Awards round-up: Who won what at the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards

Closeup side view of mid 60's couple enjoying a sailing cruise during  summer vacation at seaside.
Edited by Travel Weekly


    The winners of the Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards were announced this week at what was likely an incredibly flash event somewhere in the United States.

    Travel + Leisure is one of the USA’s biggest travel media platforms, with an affluent audience of 9.9 million.

    Unfortunately, we weren’t invited. But that doesn’t mean we can’t tell you who won.

    Firstly, congratulations to Hobart which was recognised as one of the best cities in the world.

    It was voted the Best City in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

    in Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards 2023. Hobart was also voted in the top 25 of the best cities in the world.

    Sarah Clark, CEO of Tourism Tasmania is ready to welcome those from the United States following the news.

    “With Air New Zealand’s direct Auckland – Hobart flights providing seamless connections from the USA, we look forward to welcoming more North American travellers to Tasmania,” Clark said.

    This year, Hobart surpassed Sydney to claim the number-one spot in the awards.

    In 2022, Hobart moved from number four to number two in the best cities category, highlighting the growing strength in offerings and appeal for visitors to the island state capital.

    Travel + Leisure Readers’ 5 Favorite Cities in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific:

    1. Hobart, Australia
    2. Queenstown, New Zealand
    3. Sydney, Australia
    4. Melbourne, Australia
    5. Wellington, New Zealand

    The global list of the World’s Best Cities was topped by Oaxaca, Mexico. Followed by Udaipur in India, Kyoto in Japan, Ubud in Indonesia and San Miguel de Allende in Mexico.

    Charleston, South Carolina was named as Reader’s Favourite City to Visit in the United States. Followed by Santa Fe, New Mexico; New Orleans, Louisiana; Savannah, Georgia and Chicago, Illinois

    Reader’s favourites:

    Hotel: Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet: Istanbul, Turkey
    International Airline: La Compagnie
    International Airport: Singapore Changi Airport: Singapore

    Mega-ship Ocean Cruise Line: Virgin Voyages
    Large-ship Ocean Cruise Line: Cunard
    Midsize-ship Ocean Cruise Line: Viking
    Small-ship Ocean Cruise Line: Viking
    Intimate-ship Ocean Cruise Line: Quasar Expeditions
    River Cruise Line: Aqua Expeditions

    Islands in Australia, New Zealand, and the South Pacific:

    1. Great Barrier Reef Islands: Australia
    2. Fiji Islands
    3. Moorea: French Polynesia
    4. Bora-Bora: French Polynesia
    5. Tahiti: French Polynesia

    Islands in the World: Great Barrier Reef Islands, Australia
    International Destination Spas: The Ranch Italy at Palazzo Fiuggi: Fiuggi, Italy
    Tour Operators: ATJ

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