Voting took place in late October and early November. Croatia captured 28% of the vote, followed by Portugal (24%) and Pittsburgh.
Portugal was chosen by L+T editors as the top destination for 2016. Among the nominees were Hawaii, Paris, New Zealand, Rio de Janeiro and Cuba, last year's readers' choice destination.
T+L described Croatia as "a jewel in the crown of the Adriatic" and "this year's most intriguing place to visit."
Noting that Croatian tourism has boomed in recent years, the magazine highlighted the attractions of cities such as Split and Dubrovnik, and added that arguably the biggest draw of Croatia this year was the success of HBO's Game of Thrones series, which was partly shot in Dubrovnik.
"But Croatia is much more than just a beautiful film set; there’s far more to see than the two medieval cities," the magazine said, mentioning, among others, the rich history of the capital Zagreb, the islands of Hvar, Brac, Vis, Mljet and Korcula, and national parks.
L+T also recommended Istria as an agritourism destination famous for award-winning wineries, as well as local cuisine featuring homemade olive oil and cheeses.
L+T magazine has a readership of about 5 million.