When you think of dream holiday destinations, you might picture exotic trips to far-flung islands in the Maldives or the Caribbean. But the “most desired” holiday destination in the world is in fact Italy, a survey has found. Italy was the most-searched holiday destination among people in 97 countries, including the US, Canada, Ireland, Russia, China, and most European countries, according to a study by travel website TravelSupermarket.

British holidaymakers however preferred Spain, it found, and Australians dream of the Maldives. Italy beat Spain to the top spot, followed by Australia, Greece and France. Meanwhile, the most popular holiday destination among Italians was neighbouring Spain.