Sydney named world's best city

Sydney named world's best city


Sydney has won this title consecutively for the past four years.


Australia's biggest city, Sydney, has been named the world's best city by the readers of one of AmericaÂ's most popular travel magazines.

It is the eighth time Sydney has won the US Travel and Leisure magazine award since it started 10 years ago.

Sydney was followed by the Thai capital Bangkok in second place, with Italy's Rome and Florence in third and fourth places respectively.

Chiang Mai in Thailand, New York in the US, Istanbul in Turkey, Cape Town in South Africa, Oaxaca in Mexico and San Francisco in the US made up the top ten.

Sydney's Minister for Tourism, Ms Sandra Nori: "This award is another tremendous compliment for the people of Sydney - we are consistently at the top of the desirable city list around the world."
The magazines 900,000 readers were asked to evaluate each city by its sights, culture, arts, restaurants, food, people, shopping and value for money.

"This award is another tremendous compliment for the people of Sydney - we are consistently at the top of the desirable city list around the world," said Sydney's Minister for Tourism, Ms Sandra Nori.

"US visitors spent 4.1 million nights in Sydney and the state of New South Wales in 2004 and they immediately recognize that we share far more in common than just language and have enough different to provide a unique travel experience.

"There is so much for visitors to do in Sydney - I guarantee that anyone who climbs Sydney's Harbour Bridge for example will take with them lifelong memories of our city's vast, open sky, stunning beaches and natural harbor."

The announcement was made on NBC's Today Show on Monday.>