NZ Herald Travel Readers’ Choice Awards 2026: The best international cities revealed
Melbourne has been voted the world's best international city in the 2026 NZ Herald Travel Readers’ Choice Awards. The city is praised for its vibrant culture, diverse food scene, and status as a global sporting hub.
Why it matters
Travel rankings influence tourism trends and highlight the cultural appeal of major urban centers in the Oceania region.
Melbourne was voted the world's best city in the NZ Herald Travel Readers' Choice Awards. Photo / Visit Victoria
Maybe you were expecting Paris, or Barcelona, or London. But there’s no doubt that Melbourne holds a special place in Kiwi hearts, especially the hundreds of thousands of us who have relatives there.
So no great surprise that the Victorian capital – in more ways than one – came out tops as best international city in the NZ Herald Travel Readers’ Choice Awards 2026, presented by Southern Cross Travel Insurance.
Truth: it was the closest of close-run things with the second-placed city, whose name you don’t say out loud in St Kilda or Moonee Ponds.
So why do we love Naarm? Let’s count the ways.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in