Italy has dethroned Hawai'i as the world's No. 1 honeymoon destination in Modern Bride magazine's annual "World's Best Honeymoons" survey.

Italy was ranked third on last year's list. This is the first time the country has come in first on the honeymoon survey.

Second on the list was Hawai'i, which was the top destination in the Modern Bride survey for a decade. Tahiti came in third, followed by Costa Rica at No. 4 (up from No. 10 last year), Mexico, France, the Maldives, Anguilla, Fiji and Greece.

Hawai'i's popularity as a honeymoon retreat has been slipping in recent years. The number of honeymooners traveling to the Aloha State fell to 215,973 through the first six months of this year, a 1.2 percent drop from the same period in 2006, according to statistics from the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. That follows a 0.7 percent decline in 2006 compared with 2005.

The 11th annual survey was conducted through a network of 6,000 luxury travel agents who ranked their 50 favorite honeymoon spots. The results appear in the magazine's August/September issue.

Other "bests" on the list were Caneel Bay, St. John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, for resort with the best beach; the Four Seasons in Chiang Mai, Thailand, for resort with the best spa; and the Mandarin Oriental in San Francisco for most luxurious bathrooms. The Premier Overwater Villa at the St. Regis Resort, Bora Bora, French Polynesia, was cited for having the "ultimate honeymoon suite." Mexico, Las Vegas and the Dominican Republic were named most affordable honeymoon destinations, and Costa Rica, South Africa and New Zealand were named best places for adventure.