The New York Times has named Auckland on one of its top travel lists – with Tāmaki Makaurau taking the number five spot on the Times’ list of 52 places to go in 2023.
The Times wrote about the region’s multiculturism and highlighted the city’s newly renovated downtown precincts as well as new restaurants and eateries.
The Big Apple newspaper isn’t the only international voice singing Auckland’s praises.
Auckland is also the first destination listed on Condé Nast Traveler’s 23 Best Places to Go in 2023. Condé Nast has a monthly global readership of five million.
In late 2022, Auckland was also named one of world’s best LGBTQ+ friendly cities by travel company Big 7. The region was described as an urban hub and home to the largest Pride Event in the South Pacific, and praised as “one of the world’s most liberal countries,” and the first country in Oceania to legalise same-sex marriage in 2013.
Auckland Council says the accolades support the work that Tātaki Auckland Unlimited is doing to promote Tamaki Makaurau Auckland to the North American market, along with industry and regional partners.
In 2019, almost half (46%) of all visitors spend from the USA was spent in Auckland and Queenstown. North America has also been identified as a priority market by both Tourism New Zealand and Air New Zealand.
