Bangkok's Tourism Ranking Replaced By Udaipur

[churchill]

For the first time, Udaipur, India is named World's Best City, displacing last year's winner Bangkok, in Travel + Leisure's fourteenth annual World's Best Awards readers' survey .

However, Chiang Mai is among newcomers on the top spots, with the fifth ranking.

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok was also voted Asia's best hotel by the readers.

This is the result of the survey where questionnaire developed by the editors of Travel + Leisure in association with Harris Interactive, an independent research firm, was made available to readers at tlworldsbest.com from January 15, 2009, to March 29, 2009. In the February and March 2009 issues of Travel + Leisure, readers were invited to participate. A select group of readers also received invitations via e-mail. Respondents were permitted to complete the survey only once.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/07/13...ss_30107276.php

[JetsetBkk]

Wow! I guess the editors of "Travel and Leisure" prefer rupees to baht this year.

[Deez]

This survey is a joke. I wonder how many of the stranded tourists during the airport closure got a vote. I dont believe this survey at all

[phetaroi]

This survey is a joke. I wonder how many of the stranded tourists during the airport closure got a vote. I dont believe this survey at all

Well, of course, your own personal opinion has more meaning than something published internationally.

[samtam]

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok was also voted Asia's best hotel by the readers.

This is the result of the survey where questionnaire developed by the editors of Travel + Leisure in association with Harris Interactive, an independent research firm, was made available to readers at tlworldsbest.com from January 15, 2009, to March 29, 2009. In the February and March 2009 issues of Travel + Leisure, readers were invited to participate. A select group of readers also received invitations via e-mail. Respondents were permitted to complete the survey only once.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/07/13...ss_30107276.php

I never understand this about the Mandarin Oriental. Surely there are better hotels in Bangkok, let alone Asia?

[huggybear]

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok was also voted Asia's best hotel by the readers.

This is the result of the survey where questionnaire developed by the editors of Travel + Leisure in association with Harris Interactive, an independent research firm, was made available to readers at tlworldsbest.com from January 15, 2009, to March 29, 2009. In the February and March 2009 issues of Travel + Leisure, readers were invited to participate. A select group of readers also received invitations via e-mail. Respondents were permitted to complete the survey only once.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/07/13...ss_30107276.php

I never understand this about the Mandarin Oriental. Surely there are better hotels in Bangkok, let alone Asia?

It's classy and has a lot of cool history of people staying there. Presidents, dignitaries, film stars, royalty etc.

[Deez]

This survey is a joke. I wonder how many of the stranded tourists during the airport closure got a vote. I dont believe this survey at all

Well, of course, your own personal opinion has more meaning than something published internationally.

Wow you are quite naive if you believe everything you read. Learn to form your own opinion. This is especially true when it concerns thailand.

[phetaroi]

This survey is a joke. I wonder how many of the stranded tourists during the airport closure got a vote. I dont believe this survey at all

Well, of course, your own personal opinion has more meaning than something published internationally.

Wow you are quite naive if you believe everything you read. Learn to form your own opinion. This is especially true when it concerns thailand.

No, you're just over-reacting.

First, perhaps Bangkok's drop from 1 to 2 is a reflection of the political problem.

Second, it's just a poll, not a Bible.

Third, it doesn't claim to even be scientific. Along with some of their own subscribers, random people who have a particular interest voted.

Fourth, it's an opinion survey. Just opinions. Not facts.

[Birdman]

Udaipur is named World's Best City.

That must be a rather bizarre poll indeed.

[phetaroi]

Udaipur is named World's Best City.

That must be a rather bizarre poll indeed.

No, best city for tourists.

[Birdman]

Udaipur is named World's Best City.

That must be a rather bizarre poll indeed.

No, best city for tourists.

I would mean nothing else.

If Udaipur is the World's Best City for tourists, this would be worldwide known and there would be a tourist stampede.

But: How many tourists has Udaipur and how many has Venice for instance or Paris???

[Kan Win]

From The Age

Sydney falls down 'best' rankings

Sydney has fallen out of the top ten of best places in the world to visit. Photo: Peter Braig

July 13, 2009

Sydney has fallen out of the premier league of the best places in the world to visit, dropping seven places, an influential survey of international travellers shows.

Sydney failed to make it into the top ten for the first time in over a decade falling from fourth place last year to 11th in the annual Travel + Leisure magazine's survey of readers from around the world unveiled in New York last night.

The news completes a run of bad results for Sydney and compounds the tourism industry's woes as it struggles with a flat travel market. Melbourne fared even worse, failing even to make it into the top 20.

Sydney lost out to the Indian city of Udaipur with Cape Town, Bangkok and New York, among others, pushing it down the rankings.

