Conde Nast Traveller, a luxury and lifestyle travel magazine, said Victoria captured first place in its annual Readers' Choice Awards.
Readers gave Victoria, San Sebastian in Spain, and Singapore the top three spots on the list, followed by Tokyo, Seoul, San Miguel de Allende, Cape Town, Sydney, Copenhagen and Oslo.Conde Nast, which publishes numerous magazines, including Vogue, GQ and The New Yorker, said its Traveller magazine reaches more than 20 million print and web readers every month and more than 40 million people on its social media channels.
“I love Victoria and so do thousands and thousands of tourists who come to visit us every year,” said Popham, who splits her time between Victoria and her home in neighbouring Saanich.“If you wanted to enjoy kayaking, for example, on the ocean, it's right there in the Inner Harbour. Paul Nursey, CEO of Destination Greater Victoria, said the Conde Nast result is “a big boost” for Victoria business and community members that have struggled after the pandemic.Bruce Williams, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, said he was excited but “not surprised at all” to hear that B.C.'s capital, where he has lived for more than 20 years, was top of the magazine's list.
“It's a combination of a number of things. Physically, it's a beautiful place. We have mountains, we have ocean water, we have beautiful gardens, we have natural landscapes. It's a spectacular place, visually,” said Williams.