Sydney finally beats Melbourne as top destination

A young boy dressed as a businessman raises his arm in success as his homemade box car is in first place. Both boys are wearing helmets and goggles.

In news that will shock all the hipsters and barristers of Melbourne, Sydney has been named number one destination in Australia by TripAdvisor.

Its 2017 Travellers’ Choice awards have landed, leaving Melbourne in second place, and Lord Howe Island in third.

Meanwhile, in the global stakes, Bali was number one, while Australian destinations failed to even make it into the top 10 worldwide.

But let’s ignore that for a moment and get back to the local list.

Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for hotels, restaurants and attractions in destinations worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period, as well as traveller booking interest on TripAdvisor.

The top 10 Travellers’ Choice Destinations for Australia are:

  1. Sydney, New South Wales (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Sydney: $328)
  2. Melbourne, Victoria (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Melbourne: $243)
  3. Lord Howe Island, Lord Howe Island (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Lord Howe Island: $701)
  4. Gold Coast , Queensland (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Gold Coast: $175)
  5. Magnetic Island, Queensland (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Magnetic Island: $168)
  6. Noosa, Queensland (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Noosa: $304)
  7. Margaret River, Western Australia (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Margaret River: $205)
  8. Port Douglas, Queensland (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Port Douglas: $225)
  9. Exmouth, Western Australia (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Exmouth: $287)
  10. Airlie Beach, Queensland (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Airlie Beach: $176)

TripAdvisor spokesperson Grant Colquhoun said these winners came about largely due to increased booking interest over the last 12-months, while Destination NSW CEO Sandra Chipchase was stoked to Sydney take the crown.

“Sydney is Australia’s global city that combines the beauty of world-famous Sydney Harbour, Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge, with the excitement of a thriving, cultural centre. Visitors are drawn to Sydney’s beaches, restaurants, theatres, and its ever changing, exciting events calendar,” she said.

In the global stakes, the top 10 destinations were:

  1. Bali, Indonesia (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Bali: $267)
  2. London, United Kingdom (TripAdvisor average nightly rate1 of all bookable hotels in London: $335)
  3. Paris, France (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Paris: $297)
  4. Rome, Italy (TripAdvisor Average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Rome: $276)
  5. New York City, U.S. (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in New York City: $452)
  6. Crete, Greece (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Crete: $100)
  7. Barcelona, Spain (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Barcelona: $280)
  8. Siem Reap, Cambodia (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Siem Reap: $128)
  9. Prague, Czech Republic (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Prague: $193)
  10. Phuket, Thailand (TripAdvisor average nightly rate of all bookable hotels in Phuket: $128)

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