Insta #wondersoftheworld attract travelers

The Colossus of Rhodes, Lighthouse of Alexandria and the Statue of Zeus at Olympia - these are some of the wonders of the ancient world that you don't hear about anymore.

That's probably because it's currently the era of quirky Snapchat filters and wacky Instagram posts, meaning that new wonders have taken over.

A travel website, www.onthegotours.com, has released 'The Wonders of the World, According to Instagram' list. The results are based on the popularity of the hashtags used for each landmark.

The Burj Al Arab has been ranked as the 13th most popular landmark in the world out of 50, with the hashtag #BurjAlArab, being used 718,027 times.

"The famous Seven Wonders of the Ancient World was considered a guidebook for the first and second century BC tourist. Unfortunately, for modern travellers, those ancient wonders are gone (with the exception of the Pyramids at Giza), so we've made a new list," the travel website said.

The Eiffel Tower took the number one spot, followed by Big Ben (2,436,319 hashtags), the Grand Canyon (1,938,482 hashtags), the London Eye in fourth place (1,912,640 hashtags) and the Empire State Building ranked fifth highest with 1,578,349 hashtags.

"The hashtag #EiffelTower has been used 3,411,588 times, making it the most popular landmark in the world," the travel agency said.

Khaleej Times spoke to some travel junkies in the UAE, who have taken selfies in front of famous landmarks around the world - including ones in the city they reside in, Dubai. "I love travelling. It's definitely one of my goals at the moment - to travel to certain places. It's something that drives me," Dubai expat Anika Habib said. "I love taking photos in front of famous landmarks."

"I've taken photos at Statue of Liberty, Empire State Building, CN Tower, Niagara Falls, Chateau Versailles, the Hong Kong skyline, Eiffel Tower and the Burj Al Arab."

"But, I think, because we live here, we take them when we first arrive, or when a tourist friend of the family comes over and then not again."

Another travel bug, expat Sonam Lakhani, said travelling is her passion and she loves taking photos everywhere she goes.

"I love travelling. It's more like a passion," Lakhani said. "I love to explore new countries and their culture, try the local food, meet new people and live their life, even if it's for a few days. Yes, I do end up taking touristy pictures in front of all famous landmarks. I love taking pictures in general. It's the best way to keep moments with you forever. I've travelled to more than 30 countries and a photograph everywhere."

Source: Khaleej Times