Ask most people what city in the world they think is likely to be top of everyone’s list for travel and they’re bound to respond with London or New York. But the fact is that these cities traditionally thought of as the top destinations in the world are no longer quite as sought-after. In fact, the accolade falls a lot closer to home.
For the seventh year running Cape Town has been voted the best city in the world by more than 39 000 readers of The Telegraph who took part in the 2019 Telegraph Travel Awards.
Describing Cape Town as “a coastal gem, lying in the shadow of a cloud-hugged mountain” where “wine flows, penguins waddle and – not too far away – majestic beasts roam,” Cape Town has retained its position despite major shifts in the top 20, such as Kyoto, a brand new entrant, ranking 3rd.
In addition to Kyoto other brand new entries included the likes of New Orleans and Havana, all disrupting the rankings and entering the top 20. There were some cities rising in popularity year-on-year, too, including Perth, Singapore and St Petersburg.
In terms of what made Cape Town the world’s most desirable city, geography, weather, Cape Point, Bo Kaap, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, and Table Mountain were some of the city’s highlights that were featured.
Commenting on the ranking, Member of the
Mayoral Committee (MMC) for Economic Opportunities and Asset Management, including
Tourism, James Vos, noted how Cape Town had retained its position despite the
recent water crisis clearly not having been forgotten.
“We retained this position as the best city in the world despite The Telegraph
also noting our ‘earnest notes to flush only when absolutely necessary.’ While
perhaps a bit of a tongue-in-cheek comment on their part, it is a reminder of
the major challenges the City and our tourism sector faced. It is also a
reminder of how Cape Townians acted together to save water and avert the taps running dry. While
we are still in recovery mode, it is encouraging that we have retained our top position
despite other major shifts in the rankings. This is something we can be proud
of.”
MMC Vos added that “The priority for my team and I is to diversify tourism products so more people can benefit from the millions of visitors we have every year. Combined with promoting the already impressive sites and attractions we have in Cape Town, I intend to make tourism a game-changer for our city.”
CEO of Cape Town Tourism Enver Duminy says, “Being voted the world’s best city for yet another year underscores Cape Town’s fantastic tourism offerings and that we remain an unparalleled destination and one whose multiple tourism initiatives have ensured that we can continue to attract visitors from all over the globe. We would like to acknowledge and thank our member products and experiences on delivering on and exceeding the expectations of visitors and locals alike without fail. As high-season approaches lets ensure that everyone experiences world-class tourism in and around Cape Town”
The 2019 Telegraph Travel Awards list of 20 best cities in the world:
- Cape Town
- Vancouver
- Kyoto
- Sydney
- St Petersburg
- Singapore
- Venice
- Luang Prabang
- Seville
- New Orleans
- Havana
- New York
- Bagen
- Florence
- Istanbul
- Rome
- Dubrovnik
- Tokyo
- Krakow
- Buenos Aires