According to TripAdvisor, which is reputed to be the world's largest travel site, these awards recognise top travel spots and hotels worldwide based on millions of real and unbiased opinions from TripAdvisor travellers.
The Top Ten destinations in 2011 were:
1. Cape Town, South Africa
2. Sydney, Australia
3. Machu Picchu, Peru
4. Paris, France
5. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
6. New York City, United States
7. Rome, Italy
8. London, United Kingdom
9. Barcelona, Spain
10. Hong Kong, China
Western Cape Tourism Minister Alan Winde expressed his delight at the news: "To be ranked first out of all cities in the world, and against global destinations of this calibre, speaks volumes about the strength of our offering. It is especially exciting for me that these results are based on the experiences of travellers who have visited the various destinations.
"Being at the top of such a prestigious list will most certainly boost our tourism industry and the economy as it will inspire more travellers to visit us. Cape Town's tourism industry deserves our highest praise for doing a sterling job - well done! I would like to extend special congratulations to Blackheath Lodge and Derwent House Boutique Hotel, which were ranked in the top 10 for best service at hotels - they are setting the example that we should all be striving for."
Cape Town Routes Unlimited CEO, Calvyn Gilfellan comments: "Being selected over amazing destinations like Sydney and New York in the Top 25 Destinations in the World category by TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site, proves yet again that Cape Town is a first-class destination for leisure, business and events visitors. This is despite the effects of the economic recession and the high-value-low-quality perception of the destination. I thank all the Western Cape tourism industry stakeholders and call on them to continue to raise the bar and ensure that we deliver excellent service to our visitors."
The full list may be found at TripAdvisor's website: www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations.
