Melbourne takes ‘most liveable city’ title yet again

Melbourne takes ‘most liveable city’ title yet again

Melbourne is making history as it rings in its seventh year at the top of the  World’s Most Liveable City list.

Melbs snagged the coveted title in the annual Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) Global Liveability Index, but it wasn’t alone in that top 10, with two other Aussie cities getting a nod.

Perth came in at number 7, while Adelaide scraped in with a joint fifth place alongside Calgary. ADELAIDE!

cwtf

Melbourne narrowly inched out Vienna and Vancouver, second and third respectively, by 0.1 and 0.2 points.

The top 10 looked like this:

1. Melbourne — 97.5 out of 100

2. Vienna — 97.4

3. Vancouver — 97.3

4. Toronto — 97.2

5. (Tied) Adelaide/ Calgary — 96.6

7. Perth — 95.9

8. Auckland — 95.7

9. Helsinki — 95.6

10. Hamburg — 95.0

This time last year, Melbourne’s win cemented the record for the longest period of time in the number one position. This year, Melbourne has broken its own record with a seventh win. Pfft, show-offs…

Poor ol’ Sydney came in at number 11 for the second year running, having slipped from seventh place since 2015, while Brisbane held onto a steady 16.

Compared against 140 other cities from across the world, the EIU Liveability Ranking assigns a rating across five broad categories, including: stability; healthcare; culture and environment; education; and infrastructure.

Chief Executive Officer of Melbourne Convention Bureau (MCB), Karen Bolinger said to receive the accolade of World’s Most Liveable City seven years in a row is a great achievement for the city and recognises the attributes that help MCB secure business events for the state.

“The World’s Most Liveable City award highlights that Melbourne is an exciting, intelligent and welcoming city, and reinforces the city’s position as a leading destination for conferences and meetings.

“The city has an outstanding track record of hosting some of the world’s largest and most prestigious international conferences, which would not be possible without our modern infrastructure, accessibility, convenience and thriving culture.

“Melbourne provides the ideal base as a destination for business and play, with the opportunity to collaborate with some of the world’s greatest minds based in Melbourne, then follow that up in our 24-hour city that boasts world class dining and bars, theatre, major events and shopping.

“I’m not being biased, but as a business events destination Melbourne truly does have it all!” Bolinger said.

Destination Melbourne’s, Chief Executive Officer, Laura Cavallo, was pretty stoked about the impact the announcement will have on Melbourne’s visitor industry.

“No other city has ever held the top ranking for seven years consecutively. The liveability index definitely serves to further elevate Melbourne’s public profile as a desirable place to visit.

“Melbourne enjoys an enviable quality of life. It’s a place where locals and visitors feel connected and welcome. We have access to so many world class cultural attractions, culinary experiences, elite sporting events, festivals, and other entertainment options.”

Tourism continues to be a key contributor towards Melbourne’s growing economy, with more than $6.7 billion spent by international overnight visitors for the year ending March 2017. This figure has risen by an average of 6.5 per cent compared to the previous year.

 

Email the Travel Weekly team at traveldesk@travelweekly.com.au

Latest News