Poll: Beirut beats out Paris in world’s best destinations list

The Lebanese capital has been chosen as one of the world’s top 25 cities, according to the Condé Nast Traveler’s 2013 Readers’ Choice Awards, announced on Thursday.

Beirut ranked 20th in the magazine’s 26th annual report, rated above Paris, which came in 22nd place.

Around 16,000 locations around the world were up for the vote, which aimed to reveal the world’s best destinations in the public’s opinion.

Some 1.3 million votes were collected, according to the Condé Nast Traveler magazine.

The surveys used questionnaires judging locations on a five point scale: Excellent, very good, good, fair, and poor. The percentage of excellent and very good ratings determined the final score.

San Miguel de Allende in Mexico ranked first. Budapest and Florence tied for second.