London is in its element right now – the sun’s out, the royal wedding went off without a hitch (or should that be with a hitch?) and the 2012 Olympic Games are fast approaching. Little wonder, then, that online travel reviews site TripAdvisor has named London as its top UK destination to visit this year.
Voted into the gold medal position on the UK charts by millions of keen travellers across the globe in the TripAdvisor 2011 Travellers’ Choice Destination Awards, London also made an appearance on the best European destinations – nabbing third place – and best world destinations, taking eighth place.
TripAdvisor’s Emma O’Boyle said: “Tourism is vital to the UK economy so it’s encouraging to see London and Edinburgh both highly recognised as Europe’s best destinations.
“London’s performance is especially meaningful as so much time and effort has gone into preparing the city for the 2012 Olympics and hopefully it will sneak ahead of Paris and Rome before the Games start,” she added.
London was swiftly followed by Scotland’s buzzing capital city, Edinburgh, while St. Andrews took ninth place in the UK chart. Following the recent Royal Wedding, the small-but-perfectly-formed St. Andrews has emerged on many international travellers’ radars as they clamour to see the beautiful backdrop against which Prince William wooed his bride. For those in need of a history lesson – St. Andrews University, the first in Scotland, is also the third-oldest in the English-speaking world, dating back to 1413.
Over on the world stage, TripAdvisor placed Cape Town in prime position, ahead of ever-popular Sydney and New York City. TripAdvisor cited the South African city’s “beautiful scenery, great wine and gorgeous weather” as the reasons behind its triumph.
City of Cape Town Executive Mayor, Alderman Dan Plato, said: “I am thrilled that our city has once again been honoured as the best destination in the world. The exquisite natural attractions and well-maintained urban environment make Cape Town second to none. We are committed to maintaining this status and working to make Cape Town even better for both local and international travellers.”
Western Cape tourism minister Alan Winde agreed, saying, “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.”
Can’t decide where to stay in Cape Town? Then follow the lead of other satisfied travellers and check out some impressive Cape Town hotels, such as Derwent House Boutique Hotel or Blackheath Lodge, both of which were ranked in the top ten in the TripAdvisor “Top 10 Hotels for Service” category.
Australia’s largest city, Sydney, took the silver in the awards, which were based on a combo of overall destination popularity and individual traveller’s most enjoyed places.
Check out the complete list of world destinations – how many can you tick off?
1. Cape Town
2. Sydney
3. Machu Picchu, Peru
4. Paris
5. Rio de Janeiro
6. New York City
7. Rome
8. London
9. Barcelona
10. Hong Kong
