The Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards have seen Japan sweep the top three spots in a list of Best 10 Big Cities in the World.
The award saw Tokyo claim the top spot, climbing from No.6 in 2020, with Osaka entering the list at No.2 and Kyoto, which topped the list last year, at No.3.
It is extremely rare for three cities from the same country to sweep the top three spots, and this is the first time three cities from Japan have made the list in the same year. Japan was also third on the list of Top 20 Countries in the World.
CN Traveller has a long history in the tourism industry with its readers having evaluated travel destinations through the Readers’ Choice Award since 1988.
Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) director Satoshi Seino said, “Visitors from the United States to Japan in 2019 were 1,724,000, [a] historical record and 12.9% increase from the previous year.
“After travel constraints due to COVID-19, the demand for domestic travel in the US has finally started to return and there are many waiting for an opportunity to visit Japan. Furthermore, with extensive coverage on Japan by the media during the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics, there is even more interest in Japan from the US right now.
“The JNTO hopes to take advantage of this opportunity and will proactively take initiatives to continue to convey and provide the charms of traveling to Japan in anticipation of tourism reopening.”
The Best Countries category ranked Portugal first, New Zealand second and Japan third.