SEE PHOTOS - Greatest places to visit in Ireland

READ MORE- Tourism numbers drop steeply to Ireland in 2010

Ireland was voted the Most Popular Destination of 2010 at a travel awards ceremony in Shanghai, China, last Friday.

The Special Trip: World Travel Awards was organized by the Oriental Morning Post, a daily newspaper with around 400,000 readers. Readers and travel specialists from around China vote for their top destinations.

Susan Li, of Tourism Ireland said she was confident the award would further enhance the reputation of the country and help attract more visitors to Ireland from China.

Another accolade bestowed by the Chinese media recently rated Ireland as the Destination with the Most Potential for 2011. The award was the result of a survey conducted by LifeStyle, a Beijing newspaper with a readership of about 300,000.

SEE PHOTOS - Greatest places to visit in Ireland

READ MORE- Tourism numbers drop steeply to Ireland in 2010