Are travellers falling out of love with NZ? Annual ranking suggests so

New Zealand has slipped down the rankings in the prestigious annual awards. Photo / 123rf
New Zealand has been ranked the eighth-best country in the world by Conde Nast Traveler, falling from fifth place in 2023.
The Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards 2024 were released on October 1 and included the annual list of best countries in the world as chosen by more than 575,000 readers.
New Zealand remains in the top 10 but it seems its sparkle has dimmed this year, sliding from fifth place to eighth.
Aotearoa isn’t the only country to drop in ranking since last year. Greece and Ireland fell from third and fourth to 10th and ninth, respectively. Italy moved from second to fourth.
Australia is nowhere to be seen on this year’s list, falling from 12th place to beyond the top 20.
However, in a surprising turn of events, Sydney won the title of the best city in the world. In the ranking dedicated to cities, Sydney scored 93, beating other iconic towns such as Singapore, Tokyo, Paris and Berlin.
The Aussie spot was praised for its “unique, indoor-outdoor way of life” and rich cultural scene.
Japan remains a global favourite, maintaining its first-place ranking.
Portugal redeemed itself by moving from seventh place to second place after being bumped from first in 2022.
Turkey has also come in hot, winning third place despite not making the top 10 last year.
Thailand and Vietnam have also debuted in the top 10 this year in sixth and seventh place, bumping out Norway and Switzerland.