2022 Awards: Celebrating Our Partner Cities’ Achievements

BestCities is named as such for a good reason – we push the envelope and set high standards, showing the global community what can be done with the right initiatives. This year, our partner cities continue to prove that rising up from a pandemic and thriving in the MICE industry is indeed possible.

Annual Awards Round-Up - BestCities

Here is a round-up of the awards and achievements that the BestCities Global Alliance partner cities received this year:

Berlin

5th Place in Metropolitan Comparison in the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDSI)

Berlin continues to rank well in the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDSI), ranking 5th among different metropolitans. The GDSI provides the industry benchmark to push destinations to apply more sustainable and regenerative practices as aligned with the UN SDGS 2030 Agenda.

Top 13 in the The Economist’s World’s Most Liveable Cities List

Berlin has been ranked top 13 in the list of the World’s Most Liveable Cities as compiled by The Economist. Factors like education, healthcare, safety, public transport and other relevant areas are considered as the basis to see which cities around the world are better than others. Especially after the global pandemic, the cities included in the list also show better recovery in creating a better post-pandemic lifestyle among its citizens.

Top 8 in the World’s Top City Destinations for 2022

Berlin emerges as the 8th top city destination this year out of 100. The list compares the attractiveness of these cities in terms of economic performance, health and safety, infrastructure, sustainability, and tourism policy and performance. 40 out of the 100 are European cities, with Berlin jumping 2 ranks ahead compared to last year.

Europe’s Top Destinations for Work

The amount of digital nomads around Berlin continues to increase as it has been listed as one of the top destinations to work in Europe. Ranking 20th out of 150 cities, the list is based on the number of suitable coworking spaces, rental prices, internet speed, and activities to do.

Cape Town

World Travel Awards: Africa’s Leading City Destination

Cape Town has been recognized as Africa’s Leading City Destination at the World Travel Awards. A much-anticipated annual event, the ceremony also marks World Travel Awards’ 29th anniversary.

Daily Telegraph: Third Greatest City on Earth

The Telegraph has named Cape Town the 3rd Greatest City on Earth out of 50 shortlisted global cities based on criteria like air quality, arts and culture, architecture, LGBT+ safety ranking, green space, and other relevant factors. Claiming the top spot this year is Barcelona.

Halal Travel Awards: Most Promising Muslim-friendly City of the Year (Non-OC)

The Halal Travel Awards recognized Cape Town as the Most Promising Muslim-friendly City of the Year last June based on how they promote Halal awareness and their endless efforts to welcome all kinds of travellers into the city. It’s the award body’s inaugural year, making this a notable achievement for the city.

Travel + Leisure World’s Best Awards: No. 1 City Hotel in Africa and the Middle East

Travel and Leisure has named Cape Grace as the top city hotel in the entire region of Africa and the Middle East. Located at a private quay at the V&A Waterfront, the hotel’s international yacht marina, beautiful interiors and the prominent display of the local arts and culture has become a source of pride for Cape Town.

Timeout.com: 11th Best City in the World

Timeout.com has included Cape Town in their list of the 53 Best Cities in the World, placing it at the 11th spot. The online publication commended Cape Town’s culture, food, and nightlife, saying that it’s the perfect place to soak up a mix of the amazing arts scene and the beautiful outdoors. The beaches and mountains around Cape Town were also mentioned, especially the great swimming spots around Clifton and Camps Bay.

Copenhagen

IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award 2022

The Copenhagen Convention Bureau has been given the IMEX-EIC Innovation in Sustainability Award 2022 for the Copenhagen Legacy Lab, an innovation project that has been gathering recognition and commendations since its launch. 

The project aims to tap activities that could potentially have a huge impact on the city. It involves a detailed process that maximizes the benefits of any initiative relevant to international congresses.

Dublin

Best Overseas Convention Bureau Gold Award, M&IT Magazine Awards

The Dublin Convention Bureau won the Best Overseas Convention Bureau Gold Award at the recent M&IT Magazine Awards for the second year in a row. Meet in Ireland, who is also part of the DCB team, also scooped up the bronze award. DCB also shared the stage with Convention Centre Dublin, who won Gold for Best Overseas Convention Centre.

Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Cities to Visit in 2022

Dublin has been selected as one of the Top 10 Cities to visit in 2022 by Lonely Planet. As the feature describes, ‘The real city Leopold walked around in 1922 on his Irish odyssey, with its Georgian squares, traditional pubs and warm people, is still there a century on’. Lonely Planet further describes the city as “a small capital with a huge reputation and a cosmopolitan outlook”.

World’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre 2022

After 12 years in operation, this is The Convention Centre Dublin’s third time to win the title of World’s Leading Meetings & Conference Centre 2022, having previously been awarded the title in 2019 and 2017. The announcement was made by the World Travel Awards on Friday 11th of November. 

The venue beat off stiff competition from 16 finalists from across the world, including Dubai World Trade Centre, Dubai, UAE, ExCeL London, England, International Convention Centre Sydney (ICC Sydney), Australia, Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, Australia and Las Vegas Convention Center, USA. 

World’s Leading Beer Tour Visitor Experience

The Guinness Storehouse was named ‘World’s Leading Beer Tour Visitor Experience’ at the World Travel Awards (WTA) held in Muscat, Oman. The Dublin visitor attraction beat global competitors including the Coors Brewery Tour in Colorado and Singapore’s Tiger Brewery Tour to take first place. 

Jameson Distillery Bow St. was named ‘World’s Leading Distillery Tour’ for 2022, an award the Dublin attraction has now won several times. It beat off global distillery tours including Jack Daniels and Jim Beam in the US and Scotland’s Glenfiddich Distillery (as well as the Tullamore D.E.W. Visitor Centre) to take the top spot. 

Guadalajara

Adrian Bronze Award for Digital Marketing

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing International (HSMAI) has granted Guadalajara the Adrian Bronze Award in the Digital Marketing category for “Guadalajara’s Spotlight on Gastronomy”. The social media campaign highlighted the local cuisine and gave more reasons for travelers to flock to the Western Mexican city.

An annual event, the Adrian Awards Celebration gives recognition to those who display excellence in the field of travel marketing.

Madrid

World Travel Awards: Leading Meeting and Conference Destination

Madrid has once again been recognized as the World’s Leading Meeting and Conference Destination, the 4th consecutive time that the city has received the award since 2019. It was also hailed as Europe’s Leading Meeting and Conference Destination, the 5th consecutive time that the city as such since 2018. 

The 29th World Travel Awards was held in Oman. A notable annual event in the MICE industry, the award-giving body recognizes organizations that maintain a high level of excellence in tourism and a number of related factors.

World MICE Awards: Europe’s Leading MICE Destination

Madrid was also recognized at the World MICE Awards 2022 as Europe’s Leading MICE Destination. This is the 3rd consecutive year that Madrid was given this award (2020-2022). 

Also recognized at the World MICE Awards 2022 are IFEMA Madrid as both Spain’s Best Convention Centre and Europe’s Best Convention Centre, and The Four Seasons Hotel Madrid as Spain’s Best MICE Hotel.

Smart Stars Award: Best Convention Bureau

Finally, the Smart Stars Award 2022 named the Madrid Convention Bureau as the Best Convention Bureau for the year. This is the 4th time that the bureau has received this honor. 

An award sponsored by Smart Meetings, winners of the Smart Stars Award are determined through the votes of the publication’s readers.

Melbourne

Top Sustainable City in Australia for Business Events in the 2022 GDS-Index

MCB partners with the City of Melbourne and Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC), to participate in programs such as the Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDS-Index), a collaborative business initiative that aims to promote the sustainable growth of international meeting destinations, highlighting best practices and responsible business tourism. 

Thanks to this collaborative approach, Melbourne cemented its number one position as the top sustainable city in Australia for business events in the 2022 GDS-Index.

Best Congress, Conference or Exhibition and Australian Event of the Year

MCB is thrilled to announce that Asia Pacific Incentives and Meetings Event (AIME) 2022 has beaten a high volume and calibre of entrants to claim two significant awards at the Australian Event Awards – Best Congress, Conference or Exhibition and Australian Event of the Year.

AIME is owned by MCB and is the leading trade event for the meetings and event industry in the Asia Pacific region. If 2022 is anything to go by, AIME 2023 promises to be very special indeed – mark your calendar and register now – it will be the event to attend in 2023 as we celebrate AIME’s milestone 30th anniversary.

