New Orleans replaces Cape Town as best long-haul city

Britons have rated New Orleans as the highest-scoring long-haul city in the world to visit, beating popular destinations such as Las Vegas, Dubai and Tokyo, according to a new Which? survey.

The consumer champion asked holidaymakers to rate recent trips to cities around the world across a range of categories including quality of the cultural attractions, accommodation, shopping, food, value for money and how crowded it was.

While Cape Town has been top for four of the last five years, this year it was New Orleans which topped the list of almost 40 destinations, with a city score of 90%.

Those surveyed told Which? they loved ‘the Big Easy’ for its laid-back nature, friendly locals, fusion cuisine and the ease of getting around.

The city also got a five-star rating for the quality of its attractions, which includes live music and around-the-clock nightlife, as well as airboat rides in the bayou to spot alligators.

Singapore and Sydney came joint second in the survey, both with scores of 87%. Chicago came fourth, with 86%.

Coming in joint fifth, Tokyo (85%) was the city which received the most five stars in a range of categories including shopping, attractions, ease of getting around and food and drink. One visitor described Tokyo as ‘an amazing city and spotlessly clean’.

Tokyo shared the fifth spot with Jaipur and Washington DC.

Cape Town is next of the list, with a city score of 84% and received the coveted five-star rating for value for money – something only Shanghai, Jaipur and Hanoi could match.

Those who visited told Which? about stunning views at Table Mountain, plentiful vineyards and great bars and restaurants in the harbour.

At the bottom of the list, was ‘Sin City’. The City of Las Vegas got a 57% score, with those visiting the Nevada hot-spot found it crowded, with a lack of attractions, and described it at ‘brash’, ‘expensive’ and ‘over the top’. Its two stars for food and drink and value for money was also the joint lowest in the survey.

Also deemed to be disappointing, overrated and crowded was Los Angeles (58%). One respondent described the Californian City of Angels as ‘busy, dirty, smelly and dangerous’. It was one of only three cities to receive one star for ease of getting around.

Known for luxury shopping and ultramodern architecture, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates came in as fourth lowest with a 62% city score.

Those who visited told Which? they didn’t think much of the food, didn’t think much of the attractions and thought it offered poor value for money. One respondent summed up their experience of the city as ‘bling and consumerism’.

Image: Pixabay