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Sydney voted top world city

SYDNEY has been ranked number one city in the world for a record ninth time in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards.

Condé Nast Traveler's editor-in-chief, Mr Tom Wallace, said it was a remarkable accolade to Sydney and Australia that the city continued to be the one which US travellers aspired to visit of any, anywhere on the globe.

"Our 3.2 million readers are among the most discerning and affluent US travellers and they subscribe to us for our fiercely independent assessment of destinations summed up by our motto: 'truth in travel'," he said.

"And the fact is they consistently rank Sydney number one, this year putting it ahead of other highly desirable destinations including Florence and Venice, New York and Paris."

The survey of Condé Nast Traveler readers asks them to score cities on a variety of criteria, including ambience; friendliness; culture/sites; restaurants; lodging; and shopping.

The Worldwide Hotel Operations President of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Mr Wolf Hengst, said that the ranking would be of benefit to local operators and travel specialists selling Sydney and Australia right round the world.

"There's no doubt that this is one of the most highly respected and independent endorsements of a city on offer anywhere in the world and it augurs well for the continued high growth in tourism to your city and country," he said.

Over the past decade Sydney has received more than 50 tourism awards recognising not only its stunning beauty and location, but also the quality of its restaurants, hotels, tourist experiences and its proximity to so many wonderful regional experiences.