Singapore

Best Business City in the World

Singapore has been hailed as the Best MICE destination Worldwide at the 2022 Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Awards. The awards have been a fixture in the business travel and hospitality calendar for more than 30 years, with the winners decided on by the readers of the magazine.

Top International Meeting City in the Asia Pacific and 4th internationally

The latest ICCA Ranking Report 2021 examines over 8,000 meetings held in 2021 to acknowledge and reward the effort put forth by destinations. Singapore has been recognised as the top meeting city in the Asia Pacific for the 19th year, and 4th internationally.

Best MICE Destination (Asia) & Best Convention Centre (Southeast Asia)

Singapore received the award for the Best MICE Destination (Asia) at the M&C Asia Stella Awards 2022. The award ceremony honours the region’s top organisations which had demonstrated agility and resilience through the pandemic, while taking the industry to new heights through new product innovations. The Marina Bay Sands’ Sands Expo & Convention Centre was also recognised as the Best Convention Centre (Southeast Asia).

Asia’s Best Convention Centre

Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre received the award for Asia’s Best Convention Centre at the World MICE Awards 2022. The World MICE Awards is a sister event of the World Travel Awards, which was launched in 1994 to celebrate excellence in travel and tourism.

Two convention centres achieved the Events Industry Council (EIC) Sustainable Event Standards for Venues Platinum certification

Resorts World Sentosa and Marina Bay Sands have achieved the Platinum Level certification under the latest 2022 Sustainable Events Standards (Venue) released by EIC in June 2022. The Standards specifies performance criteria in areas including organisational management, climate action, and supply chain management among others.

World’s Best Airport Staff / 3rd Best Airport in the World

The Skytrax World Airport Awards 2022 has recognized the staff at Changi Airport as the best in the world. The quality of staff is gauged on the attitude, efficiency and friendliness of all front-line staff around the airport. It has also been awarded the 3rd Best Airport in the World, with Doha’s Hamad International Airport and Tokyo’s Haneda Airport placing 1st and 2nd, respectively.

Tokyo

Third Place for the Seventh Year Running in the Annual Global Power City Index

Tokyo has once again maintained its number 3 rank in the Annual Global Power City Index rankings published by the Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies. Tokyo ranked favourably in the “Research and Development”  function and saw a rank improvement in the “Environmental” function, cited to substantial improvements in “Air Quality” and “Commitment to Climate Action” reminiscent of our city’s unwavering commitment to SDGs in recent years. 

Tokyo placed behind two other cities (London and New York) among 48 major cities annually ranked for their “magnetism, or their comprehensive power to attract people, capital, and enterprises from around the world.”

World’s Top Ten Best Destinations for Disabled Travelers by the Valuable 500

Tokyo was included in the top ten of the Valuable 500’s list of Best Destinations for Disabled Travellers. From its easily navigable train stations to the helpfulness of municipal staff, Tokyo earned some high praise for its commitment to accessibility for disabled travellers. 

The Valuable 500 is an organization launched at the 2019 World Economic Forum that claims to be the largest community of global CEOs committed to disability inclusion.

Top 10 Cities in the Inaugural Sustainable Cities Index 

Tokyo was included in the top 10 of the Sustainable Cities Index, which ranks 50 global cities on air quality, emissions, renewable energy and other sustainability measures. The Index is composed of 12 quantitative indicators of environmental sustainability performance. For each of the indicators, the necessary data points are collected, either from public data sources or directly from the cities themselves, through their interactive data hub.

Haneda Airport maintains position as the World’s Cleanest Airport and the second-Best Airport in the World 

SKYTRAX, the international rating organization for air transport facilities and services, announced at the 2022 World Airport Awards that Haneda Airport (Tokyo International Airport) was voted the second-Best Airport in the World and the World’s Cleanest Airport.

Haneda has maintained its global ranking as the second-Best Airport in the World for three consecutive years. In addition, Haneda has also been named the Best Airport in Asia, the World’s Best Domestic Airport, and the Best Airport for Passengers with Restricted Mobility and Accessible Facilities.

Vancouver

On November 24th of this year, Destination Vancouver was presented the Marketer of the Year award for 2021 from the BC Chapter of the American Marketing Association (BCAMA). Destination Vancouver was externally nominated for this award.This prestigious award is given to the company or organization that has demonstrated excellence in integrated marketing.