Royal seal of approval: New Zealand voted dream destination if money was no object (but most of us end up holidaying in Spain)

By Carol Driver for MailOnline

Published: 00:00 EDT, 30 April 2014 | Updated: 05:28 EDT, 30 April 2014

New Zealand has been voted Brits' number one dream holiday destination if money was no object, according to a survey.

The top bucket list country was unveiled at part of a major survey – less than a week after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge finished their royal tour Down Under.

It was followed closely by Australia, named as the second most desirable location in the world, according to TripAdvisor.

Dream destination: New Zealand was voted the top bucket list holiday in a new survey

Successful trip: The Duchess of Cambridge and Prince George won't be heading to Memphis after the family's three-week tour Down Under

Traditional greeting: Kate and William enjoy a Maori welcome on the lawn of Wellington's New Zealand House

The Caribbean ranked in third place in the survey, which quizzed 5,000 people in the UK, with the US and Canada closely behind.

Japan, Brazil, Italy, Thailand and Mexico make up the top 10 dream holiday destinations if money was no object.

However, it seems most holidaymakers will be heading somewhere closer to home for their two-week break, as old favourites dominate the list of most popular holiday destinations visited in the last 12 months.

Spain tops the bill, with France in second place, followed by the US and Italy.

James Kay, TripAdvisor spokesman, said: 'If money was no object, it seems we Brits would like to travel as far afield as possible.

'Our most popular dream destination is New Zealand, but across the top ten the Far East and Americas are very popular too.

'The rest of the world have their eyes on a trip Down Under though, with Australia named the dream destination for travellers around the world.'

The findings come just days after Kate and William finished their three-week tour in Australia and New Zealand with Prince George – which is expected to result in a huge tourism boost.

Second place: Australia - which the Duke and Duchess visited recently - was voted a top dream destination

Luxury break: Travellers voted the Caribbean in third place on their destination wishlist

Hotel search website Trivago has already reported a 70 per cent increase in searches for New Zealand – and 32 per cent for Australia.

The TripAdvisor findings form part of the world’s largest travel site’s bi-annual TripBarometer study, for which 61,000 travellers answer questions about the latest travel trends, including spending and holiday plans.

The study found Brits’ average yearly budget for holidays has dropped to £5,016, compared to £5,381 in 2013.

Top pick: A trip to the US - with favourites such as Walt Disney World in Florida - was voted in fourth place

Favourite destinations: But rather than the bucket list, most Brits will be holidaying in the usual locations, such as Spain

This is in contrast to the rising global average, set to increase three per cent to £3,686 in 2014.

Nevertheless, Brits are still among the world’s biggest holiday spenders – with only travellers in Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland spending more on their yearly budget in 2014.

The UK also takes the lead as the world’s most prepared travellers, with a fifth booking their holidays at least seven months in advance, more than any other nation. 

At the other end of the scale, 42 per cent of Thai travellers and more than a third of Chinese book their trips less than two weeks before they travel.

Nearly half of Brits named the beach break as their perfect type of holiday, compared to 36 per cent globally.

As well as relaxing by the sea, the study finds Brits are also a nation of keen culture vultures – with a third revealing that they always try to experience the authentic culture of a destination while away.