Russia’s second-largest city Saint Petersburg has been recognized as Europe’s best cruise destination this year by the World Travel Awards (WTA).

It triumphed over Amsterdam, Cannes, Copenhagen, Dubrovnik, Lisbon, Oslo, Venice and other cities from a list of 13 nominees.

The red carpet ceremony took place in Athens, awarding leaders in tourism, airlines, and hotel and hospitality sectors. WTA was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry.

In 2015, St. Petersburg became the first Russian city to win the title of Europe’s leading destination in the award’s 25-year history. Since then it has won the title several times, and has been twice named the ‘leading cultural city destination’.

St. Petersburg, which is home to the Hermitage Museum and the Kirov Ballet, was recognized by the organization for its exceptionally rich history, centuries-old traditions and bright future.

More than eight million tourists are expected to visit the city this year, according to Deputy Chairman of St. Petersburg’s Tourism Development Committee Nana Gvichia. Most of the city’s visitors come from China, Finland, Germany and the US, she said.

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