Muscat has been voted among the 25 best cities in the world by readers of Travel + Leisure (T + L), taking the 19th position.

The best cities in the world, as voted by T + L readers, includes a mix of culture, food, and friendliness.

Muscat thus joins among the best cities and among other world hubs to make it to the list.

Travel + Leisure from the Dotdash Meredith Brand is a top travel media brand with a mission to inform and inspire passionate travellers.

Muscat obtained a score of 89.21 with southwestern Mexican city of Oaxaca topping at 92.96 points.

The second to tenth places went to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, Ubud, Indonesia, Florence, Istanbul, Mexico City, Chiang Mai, Jaipur, Osaka, and Udaipur in India.

Maya Kachroo-Levine, the luxury and experiences editor at Travel + Leisure digital, who wrote the story mentions that every year for World’s Best Awards survey, T+L asks its readers to weigh in on travel experiences around the globe to share their opinion on the top cities, islands, cruise ships, spas, airlines, and others.

She further mentions that when T + L readers throw their collective weight behind an opinion, it tends to create a ripple effect especially when it comes to the results of the World’s Best Awards.

In declaring the best cities in the world, they consider hotels, Michelin-rated restaurants, rich cultural heritage, top attractions and, in recent years, Covid-19 protocols. The votes are then counted, numbers crunched, and arrived at a score for each city and, ultimately, the ranking of the best 25 across the globe.

Once the WBA lists are revealed, hundreds of thousands of people sift through the findings.

Travellers plan trips based on these destinations, interest in the lesser-known winner’s increases, and cities around the world feel the impact, the report mentions.

Readers rated cities on their sights and landmarks, culture, cuisine, friendliness, shopping, and overall value.

Comparing the best cities of 2022 to last year’s rankings yields some intriguing observations.

Last year’s winning city, San Miguel de Allende, took this year’s No 2 spot and garnered many superlatives, with one respondent saying, ‘The weather is perfect, the music scene is excellent, and the food outstanding.’

Kyoto, Japan, also slid down the list, slipping from No 5 to No 14, but Istanbul (No 5) and Ubud, Indonesia (No 3), remained in the top five.

After losing the top spot to San Miguel de Allende last year, Oaxaca, once again landed at the top of readers’ list of favourite cities around the world.

Maya writes that it was a dream gastronomic destination, especially for mole and mezcal enthusiasts. The dominant Indigenous Zapotec culture influences the local cuisine, which is on full display in Oaxaca City.

In fact, one survey respondent specifically touted the ‘amazing local indigenous food.’