out second and third.

Ok, so we know where we’re the happiest on vacation. What about when?

Queue, the “holiday happiness curve”

Researchers also noticed a common phenomenon in travelers: the “holiday happiness curve.”

On vacation, travelers’ happiness skyrockets with initial arrival (when the first piña colada hits your lips). It dips in the middle (around the same time your kids start complaining), then soars in our final days of freedom.

Planning a trip this summer? Here are five tips to stay safe while traveling.

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