According to TripAdvisor, which is the world's largest travel site, these awards honour top travel spots and hotels worldwide based on millions of real and unbiased opinions from TripAdvisor travellers.
The top ten destinations in 2011 were:
1. Cape Town, South Africa
2. Sydney, Australia
3. Machu Picchu, Peru
4. Paris, France
5. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
6. New York City, United States
7. Rome, Italy
8. London, United Kingdom
9. Barcelona, Spain
10. Hong Kong, China
Western Cape Tourism Minister Alan Winde expressed his delight at the news: "To be ranked first out of all cities in the world, and against global destinations of this calibre, speaks volumes about the strength of our offering. It is especially exciting for me that these results are based on the experiences of travellers who have visited the various destinations".
"Being at the top of such a prestigious list will most certainly boost our tourism industry and the economy as it will inspire more travellers to visit us. Cape Town's tourism industry deserves our highest praise for doing a sterling job - well done! I would like to extend special congratulations to Blackheath Lodge and Derwent House Boutique Hotel, which were ranked in the top ten for best service at hotels - they are setting the example that we should all be striving for."
The full list can be found at TripAdvisor's website: http://www.tripadvisor.com/TCDestinations
