Throughout March, Exodus Adventures channeled its inner sports fan to find North Americans’ favourite destination. Based on college basketball brackets for March Madness, the guided tour company’s ‘Ultimate Travel Showdown’ featured 16 of the world’s most popular destinations with voters narrowing the field in head-to-head competitions each week.

After thousands of votes in the bracket-style competition, the final showdown featured Italy vs. Galapagos, and “in a thrilling finish,” according to Exodus, the Galapagos Islands in Ecuador won by a narrow margin.

“This wasn’t just another bracket challenge – it was a chance for passionate travellers (in the U.S. Canada) to weigh in on their dream vacations,” said Exodus.

Participants were encouraged with the chance to experience the victorious destination firsthand courtesy of Exodus, which says it will announce the trip winner later this month.

Exodus notes that it offers variety of options in the Galapagos – a country it describes as a “living museum of evolution (where) close wildlife encounters are assured, whether stepping over snoozing Sea lions and iguanas or watching up close the courting rituals of Blue-footed boobies, albatross or frigatebirds. The Islands feature rare wildlife encounters, volcanic landscapes, and an ecosystem unlike any other.”

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