Canada makes the world’s top 20 countries, but finishes at No. 20

Celina Ali

Islamabad: Canada secured a place among the world’s 20 best countries in the 2026 Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards, earning recognition for its safety, extraordinary natural landscapes and enormous range of outdoor experiences.

The result placed Canada at No. 20 on the prestigious annual list, giving it a spot among a group of destinations spanning Europe, Asia, Africa, the Middle East and the Americas.

Although Canada occupied the final position in the top-20 ranking, its inclusion itself represented a notable achievement in a list shaped by the views of hundreds of thousands of international travellers.

Almost 800,000 readers participated in the 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards, rating destinations based on their travel experiences between April 1 and June 30.

Readers evaluated destinations on a five-point scale ranging from “excellent” to “poor.” Those ratings were subsequently converted into percentages and averaged to determine the final rankings.

Canada received an overall score of 88.97.

Condé Nast Traveller highlighted the country’s reputation for safety as well as its vast range of outdoor activities as key reasons for its appearance on the list.

The publication also drew attention to Canada’s remarkable geographical diversity, particularly its dramatic mountain scenery and extensive wilderness.

The Canadian Rockies were singled out for their picturesque vistas, while British Columbia and Newfoundland were praised for their striking landscapes.

“Few countries can match Canada for sheer variety,” the publication noted.

That variety has long been one of Canada’s major attractions for international visitors. From towering mountain ranges and alpine lakes to rugged coastlines, forests and vast wilderness areas, the country offers travellers an unusually broad choice of landscapes within a single destination.

Canada’s position at No. 20, however, meant it faced particularly strong competition from countries that have become major international tourism destinations.

Qatar ranked 19th, followed by France at 18th and India at 17th. Cambodia occupied 16th place, while New Zealand ranked 15th and Vietnam 14th.

Norway came in 13th, Spain 12th and South Africa 11th.

The remaining positions in the top 10 were occupied by Thailand, Kenya, Indonesia, Croatia, Costa Rica, Portugal, Turkey, Italy, Japan and Greece.

Greece claimed the No. 1 position, followed by Japan at No. 2 and Italy at No. 3.

Turkey ranked fourth, Portugal fifth and Costa Rica sixth. Croatia was seventh, Indonesia eighth, Kenya ninth and Thailand rounded out the top 10.

The rankings demonstrated the breadth of destinations competing for international travellers, with countries offering very different tourism experiences appearing alongside one another.

While Canada finished behind all 19 other countries on the list, its overall score of 88.97 placed it firmly among destinations that received strong approval from global travellers.

The recognition also extended beyond Canada’s national ranking.

Several Canadian destinations and tourism experiences received individual recognition in other categories of the Readers’ Choice Awards, highlighting the country’s strength not only as a broad national destination but also through individual cities, resorts and travel experiences.

Victoria was named the best small city in the world, providing another significant international endorsement for British Columbia’s capital.

Montreal, Quebec, meanwhile, was included among the world’s top 10 big cities.

Canada’s mountain tourism sector also received attention. Ski resorts in British Columbia and Alberta were recognized among the best in North America, reinforcing the country’s reputation as a major destination for winter sports and alpine travel.

The iconic Rocky Mountaineer also earned recognition as one of the best train journeys in the world.

The combination of these distinctions suggested that Canada’s tourism appeal extended well beyond the broad national ranking.

Its cities offered cultural and urban experiences, its western provinces provided some of the world’s most celebrated mountain landscapes, and its railway journeys connected travellers with some of the country’s most spectacular scenery.

The 2026 ranking also came at a time when travellers were increasingly looking for destinations that could offer a combination of safety, natural beauty and diverse experiences.

Canada’s inclusion reflected that combination, even though it occupied the 20th and final position among the countries selected for the prestigious list.

For Canada, the result was therefore less about finishing at the bottom of the top 20 and more about maintaining a place among the world’s most highly regarded travel destinations.

With an overall score approaching 89 percent and multiple Canadian cities, resorts and travel experiences receiving separate international recognition, the country’s showing underscored the continuing strength of its global tourism appeal.

The 2026 Readers’ Choice Awards ultimately placed Greece at the top of the international list, but Canada remained part of the same exclusive group — a distinction that reflected the country’s combination of natural diversity, outdoor adventure, safety and internationally recognized travel experiences.