Istanbul beats Sydney to be voted the best travel destination

THE birth of Prince George appears to have helped put London in the spotlight, with world travellers judging it the third best global destination.

Australian cities failed to make it into the top 10 in the destination table of 25 locations compiled by TripAdvisor from millions of reviews. Istanbul was voted the best destination, followed by Rome in second place.

London also beat the top two destinations from 2013 — Paris and New York — which dropped to 7th and 12th places respectively. Fourth in the world list was Beijing, with Prague fifth and Marrakech in Morocco sixth.

TripAdvisor spokesman James Kay acknowledged the royal appeal of London but said its appeal was wider.

“These awards are based on millions of reviews and ratings by those that really matter — travellers themselves,” he said.

“There is no doubt the birth of the royal baby helped keep the eyes of the world on London in 2013, but the capital's continued appeal among travellers around the world surpasses any one event.

Top 25 travellers’ choice world destinations:

1. Istanbul, Turkey

2. Rome, Italy

3. London, England

4. Beijing, China

5. Prague, Czech Republic

6. Marrakech, Morocco

7. Paris, France

8. Hanoi, Vietnam (New)

9. Siem Reap, Cambodia

10. Shanghai, China

11. Berlin, Germany

12. New York City, New York

13. Florence, Italy

14. Buenos Aires, Argentina

15. Barcelona, Spain

16. St. Petersburg, Russia

17. Dubai, United Arab Emirates (New)

18. Chicago, Illinois

19. Cape Town, South Africa

20. Bangkok, Thailand

21. Budapest, Hungary (New)

22. Sydney, Australia

23. Lisbon, Portugal (New)

24. Chiang Mai, Thailand

25. San Francisco, California