The fact that Sydney remains the most popular city in the region - and perhaps the fact that Melbourne failed to make the top 20 - may be some consolation to state tourism chiefs who recognise Sydney's lustre has faded since the Olympics.

Last month Sydney lost its position as the best city "brand" to Paris, and was ranked 13 out of the top 25 places for quality of life by a global magazine for trendsetters, which marked it down for poor public transport and a "patchy cultural calendar".

In a further blow to Australian prestige, Qantas failed to make the cut as a top international airline and not one Australian hotel made it into Travel + Leisure's top 100.

Anthony Dennis, the editor of Travel + Leisure's Australian edition, which is published by Fairfax Magazines, said the intense competition between global cities as destinations, a sharp fall in business travel and a decline in long-haul travel had all played a part in Sydney's fall from the top.

But, he added: "It may be that a lot of travellers have already visited Sydney and haven't been presented with a compelling reason to return. And there's not much of the buzz surrounding Sydney that there was in the past - what's new to say about the city?"

Sydney is key to Australia's success in tourism; 44 per cent of arrivals come through the airport but the city's share of visitor nights has fallen 4.5 share points to 26.6 per cent since 2000, according to analysis by Tourism & Transport Forum.

Mr Dennis said the recent Vivid arts event showed considerable promise. "Tourism promotion of Sydney is widely regarded as having been confused and lacklustre compared to other states," Mr Dennis said.

Geoff Parmenter CEO of Events NSW said Sydney had suffered from an inconsistent marketing approach but that the unveiling of the results of a Brand Sydney project should help rectify that. "Our research found that Sydney is recognised for its creativity and Vivid plays exactly to that and that is a start."

Top Cities Overall

1. Udaipur, India 87.94

2. Cape Town 87.69

3. Bangkok 86.80

4. Buenos Aires 86.22

5. Chiang Mai, Thailand 86.18

6. Florence 85.61

7. Luang Prabang, Laos 85.45

8. New York 84.65

9. Rome 84.63

10. San Francisco 84.53

------------------------------------------------

Yours truly,

Kan Win

[JetsetBkk]

... the fact that Melbourne failed to make the top 20...

That is crazy. Melbourne is a fantastic city - and I'm a Brit saying that!

[phetaroi]

Udaipur is named World's Best City.

That must be a rather bizarre poll indeed.

No, best city for tourists.

I would mean nothing else.

If Udaipur is the World's Best City for tourists, this would be worldwide known and there would be a tourist stampede.

But: How many tourists has Udaipur and how many has Venice for instance or Paris???

Again, you're just taking things too seriously.

But this depends on how the survey is set up.

For example, if it asked "Which city in the world do you think, from your experience, is best for tourists?" Then I would say your criticism is correct.

I suspect, however, that the questions were more like:

"Have you been to Udaipur, India? If so, please rate the following aspects of its services for tourists."

It's very much like when I used to travel within the U.S. One of my very favorite places to stay was Moab, Utah. Wonderful services and attitude toward tourists. When I would say that to people back home they would say, "Huh?"

[cyborg22]

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok was also voted Asia's best hotel by the readers.

This is the result of the survey where questionnaire developed by the editors of Travel + Leisure in association with Harris Interactive, an independent research firm, was made available to readers at tlworldsbest.com from January 15, 2009, to March 29, 2009. In the February and March 2009 issues of Travel + Leisure, readers were invited to participate. A select group of readers also received invitations via e-mail. Respondents were permitted to complete the survey only once.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/07/13...ss_30107276.php

I never understand this about the Mandarin Oriental. Surely there are better hotels in Bangkok, let alone Asia?

Yes there is a few but as another poster said it's classy

[klikster]

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok was also voted Asia's best hotel by the readers.

This is the result of the survey where questionnaire developed by the editors of Travel + Leisure in association with Harris Interactive, an independent research firm, was made available to readers at tlworldsbest.com from January 15, 2009, to March 29, 2009. In the February and March 2009 issues of Travel + Leisure, readers were invited to participate. A select group of readers also received invitations via e-mail. Respondents were permitted to complete the survey only once.

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2009/07/13...ss_30107276.php

I never understand this about the Mandarin Oriental. Surely there are better hotels in Bangkok, let alone Asia?

Yes there is a few but as another poster said it's classy

I believe The Peninsula, Bangkok was in the top spot for a couple of years. Travel and Leisure shows tops for 2008 as Singita Sabi Sand & Kruger National Park (Mandarin Oriental came in at #14)

Conde Nast rates hotels in categories like best rooms, best service, etc. The oriental's best is #3 in "Best for Service".

I think that with the retirement of Kurt Wachtveitl, we might see the Oriental in decline

[klikster]

Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok was also voted Asia's best hotel by the readers.

This article seems to contradict that. http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/internationa...-city-to-travel

The Indian city of 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.

UM, is this the basis for a lawsuit!