SYDNEY VOTED NUMBER ONE CITY BY TRAVEL + LEISURE

Sydney

Sydney has cemented its position as a world-leading destination having been voted the number one city amongst Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific in the 21st annual Travel + Leisure 2016 World’s Best Awards.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Major Events Stuart Ayres welcomed the accolade and said it was another fantastic achievement for the State.

“This once again shows that Sydney is an amazing global city. Its iconic landmarks, stunning beaches and world-class events continue to resonate with the readers of Travel + Leisure and international travellers,” Mr Ayres said.

“The US is an important visitor market for NSW with the State welcoming more than 380,000 visitors to Australia from the US, who spent more than $683 million in the year ended March 2016.

“These outstanding figures reinforce the extraordinary work achieved by our tourism and major events agency Destination NSW, in partnership with the tourism industry and I congratulate everyone involved for their incredible contribution.”

The prestigious “2016 World’s Best Awards” are voted for by readers of Travel + Leisure and reflect the views of experienced world travellers.

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase said she is delighted that Sydney has been recognised as the number one city in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific by Travel + Leisure, one of the world’s most prestigious travel and lifestyle magazines.

“Sydney continues to stand out against its rivals with our spectacular harbour, expanding calendar of events and festivals, flourishing hotel scene, excitingfood and wine experiences and of course, home to the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas, Vivid Sydney,” Ms Chipchase said.

Sydney dominated the City Hotels category in the Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific region, with the Sir Stamford at Circular Quay, The Langham Sydney and Park Hyatt Sydney making the top five list.

Travel + Leisure is a premier travel and lifestyle magazine in the US and serves as a one-stop resource for sophisticated travellers who crave travel tips, news and information about the most exciting destinations in the world.

For more information on events, attractions and experiences in Sydney visit www.sydney.com