The brand unveils some of the most authentic ways to experience New York, London, Dubai, Paris, Mexico City, Sydney and Shanghai, inspiring and redefining travel in some of the world’s most famous cities in 2020.

• The curated selection was voted for by the public then ranked by leading travel experts including National Geographic photographer Charlie Hamilton James
• The InterContinental ICons 2020 will inspire bookable experiences at InterContinental Hotels & Resorts allowing travellers to rediscover their favourite destinations in new and unexpected ways

InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest luxury hotel brand, today reveals the most iconic sights, sounds, tastes, smells and sensations that travellers should experience in 2020 if they want to really get to know the city they are visiting. The first ever InterContinental ICons range from the smell of fresh bagels at a West Village shop in New York and the unique flavours of Karak Chai in Jumeirah Beach in Dubai, to enjoying the sight of contrasting old and new architecture in London.

The list of experiences was determined through an online public vote and then ranked by a panel of worldly influencers and leading travel experts as the best additions to conventional tourist destinations. The InterContinental ICons will also inspire curated experiences that can be booked at some of the leading InterContinental Hotels and Resorts across the world.

Top InterContinental ICons in each city:

• Paris – Smell of oven-fresh bread from the boulangeries of Oberkampf
• London – The contrast of old and new architecture on the ever-changing London skyline
• New York – Fresh bagels at a West Village bagel shop
• Dubai – Tasting the many unique flavours of Karak Chai along Jumeirah Beach Road
• Sydney – The cool breeze on your face as you ride the Manly to Circular Quay ferry
• Mexico City – The smoky flavour of tacos al pastor
• Shanghai – The sound of old songs played on a vinyl record player

The campaign was developed based on insight from an independent study by the brand. The research revealed that most locals (59%) feel visitors are missing out on the true spirit of a place, while 75% of luxury travellers want to experience cities like a well-informed local.

Jane Mackie, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing, IHG Luxury Portfolio, commented: “True to the InterContinental brand’s heritage of pioneering luxury travel, we’ve spent the last few months working with leading experts and canvassing public opinion to uncover truly fascinating and meaningful details that showcase the best of global cities around the world. We are excited to reveal the first ever list of InterContinental ICons as well as curated itineraries to inspire travellers to go deeper.”

Charlie Hamilton James, Photographer, National Geographic and member of the judging panel commented: “I loved working on the InterContinental ICons campaign – it opened my eyes to the many undiscovered facets that I’d been missing in each of these well-visited cities. Each one holds an infinite number of secrets and experiencing the ICons is just the way to start uncovering them.”