Vancouver named among world’s best beach cities

Vancouver has been named one of National Geographic’s top 10 beach cities in the world —along with international destinations including Cape Town, Honolulu, Rio de Janeiro and Sydney.

“Canada’s most adventurous metropolis is home to 10 beaches, from the family-centric Jericho to the clothing-optional Wreck Beach, many of which offer commanding views of the Vancouver skyline and majestic North Shore Mountains,” a recent article in the magazine reads.

The accolade was welcomed Tuesday by Tourism Vancouver.

“It’s a pretty impressive list of city beaches,” said Emily Armstrong, manager of travel media relations. “It’s quite the honour to be included.”

The magazines ranked Vancouver 10th after Barcelona, Cape Town, Honolulu, Nice, Miami, Rio, Santa Monica, Sydney and Tel Aviv.

Armstrong said she hopes the ranking will attract more international visitors.

“I don’t know if we’ll see direct results,” she said. “It’s a pretty well-read publication and I think that just helps build awareness.

“I think people are often surprised to find out how many great beaches there are in Vancouver.”

Armstrong said the city’s beaches are already a heavy draw for summer visitors. The most popular tourist spots tend to be Sunset Beach, Kitsilano and Jericho. She said her office also gets frequent questions from tourists about Wreck Beach.

Source: The Province