THERE’S something wrong with my travel bucket list. The website Trip Advisor has published the top 25 landmarks for 2015, as chosen by millions of travellers, and I’ve visited only nine of them.

What struck me about the list (see below) is that the UK did not rate a mention at all, whereas Italy, Spain, France and the UAE each score two landmarks. But then I discovered that Trip Advisor publishes a separate list of top destinations for which London rates 6^th.

And then there are the omissions. What about Petra in Jordan? Or the pyramids? Both of which were on my bucket list and both of which I have ticked off. Or Jerusalem, which remains unticked on my bucket list?

I was happier with the Qantas Ultimate Bucket List Travel Ideas. At least I could tick off the Northern Lights (pictured), floating in the Dead Sea, walking the arch of Sydney Harbour Bridge, and taking a dip in the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. But that still left another 21 in the 25-strong list.

Lonely Planet has a top 10 list for cities, regions and countries. I’m glad to say that I’ve been to the No 1 city (Washington DC) but I’ve never heard of No 2 (El Chaltén). Apparently it’s become Argentina’s trekking capital.

The regional list is topped by Gallipoli (no, haven’t been) and the cities list by Singapore (yep).

Whatever the criticisms of these various bucket list choices, they are probably nearer the mark than the European Council on Tourism and Trade. They make an annual award for the best tourist destination, which this year goes to… Ethiopia. The previous year was Zimbabwe and the year before that was Laos.

It seems the Council invites nominations from present and former members of the Council, parliamentarians of member countries of the European Union, university professors from EU countries, and other “important personalities” in the field of tourism. The nominations and procedures of judging are guaranteed to be kept secret for 50 years after the award so I have no idea how they chose Ethiopia!

Sadly, my unchecked bucket list is getting longer and my years left are getting shorter. But like all Boomers I’m working on it.

Len Horne

Trip Advisor Travellers’ Choice Top 25 landmarks for 2015, chosen by millions of travellers

1. Angkor Wat, Cambodia
2. Machu Picchu, Peru
3. Taj Mahal, India
4. Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque Center, Abu Dhabi
5. Basilica of the Sagrada Familia, Barcelona (Gaudi church)
6. St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City
7. Milan Cathedral, Italy
8. Alcatraz, San Francisco, California
9. Corcovada – Cristo Redentor, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
10. Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, California
11. Eiffel Tower, Paris
12. Church of the Saviour on Blood, St Petersburg, Russia
13. Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris
14. The Alhambra, Granada, Spain
15. Hagia Sophia Museum/Church, Istanbul
16. Charles Bridge, Prague
17. Great Wall at Mutianyu, Beijing
18. Lincoln Memorial and Reflecting Pool, Washington DC
19. Burj Khalifa, Dubai
20. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum, New York City
21. Temple of the Reclining Buddha (Wat Pho), Bangkok
22. Chichen Itza, Mexico
23. Sydney Opera House
24. Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
25. Panama Canal