And This Year It's Not Just Sydney

Australia's premiere city and international hotspot, Sydney, again took top honors in the annual Conde Nast Traveler's Readers' Choice Awards.

But the real excitement lay in the rising rankings of other regions of the Land Down Under.

Tourism Australia Vice President, The Americas, Michael Londregan, said Sydney's win for Best Pacific Rim City reflected the city's enormous appeal.

"Sydney's the best city in the world, no question," he said. "But the best part of winning this poll so often is that it shows that the city's restauranteurs, hoteliers, and people are not resting on their laurels. They're keeping the city bright, cutting edge and exciting. That's a great credit to them."

But Mr. Londregan said the most exciting results from this year's poll was the performance of other parts of Australia.

"The readers of Conde Nast Traveler are hard markers. They travel widely and have high expectations. It speaks volumes that Australia's cities and hotels are so well regarded by these demanding critics."

Melbourne, a city known as Australia's cultural capital jumped three spots from sixth to third in the Best Pacific Rim City category, beating out New Zealand's Queenstown and Christchurch.

The Park Hyatt Sydney, one of the city's most luxurious hotels overlooking the Sydney Opera House and harbor ranked fourth in the Best Pacific Rim Hotel category.

In response to the rising popularity of Australia's destinations, Tourism Australia and Qantas Airways are now offering a new Qantas Airpass to make getting around Australia easier.

From USD $999, American travelers get three bonus flights within Australia including Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Brisbane, Adelaide, Gold Coast, Hobart and Launceston when they fly from the US to Australia from Los Angeles or Honolulu on Qantas ($1299 New York).

The Readers' Choice Awards are the highest honor in the travel industry as voted by the Conde Nast Traveler's dedicated readers. The results are pulled from 20,000 readers, the largest independent poll of consumer's preferences, second only to the US Census.

The awards are featured in the magazine's November issue, on newsstands October 26.