Victoria among top three North American cities in Conde Nast Traveler 2008 Readers’ Choice Awards
Victoria, B.C., – Victoria has once again been rated among the best cities in the Americas by readers of Conde Nast Traveler magazine. Victoria ranked as the third best city in the Americas in Conde Nast Traveler’s 2008 Readers’ Choice Awards, tied with Quebec City.
Cities are rated on criteria such as ambience, friendliness, culture, sites, restaurants, lodging and shopping. Victoria has consistently been named among the top ten cities in the Americas in Conde Nast’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards, taking top honours as the number one best city in the Americas in 2003.
“It is an honour for Victoria to be recognized as one of the best cities in the world in such a consistent fashion and in a prominent publication like Conde Nast Traveler,” says Rob Gialloreto, Tourism Victoria’s President & CEO. “With a per issue readership of over three million, Conde Nast is considered a premier travel magazine and accolades such as this raise awareness of Victoria as one of the world’s finest destinations.”
Victoria’s accolades coincide with Vancouver Island being awarded the Readers’ Choice award for Top North American Island for the seventh year in a row. Vancouver Island ranked first ahead of Kiawah and Nantucket in the North American Island category.
“With the natural beauty of Victoria and Vancouver Island, and the first-class tourism products we offer visitors, it is no surprise that we are recognized by travellers as a world-class destination,” said Bill Bennett, Minister of Tourism, Culture and the Arts. “This kind of recognition will only increase as the world watches British Columbia prepare for and host the 2010 Winter and Paralympic Games.”
“With Vancouver Island taking top spot for North American Islands for a record seventh year, and Victoria tying for third place as top American city, the readers of Conde Nast Traveler are telling us something that we are fortunate to know already – the wide variety of unique travel experiences found on Vancouver Island and in Victoria are unparalleled in the world,” said Rod Harris, President & CEO of Tourism British Columbia.
Established in 1987, Conde Nast Traveler is designed for the experienced, discerning, frequent traveller and reports on an array of diverse travel experiences. The magazine presents information encompassing art, fashion, architecture, culture, cuisine and shopping at a variety of destinations throughout the world.
About Tourism Victoria
Tourism Victoria is the official not-for-profit tourism industry association that works in partnership with over 1,000 business members and municipalities in the Greater Victoria area and surrounding communities of Vancouver Island, British Columbia and Canada. Tourism Victoria’s mandate is to increase the economic impact of tourism for Greater Victoria by marketing the destination and servicing visitor needs. For more information about Tourism Victoria, visit www.tourismvictoria.com.