Oaxaca voted as the world's number one city for a second year running

The travel media brand Travel + Leisure has provided insight into the best experiences from travellers in the last year with its annual World's Best Awards reader survey. The awards have ranked the world's best in categories including cities, hotels, airlines and airports.

The travel industry is gradually attempting to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic with airlines becoming profitable again and a near-record 4.35 billion passengers will take to the sky this year.

Editor in Chief of Travel + Leisure, Jacqui Gifford, touched on the outlet being a trusted source when it comes to the travel landscape. She claimed: "For 28 years, Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards have served as a reliable resource and guide for remarkable destinations and exceptional experiences."

Rating of the world's best cities saw the Mexican city Oaxaca come out in first place for the second consecutive year. What saw it remain popular among travellers and keep it in pole position was the improved nature of the hotels as well as the highly rated restaurants and bars.

Mexico proved very popular among survey respondents as Oaxaca was joined by four other Mexican cities in the top 25 list of best cities in the world. The other destinations included San Miguel de Allende, Mexico City, Merida and Guadalajara.

Coming just behind Oaxaca and in second place on the best cities rankings was the Indian city, Udaipur, which also was runner-up in 2021. The city in third place was Kyoto, Japan, due to its fantastic restaurants and shops in alleyways plus its uniqueness, with it being different from European and American cultures.

The highest European city on the list was Istanbul, with the Turkish destination ending up in eighth place. Other European cities to make the top 25 included Florence, Rome, Lisbon and Porto.

The rankings for the world's best 100 hotels showcase a diverse liking from Travel + Leisure voters with 30 different nations across five continents being included. Four Seasons Hotel Istanbul at Sultanahmet was voted as the best hotel in the world for 2023, partly due to its impressive accompanying features such as its courtyard garden, 24-hour mezze spot and rooftop lounge.

In second place for the best hotels was the Bushcamp Company's Mfuwe Lodge, located at South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, with the wildlife factor and accessibility proving to be popular for visitors. In third place was Andaz Bali, in Bali, Indonesia, with the rooms, villas and suites having impressive sightings of the gardens, ocean and pools.

Italy was the most represented nation in the top 100 hotels with nine making the list including Il Sereno Lago di Como in Torno, which came in joint fourth place. Mexico was just behind with eight hotels, including the joint fourth-placed Hotel Xcaret Arte, in Playa del Carmen.

With regard to the best airlines, there was a survey for both the top 10 domestic (US) and international airlines. In the international rankings, the best rated by Travel + Leisure voters was La Compagnie, a 10-year-old French boutique all-business-class airline with just two aircraft currently, that flies between the United States and Europe.

Behind La Compagnie in the second spot was Emirates, with the complements in the first-class section ensuring it remains a quality airline to travel for long-haul flights. Qatar Airways followed in third place with Singapore Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Air Tahiti Nui, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Virgin Atlantic Airways and EVA Air following and rounding up the top 10.

International airlines which suffered a massive drop from last year's results were Turkish Airlines and Korean Air, who both failed to make the top 10 after coming in at fourth and fifth places respectively in 2022.

For the best American airlines, Hawaiian Airlines retained its spot from last year to be voted the best domestic airline. The airline's ability to deal with flight statuses proved convenient for customers and was appreciated whilst the food and service were highly praised.

Alaska Airlines and Delta Air Lines follow in second and third places respectively, with both climbing up two spaces from last year. Following behind were Breeze Airways, JetBlue Airways, Southwest Airlines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Sun Country Airlines and Allegiant.

The best-voted airports were also ranked domestically and internationally, with the 10 best for both being revealed. The most popular international airport was again, Singapore Changi Airport, which has maintained the top position ever since the category was introduced in 2013.

The very impressive features which make the Singapore-based airport stand out a great deal include the world's tallest indoor waterfall, the Rain Vortex. There is also a retail and entertainment complex, a rock-climbing wall, a hedge maze plus the tallest airport slide in the world.

Following Singapore Changi Airport is Middle Eastern spots with Dubai International Airport and Hamad International Airport. Following after is Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Incheon International Airport, Haneda Airport, Istanbul Airport, Abu Dhabi International Airport, Zurich Airport and Narita International Airport.

Voted as the most popular domestic airport was Manchester-Boston Regional Airport, climbing up from ninth place last year and replacing Savannah/Hilton Head Airport International in the top spot. The airport just outside of Boston proved popular amongst Travel + Leisure voters due to the great service from the staff and the convenience of getting in and out of the airport.

The remaining airports on the list followed were Indianapolis International Airport, Tampa International Airport, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Portland International Airport, T.F. Green Airport, Savannah/Hilton Head Airport, Palm Beach International Airport, Salt Lake City International Airport and Jackson-Medgar Wiley Evers International Airport.

All the winners of Travel + Leisure's World's Best Awards for 2023 will be honoured at a celebratory event on July 18th in New York City that will be hosted by Editor in Chief, Jacqui Gifford.