New Zealand Tops Travellers’ Choice Awards

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April 30, 2008

New Zealand Tops Travellers’ Choice Awards

New Zealand’s Southern Lakes have been named the top two destinations in the world by members of the world’s largest online travel community.

Milford Sound topped the list of 100 global destinations, with Queenstown close behind in second place. The two New Zealand destinations were named in the top 10 ahead of Cayo Largo in Cuba, Rhodes in Greece, and California’s Lake Tahoe.

The awards were determined based on the opinions of TripAdvisor’s six million members worldwide.

Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive George Hickton said these awards recognise the exceptional beauty of the Southern Lakes region and the unique experiences the region offers travellers.

“TripAdvisor members are exactly the kind of travellers Tourism New Zealand is targeting in the online space. They are well-travelled, like to get off the beaten-track and use websites to plan holidays, and share their experiences and favourite destinations.”

“These awards are a huge credit to the New Zealand tourism industry.”

Destination Fiordland Manager Lisa Sadler said, “This award can be seen as a big pat on the back for our local operators and management teams, not to mention this being a major endorsement of just how spectacular our region is.”

Destination Queenstown also praised local operators. CEO David Kennedy said, “We know TripAdvisor’s users to be discerning and impartial, which gives this award and our alpine resort’s recognition added credibility.”

Other New Zealand destinations to be named in the awards’ top 50 destinations worldwide were Auckland (#37), Wanaka (#46) and Christchurch (#48).

More information can be found at www.tripadvisor.com

ENDS

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