Conde Nast: Charleston top tourist city in the world

Charleston outdid itself this year.

A year after winning the No. 1 tourist city in America, readers of Conde Nast Traveler voted the Holy City as not only the best travel destination in America but as the top city on the planet.

“We are on top of the world,” said Helen Hill, Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau executive director.

Charleston was voted the third best city in the world last year, behind Sydney, Australia, and Florence, Italy.

The award is based on a city’s overall atmosphere/ambiance, culture/sites, friendliness, lodging, restaurants and shopping.

With a rating of 86.7, Charleston bested No. 2 Cape Town, South Africa, which scored 84.8, and No. 3 Florence, Italy, which came in with 83.3 points.

“To be recognized alongside some of the world’s most popular visitor destinations is a distinction that Charleston will cherish for quite some time,” Charleston Mayor Joe Riley said.

Read more in Wednesday’s editions of The Post and Courier.

Reach Warren L. Wise at 937-5524 or twitter.com/warrenlancewise.