01/08/09, 12:07:46 UTC

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Magazine drops Sydney, Melbourne down list

news.com.au

Florence was rated the best city on the planet. But is Melbourne REALLY worse than...BEIRUT?

MELBOURNE'S international reputation as a tourist destination has taken a blow in the latest survey of the world's best cities.

And after an eight-year reign as the "world's best city", Sydney has also fallen from grace with international travellers to be ranked fifth in the awards produced by American magazine Travel+Leisure.

Florence was rated the best city on the planet for the second year in a row.

Next was Buenos Aires, then Bangkok and Rome, with Sydney trailing the four.

But Melbourne was out of the top 10, although it ranked second in the listings for Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.

Melbourne's score of 79.82 points was well below Beirut's 83.75 - and 4.30 points outside the top 10.

Readers of the travel magazine scored marks for "authentic experiences" of cities.

Each city was also assessed on its sights, culture and arts, restaurants and food, people, shopping and value.

Melbourne's No.1 cheerleader, Lord Mayor John So, said the city's standing remained undiminished despite the survey.

"Melbourne is a popular travel destination and our tourism industry is performing well," Cr So said.

Sydney's slip on the ladder comes at a time when the NSW Government and Tourism NSW are making a renewed commitment to bringing the city's international footprint back to life.

A revitalised major events board, headed by John O'Neill who oversaw the Rugby World Cup in 2003, accompanies an injection of $85 million in funding.

The latest result has brought a mixed reaction from officials with one calling for Sydneysiders to help return the city to its rightful spot at No.1.

Disappointed by the response from the readers, acting NSW Tourism minister Linda Burney said the steadily increasing numbers of tourists into Sydney indicated otherwise.

"In the year ended March 2007, Sydney received nearly 2.7 million international overnight visitors, up 3.6 per cent on the previous year," she said.

But executive director of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce Patricia Forsyth admitted: "We have dropped the ball when it comes to showing and telling the world that Sydney is the best place to visit and in which to do business."

 Printable Version  | published Jul 11, 2007