And the ‘best world city' is...

Located on the shore of Table Bay, Cape Town is one of the world's top tourist destinations and has now been voted the ‘Best World City' in the 2008 Telegraph Travel Awards...

Stunning Cape Town in South Africa fended off competition from major tourist cities like San Francisco and Sydney to claim the top spot in the recent awards.

The awards, which polled 40,000 people, also saw South Africa claim a place in the top three of the ‘Best non-European Country' category.

A whopping 92 per cent of respondents said that the credit crunch will have no effect on holiday destination choices. The top destinations on earth were voted as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Canada, whilst top cities were Cape Town, San Francisco, Sydney and Vancouver.

Situated on the southwestern tip of Africa, Cape Town is recognised as one of the most beautiful places on earth. Offering a range of attractions, breathtaking sights and endless activities, it is a year-round holiday destination with friendly people, a mild climate and rich cultural heritage.

Known as the ‘Mother City,' Cape Town is the oldest city in South Africa and has a cultural heritage spanning more than 300 years.

It also has the top five national tourist attractions in South Africa, including Table Mountain; the V&A Waterfront, a unique shopping and holiday experience on a scenic working harbour; Robben Island, the former home of Nelson Mandela; the Cape Town Wine Routes, where some of the world´s best wines are produced and Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, internationally acclaimed as one of the great botanical gardens of the world.

Cape Town Tourism CEO Mariëtte du-Toit Helmbold said, "We are thrilled with the news.

"Cape Town is well-placed to receive visitors looking for value for money and an authentic experience.

"Cape Town has so much more to offer that visitors generally end up coming back to see and do more," she added.

South African Tourism UK Country Manager Lebohang Mokhesi said, "Value for money and the strength of the pound compared with other world currencies appear to have been a deciding factor for readers when voting for Cape Town.

"Cape Town is one of the world's most beautiful cities and to receive such an accolade from consumers themselves is great recognition of the wonderful tourism offering it has developed.

"Word-of-mouth advertising was a key component to spreading the good word about South Africa in the UK.

"It is near impossible for anyone to visit and not share their experiences with friends and family on their return. During this period of economic downturn, value for money is at the forefront of traveler's minds.

"South Africa has always offered value for money and, with the current exchange rate as it stands, visitors' money goes even further," she added.

Cape Town was also recently voted one of ten cities in the world that are most likely to become a global sustainability Centre by 2020.

But, remember it's not all about the destination; it's about the journey too. The awards found people's favourite airlines to be the long-haul specialists Singapore Airlines, Virgin, Emirates and Qatar Airways.

Picture by a­_glitch