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Udaipur named World's Best City ANI
Sat, Jul 11, 2009
Source article here.
New York, July 11 (ANI): Udaipur has been named the World's Best City in a poll by Travel and Leisure magazine. The Rajasthani city is the first South Asian hotspot to get the prestigious title. Each year, readers take part in a survey to vote for their favourite travel-related destinations and accommodations as part of the magazine's annual 'World's Best Awards'. New York has been voted the 'Best City in America', for the ninth year in a row, reports the New York Daily News. On a global scale, Bog Apple has managed to come among the top 10, holding the number eight position in the World's Best Cities. (ANI) | 1 | | Udaipur | 87.94 | | | 2 | | Cape Town | 87.69 | | | 3 | | Bangkok | 86.80 | | | 4 | | Buenos Aires | 86.22 | | | 5 | | Chiang Mai | 86.18 | | | 6 | | Florence | 85.61 | | | 7 | | Luang Prabang | 85.45 | | | 8 | | New York | 84.65 | | | 9 | | Rome | 84.63 | | | 10 | | San Francisco | 84.53 | | | 11 | | Sydney | 84.27 | | | 12 | | Jaipur | 84.14 | | | 13 | | Oaxaca | 84.01 | | | 14 | | Istanbul | 83.90 | | | 15 | | Fez | 83.82 | | | 16 | | Cuzco | 83.40 | | | 17 | - | Jerusalem | 83.23 | | | 18 | | Siem Reap | 83.17 | | | 19 | | Quebec City | 83.05 | | | 20 | | Kyoto | 83.01 |
 Udaipur voted world's best city in travel poll Mon Jul 13, 2009 SYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - Udaipur, known as the "Venice of the East", was voted the world's best city for travellers in 2009 in an online poll by Travel + Leisure magazine, trumping last year's winner Bangkok. The island of Bali in Indonesia topped the Galapagos to be named best island in the annual poll, in which casual and laid-back destinations prevailed. Magazine readers also voted Bushmans Kloof Cedar Mountains, in South Africa, as the world's top hotel while Singapore Airlines grabbed the best airline award again. Nancy Novogrod, editor-in-chief of Travel + Leisure said this year's poll reflected changing travel interests in a challenging economy, with Udaipur, famous for its canals and palaces, a current tourist favourite for well-heeled Westerners. "Value, intimacy, service, and discovery are top priorities. As for that so-last-August-sounding word, luxury, it's all about enclaves that shelter stealth wealth," she said in a statement. Novogrod said dramatically sited outposts ranging from Jade Mountain in St. Lucia to San Ysidro Ranch in California featured highly this year. Value ratings for a number of top-ranked cities -- Udaipur, Cape Town, Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Chiang Mai, and Luang Prabang -- were sky-high while other far-flung cities also made a strong showing. However, favourites such as New York City, Florence, Rome, and San Francisco remained in the top 10 overall. The results were complied from votes by magazine subscribers in an Internet poll which went live between January and March. Travel + Leisure will honour winners on July 21 in New York. The complete "World's Best Awards" is available on www.travelandleisure.com. Following are some highlights: Best city - Udaipur, India Best hotel - Bushmans Kloof Cedar Mountains, South Africa Best island - Bali, Indonesia Best cruise line (large ships) - Crystal Cruises Best cruise line (small ships) - The Yachts of Seabourn Best international airline - Singapore Airlines Best domestic airline - Virgin America Best tour operator - Austin-Lehman Adventures Best car-rental agency - Sext Best destination spa - Mii amo, A Destination Spa at Enchantment, Sedona
 Udaipur voted as the world's best city in poll TNN 13 July 2009 UDAIPUR: The city of lakes and the Venice of east -- Udaipur -- brought home laurels when it was declared as the world's best city in a poll by Travel and Leisure magazine. With this achievement, the Lake City has become the first south Asian hot spot to get the prestigious title. Each year, readers take part in a survey to vote for their favourite travel-related destinations and accommodations as a part of the magazine's annual World's Best Awards'.
For people of Udaipur it was great news. City MLA and former home minister, Gulab Chand Kataria said, "It is a matter of pride for all of us. With the status of number one city in the world, our responsibilities to maintain the decorum have increased." Chairperson of Udaipur municipal council, Ravindra Shrimali, said, "We were trying very hard to make the city as the most beautiful city. The municipal council left no stone unturned to make it a clean and green city. Now we will have to work harder to maintain the status."
Raghuveer Singh Meena, MP, congratulated the people of Udaipur and said, "It is a matter of pride for all the Indians that an Indian city has the status of world's number one city. We will try to make it more beautiful."
Anand Singh, district collector, said, "To keep it at number one, we will have to make the city a polythene-free. People participation is required to achieve this target."
The president of hotel association of Udaipur, Subhash Singh Ranawat said, "It will help in increasing the international tourist footfall. We will have to protect the city's rich culture, heritage and its lakes."
District tourism officer Vikas Pandya said, "Thanks to increasing infrastructure facilities that we have this status. Now we hope for a good monsoon, so that all the city lakes will be filled with water, once again."
A large number of domestic and international tourists come here to enjoy Udaipur's natural beauty and rich cultural heritage. Last year the number of international tourists who visited Udaipur was 1.86 lakh, which was 26,000 more than the number of international tourists in 2007.
It is believed that with the status of number one city of the world, the number of international tourists will increase in the 2009.
Travel + Leisure readers name Udaipur best cityUSA Today The Associated Press 07/19/2009 NEW YORK—The annual list of the "World's Best Cities" as chosen by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine was topped by a city that many Americans may not be familiar with: Udaipur, India. Last year the No. 1 city on the survey was Bangkok. Asked if she was surprised by the result, Travel + Leisure editor-in-chief Nancy Novogrod said: "I was, but I'm kind of intrigued. It's a city I love. It's in Rajasthan, it's an ancient city around a lake and it has a beautiful palace with some great hotels and superb resorts," including the Taj Lake Palace and the Oberoi Udaivilas. Luxury hotel companies are opening properties there because "they are looking for these very special destinations that are unspoiled, that do offer a very rich and real sense of the culture of the region to guests," she said. Novogrod also spoke highly of the city's art collections and shopping opportunities for fabrics, antiques and handmade clothing. Novogrod added that among her magazine's readers, she has noticed a "huge migration and interest away from the classic European capitals and classic resorts to destinations that offer a very particular sense of place. ... The world has gotten smaller in some ways and the traditional places have gotten less interesting and more familiar." Another factor that may have contributed to the No. 1 ranking for Udaipur is that for the first time in the survey's 14-year history, results were included from readers of Travel + Leisure's international editions in South Asia, Southeast Asia, China, Australia and New Zealand, Turkey and Mexico. The magazine's "World's Best" list is based on results of a questionnaire made available online to Travel + Leisure readers. Respondents are permitted to complete the survey only once, and are screened in an effort to remove responses from travel industry professionals. Completing the top 10 list of best cities behind Udaipur this year were Cape Town; Bangkok; Buenos Aires; Chiang Mai, Thailand; Florence, Italy; Luang Prabang, Laos; New York; Rome and San Francisco. Other No. 1 spots went to Bushmans Kloof Cedar Mountains in South Africa as best hotel; Bali as best island; Crystal Cruises as best large-ship cruise line; The Yachts of Seabourn as best small-ship cruise line; Singapore Airlines as best international airline; Virgin America as best domestic airline; and Mii amo, A Destination Spa at Enchantment in Sedona, Ariz., as best destination spa. Complete results are online at http://www.travelandleisure.com/worldsbest or in the magazine's August issue, on newsstands July 24.
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