Condé Nast Traveler’s readers have once again reinforced the enduring appeal of Sydney as one of the world’s most popular travel destinations through their votes, and we’re thrilled to be the only Australian city featured in this list,” Mr Grant said.

“Sydney’s vibrant CBD, surrounded by spectacular beaches and parklands, with world-class dining, major events and friendly locals, continue to be a drawcard for visitors from the US.

“The US is one of our top five inbound visitor markets and in the past financial year NSW welcomed 317,000 visitors from the US who contributed about $546 million to the State’s economy.

“Recognition in the Readers’ Choice Awards 2014 will continue to raise the profile of Sydney and NSW in this important visitor market as we work towards the NSW Government’s goal of doubling overnight visitor expenditure to the State by 2020,” Mr Grant said.

Sydney also performed strongly in the ‘Best Hotels in Australia and New Zealand’ category with readers singling out the Park Hyatt Sydney as their number one pick.

In total, six Sydney properties featured in the list of ten; Sir Stamford at Circular Quay (4); The Langham Sydney (5); Sydney Harbour Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay (6); Shangri-La Hotel Sydney (8); and the Four Seasons (10).

Lord Howe Island’s Capella Lodge also featured in the ‘Best Resorts in Australia and New Zealand’ coming in at number 7.

Destination NSW Chief Executive Officer Sandra Chipchase welcomed the results of the Readers’ Choice Awards 2014, saying it joins a long list of accolades Sydney has received this year.

“Sydney is a favourite for travellers across the globe, recently being named ‘Best Overseas City for Restaurants and Bars’ by Condé Nast Traveller (UK), ‘Number One City in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific’ in Travel + Leisure’s 2014 World’s Best Awards 2014 (US) and ‘Best City in Australia and the South Pacific’ in TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice.”

Over a million votes were cast in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards 2014 by close to 77,000 of the magazine’s readers.

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