This year marked the 24th anniversary of the prestigious World Travel Awards, established in 1993 and considered to be one of the most reputable in international tourism, with The Wall Street Journal describing it as "The Oscars" for the industry.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, St. Petersburg is one of the most famous cities in the world, home to 36 historical complexes and thousands of phenomenal individual monuments, astonishing architectural ensembles, parks and museums.
Interestingly, this year Russia's so-called second city (after Moscow) hosted the highly anticipated Europe Gala Ceremony, held at the Marble Hall, Russian Museum of Ethnography on September 30.
"I was very impressed with how clean St. Petersburg turned out to be," World Travel Awards President Graham Cooke told Russian media.
"I believe that it all begins with the sweep-up. One may think it is not that important, but in fact it is a tremendous advantage, apart from the city's history and culture."
