CAPE TOWN, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Cape Town, South Africa's legislative capital, has been crowned the best city in the world for 2025 by Time Out, climbing from its second-place ranking last year, the city government announced on Wednesday.
Time Out, a global media and hospitality leader, revealed its annual "Best Cities in the World" list, highlighting Cape Town's ranking for its beauty, overall happiness, and top-notch food scene.
"The Mother City -- as it is affectionately known -- is rich in history and cultural significance, and offers visitors countless opportunities to discover incredible food, culture, and nightlife, not to mention impeccable green spaces and access to nature," it said.
The ranking was determined through a survey of over 18,500 residents from cities worldwide, combined with insights from more than 100 urban experts within Time Out's network.
Cape Town topped the list, followed by Bangkok, New York, Melbourne, London, New Orleans, Mexico City, Porto, Shanghai, and Copenhagen.
In a statement, Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis expressed pride in the recognition, saying it is "particularly meaningful" as the result is "largely based on the responses from residents of the city themselves."
"In addition to all the things that make Cape Town a must-visit tourism destination -- our unmatched natural beauty, blue flag beaches, wonderful cuisine, nightlife, and cultural diversity -- it is the overall happiness of residents that perhaps means the most in this extensive survey," he said.
"This is a shared achievement, and we're excited to continue attracting visitors from around the country, continent, and the rest of the world," Cape Town's Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth Alderman James Vos said.
"The 2023 gross value add of the industry for Cape Town was more than 27 billion rands (around 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) in addition to supporting over 91,000 jobs. This acknowledgment from Time Out and their readers is sure to be a further boost to our wonderful local tourism industry, further fueling Cape Town's economic growth," he added.
