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A study conducted by the world’s largest travel site, TripAdvisor, reveals that �������� hotels are the best on the old continent.

TripAdvisor presented the results of a study carried out in early 2012, which reveal that the average score of travellers’ reviews of hotels and B&Bs in Italy is 4.2/5. The country scores higher than the world average of 4.01/5, besting some of the major markets such as United States, England, France, Spain and Germany.

According to territory business-development manager for TripAdvisor in Italy, Victor Deotto, this is good news for the �������� market, which is continually increasing the potential services offered by the web.

Examination of the review scores posted by travellers shows that �������� B&Bs fare better than their hotel counterparts, with an average score of 4.4/5, compared to the average score of 4.1/5 awarded to hotels.

It is good news all round for Italy from TripAdvisor users, because Tuscany has been named the top wine destination in Europe at the TripAdvisor 2012 Travelers’ Choice Wine Destinations Awards. TripAdvisor said of the top award winner: “It’s hard to find a bad bottle of wine in Tuscany – even the most modest trattoria will usually have an excellent house red. Standouts include Chianti (of course), Vernaccia di San Gimignano and the so-called ‘Super Tuscans.’ So tear yourself away from the museums of Florence, even if just for the afternoon, and tour a few wineries in the countryside. We can’t think of a more beautiful (or delicious) way to spend a day.”

Tuscany was not the only �������� wine region to do well: Umbria came fourth and Sicily fifth. TripAdvisor said of the fourth-prize winner: “Umbria may not produce as much wine as Tuscany, but there’s a silver lining – it’s not as popular with tourists. If you’d like to taste great �������� wine without the crowds, Umbria is a good bet. Orvieto Classico, a white available in dry and sweet versions, is the region’s top wine. But for something a bit different, try Sagrantino, a tannic, full-bodied red.”

While Sicily was marked out for its sweet wines by the travel site: “Dessert wines like Marsala are the big draw in Sicily – they account for 90% of the local production.”

Thirty-two spots across the globe were honoured in the awards, which are based on millions of traveller reviews and opinions on TripAdvisor. Award winners were determined based on their popularity as wine destinations, taking into account travellers’ reviews and opinions for local wineries, restaurants, attractions and accommodations.