Phuket, Thailand -- (SBWIRE) -- 01/12/2011 -- A recent poll by members of popular Chinese travel website Ctrip has ranked Phuket as the sixth most popular holiday destination in the world.

The poll, which received a total of seven and a half million votes, ran from the 15th October to 15th November 2010.

Shanghai based Ctrip serve over one and a half million customers every year and account for three percent of all flights booked in China. The Ctrip web site has over forty million registered members and offers more than one thousand holiday packages, hotels, flights and corporate travel management services.

The winner of the poll was Paris, France, followed by Jungfrau in Switzerland, Tokyo in Japan, Maldives and Prague in the Czech Republic.

Other destinations which ranked lower than Phuket in the poll were; Amsterdam in the Netherlands, Johannesburg in South Africa, Seoul in South Korea and the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

Phuket continues to grow in popularity as a destination for Chinese tourists; its close proximity to China, sandy white beaches and idyllic lifestyle having great appeal.

In fact, figures released by the Thailand Immigration Bureau show that the number of Chinese nationals visiting Phuket from January to November 2010 reached 765,389; an increase of more than thirty percent over 2009.

Additionally, Chinese nationals are travelling overseas in increasing numbers as the economy in China continues to grow and its citizens become more wealthy.

Author:
Rebecca Smith
Phuket Ocean Villas
Main article: http://blog.phuketoceanvillas.com/phuket-thailand-ranked-6th-in-china-poll/