Istanbul voted 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 ten in the destination table 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.

TRIP ADVISOR’S TOP TEN WORLD ATTRACTIONS:

1. Istanbul
2. Rome
3. London
4. Beijing
5. Prague
6. Marrakech
7. Paris
8. Hanoi, Vietnam
9. Siem Reap, Cambodia
10. Shanghai