IPOH: Taiping has been recognised as among the top three sustainable cities in the world.

Touted as Peninsular Malaysia’s wettest town, Taiping was placed third, behind Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia, and Vancouver, Canada in the "Best of Cities" category, which awards cities that show leadership in urban sustainability and in avoiding disruptive over-tourism.

The recognition was given during the 2019 Sustainable Top 100 Destination Awards at the International Tourismus-Börse (ITB) travel trade show in Berlin, Germany on Wednesday (Mar 6).

Taiping Municipal Council president Datuk Abd Rahim Md Ariff received the award.

He said he was happy and proud of Taiping's achievement.

“This is the first time we received a prestigious international award.

“This achievement is due to the hard work of the community and all relevant governmental agencies,” he said.

“The council always work hard to make Taiping a popular tourist destination,” Abd Rahim added.

Also present at the ceremony were Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu and state Tourism Committee chairman Tan Kar Hing.

Taiping waslisted as one of the 100 Sustainable Cities by Green Destinations in December last year.

The list, made available at greendestinations.org, s aimed at recognising efforts by authorities in the tourism industry that contribute a sustainable environment.

Green Destinations is a non-profit organisation which focuses on efforts to create sustainable tourism, leading global cooperation between experts, firms and academy institutions in 80 countries.