Sydney Named World's Best City

Sydney Named World's Best City

Sydney has been named the world's best city in the 2004 Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards readers' survey. It beat other hot spots such as New York, Rome and Bangkok, which were voted regional favourites, to take the top spot.

That Sydney came top in the survey is no surprise to Kate Strange, Regional Director New Zealand for Tourism New South Wales.

"There's no place in the world like Sydney - it's a very vibrant place. As well as widely known attractions, such as the Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, Sydney is also full of fantastic shopping and food precincts, museums, galleries and beaches. No matter how many times you may have visited, there is always something new to discover," says Kate Strange.

"It's good to see that Sydney is as popular with people from the Northern Hemisphere as it is with people just across the Tasman."

Over 300,000 Kiwi travellers visited Sydney in 2003 and it is seen as the ideal year round destination, with exciting nightlife, a warm climate and interesting cultural and sporting events throughout the year.

In May, Tourism New South Wales unveiled Sydney's first-ever television advertising and image campaign, highlighting the city's many dimensions. Sydney is positioned as "the ultimate urban escape," just a short trip from New Zealand.

The World's Best survey is run by American magazine Travel + Leisure and, as well as cities, recognises readers' favourite hotels, islands, tour operators/safari outfitters, airlines, cruise lines and car-rental agencies.

© Scoop Media