TripNotes podcast host, Lorna Riley gives us insight into all things travel.
A premier international travel magazine has named the South Island’s tourist capital in its annual World’s Best Awards, making it the sole New Zealand city to make the cut.
As part of this year’s awards, Travel + Leisure readers chose Queenstown as the fourth best city in Oceania - despitethe alpine town not even being classed as a city in NZ.
The ranking, which is reviewed annually and based on reader surveys, puts Queenstown ahead of Adelaide but behind Melbourne (first), Hobart (second) and Sydney (third).
Travel + Leisure‘s World’s Best Awards are highly trusted in the travel industry, given the magazine’s extensive global reach and rich expertise of its readers.
Authors of the Oceania category said Queenstown outshone both Auckland and Christchurch for its picturesque landscape and abundance of activities.
One reader praised Queenstown for being “active and outdoor-oriented”, while another said the resort town is “the most beautiful location I’ve ever laid my eyes on”.
Queenstown was praised for its picturesque landscape and access to adventure sports. Photo / 123rf
The magazine cited its access to hiking trails, adventure sports and Lake Wakatipu as examples of what makes Queenstown so special, although it noted the views alone “are reason enough to visit”.
Air NZ also received an accolade in Travel + Leisure‘s round-up of the world’s best airlines.
New Zealand may have found success in this year’s Worlds Best Awards, but some of its entries actually slipped in place from where they were last year.
In 2024, Travel + Leisure ranked Queenstown as the third-best city in Oceania, behind Sydney and Melbourne.
But it wasn’t the only NZ city to be recognised with Auckland coming in fourth place, beating Hobart in fifth.
Auckland was unable to retain its spot on Travel + Leisure's list of Oceania's best cities this year. Photo / 123rf
Yet Auckland met its demise on this year’s list of Oceania’s best cities, entirely dropping off the rankings.
Going global, the 10 cities ranked the world’s best can all be found in two regions: Asia and Latin America.
Mexico’s San Miguel de Allende was voted the world’s best city for the second year in a row by Travel + Leisure readers, who praised the city’s “distinctive cultural milieu and affordability“.
Chiang Mai in northern Thailand came in second, with Tokyo following closely behind.
