A highly encouraging second place
For its first participation alongside major capitals and European destinations with experience in the competition, Lyon has created a surprise and generated enthusiasm by reaching the podium of the World Travel Awards’s most prestigious category.
A huge number of tourism professionals and travellers from around the world voted for Lyon, reflecting the attractiveness of the Capital of the Gauls, with its diverse, accessible and exemplary tourism offering. This second place also highlights growing interest among the general public for alternative destinations, on a human scale, which are focussed on more responsible tourism.
“Winning second place is a great source of pride for the Lyon metropolitan area and its residents, as well as a fantastic reward for stakeholders in the tourism, culture, food and events sectors, which make Lyon the welcoming, innovative and inspiring destination that it is. This is a shared victory, earned thanks to the model adopted by Lyon, supported by engagement and hard work across the entire industry, which works every day to make Lyon an attractive destination,” Hélène Dromain, Vice-President of Greater Lyon, head of International Cooperation and Tourism.
Lyon also shone at the awards through the achievement of the hotel InterContinental Lyon - Hôtel Dieu which won ‘France’s Leading Hotel 2021’, a title that this exceptional establishment and symbol of the destination thoroughly deserves.
A look back at a groundbreaking campaign run by ONLYLYON Tourism
From 31 March to 31 August 2021, Greater Lyon’s Tourist Office led a major campaign to gather as many votes as possible. In total, it reached more than five million people, in France and around the world, via social network, email, press and radio actions deployed by the Tourist Office.
Beyond the result and the votes gathered during the five months of the competition, this campaign was an opportunity to unite the entire destination around a shared goal and to raise Lyon’s profile amid an unprecedented crisis for the tourism sector, as part of efforts to help it recover.
This latest international recognition for the destination promises great prospects for 2022.
“I would like to thank the team at the Tourist Office, which worked incredibly hard during these long months, as well as our ecosystem, which did its bit to help promote the campaign. The result is here: we have managed to come ahead of destinations as prestigious as Amsterdam, Berlin, Geneva, Lisbon, London, Rome, Saint Petersburg, Venice, Vienna! Who would have thought it was possible just five years ago? Lyon has established itself as a leading destination. Now it’s up to us to make it the responsible destination for responsible tourists.” Robert Revat, President of ONLYLYON Tourism and Conventions