Cape Town named top tourist destination in the world

Cape Town, the picturesque, legislative capital of South Africa has been named the top tourist destination in the world at the 2011 Travelers' Choice Destinations awards. Cape Town outdid Sydney, Machu Picchu, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Rome, London, Barcelona and Hong Kong to win the top spot.

Commenting on the accolade, Ms. Hanneli Slabber, Country Head India, South Africa Tourism, said, “This is a great honor for South Africa and its people and exhibits our commitment towards the tourism sector. We believe that the vibrancy and diversity of Cape Town has earned us this accolade in spite of being pitted against some of the most renowned places around the world. This honor would only encourage the travel and tourism industry in South Africa to consistently achieve greater heights of service excellence.”

Travelers' Choice Destinations awards honour the top travel spots worldwide based on millions of real and unbiased opinions from TripAdvisor travellers. Award winners were determined based on a combination of travellers' favourite places and overall destination popularity.

"Millions of TripAdvisor travellers around the globe have helped identify the world's top travel spots," said Barbara Messing, Chief Marketing Officer for TripAdvisor. "The Travelers' Choice Destinations awards not only recognise some of the most beloved travel destinations worldwide, but serve as inspiration for millions of travellers looking to plan their next trip."

TripAdvisor websites operate in 29 countries worldwide and have been recognised as top travel resources in 2010 by Condé Nast Traveller, Good Housekeeping, TIME magazine and Travel + Leisure.

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About South Africa Tourism:-
South African Tourism is the national tourism agency responsible for the marketing of South Africa as a preferred tourist destination. It is headed up by Chief Executive Officer, Ms Thandiwe January-McLean, Chief Operating Officer Mr Timothy Scholtz and Chief Marketing Officer, Ms Roshene Singh.