How Destination Finder Scores Destinations
Destination Finder describes each destination using a standardized set of travel attributes we call Destination DNA. The aim is simple: make very different places comparable on the things travellers actually choose between.
What the scores mean
- Every dimension is scored from 0 to 10.
- A score describes how strongly a destination fits that one travel attribute — for example how central beaches are to a visit.
- A score is not an overall rating of the destination, and dimensions are not added up into a total.
- Scores are assigned against the written criteria below so that the same question is asked of every destination.
- These are editorial judgements, not measurements. They are not objective and have not been scientifically validated.
- Data may be updated as destinations and travel conditions change, and a destination stays unscored until we have reviewed it.
The ten dimensions
- Beach
- How central beaches are to a visit: whether swimmable coastline is easy to reach from where visitors stay, and how usable it is during the main season.
- Nature
- Access to landscape and outdoors — parks, mountains, coastline, forests or wildlife — within reach of the destination itself rather than the wider country.
- Culture
- The depth and accessibility of history, museums, architecture and living cultural life a visitor can realistically experience on a short trip.
- Food
- How strongly food is a reason to choose the destination — not how many restaurants exist and not what they cost. The score leads on how clearly a place's own tourism material and its destination profile identify it with a food culture: named dishes, a named cuisine, markets and street-food traditions. Whether food is a defining reason to visit counts for less on its own, and market, café and wine traditions only ever corroborate that picture rather than being required. Scores use the full 0-10 range, so a strong everyday food scene without a distinctive identity lands mid-range.
- Nightlife
- The range and accessibility of evening life, from bars and live music to late-night venues, and how easy it is to take part as a visitor.
- Activities
- The breadth of things to actively do — water sports, hiking, cycling, skiing, organised experiences — rather than sightseeing alone.
- Romance
- How well the destination suits a couples trip: atmosphere, scenery, quieter corners and the kind of evenings it makes easy.
- Family
- Practical suitability for travelling with children, including distances, pacing, and the availability of activities that work for mixed ages.
- Budget
- How far a typical travel budget goes locally. A higher score means lower everyday costs, not lower quality.
- Walkability
- How much of the destination can be covered on foot or with simple public transport, without needing a car.
How this relates to matching
Your match score on the home page is calculated separately, from the preferences you select and the attributes a destination supports. Destination DNA is there to help you read a destination at a glance once you land on its guide.