The awards, established in 1993 to acknowledge excellence across the travel, tourism and hospitality sectors, is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark in industry excellence.
Queenstown beat Auckland, Cairns, Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney for the destination honour, while several businesses were also recognised.
Blanket Bay was named as Oceania's Leading Boutique Resort and Millbrook Resort won Oceania's Leading Hotel.
In the New Zealand category, Hilton Queenstown Resort and Spa took out the leading hotel award, The Rees Hotel was named NZ's leading hotel residences, Hulbert House, on Ballarat St, was named the country's leading lodge and Millbrook won NZ's leading resort.
Lodge at The Hills, The Spire Hotel, Gibbston Valley Lodge & Spa and Active Adventures were all finalists in the Oceania section, while Queenstown Park Boutique Hotel, Sofitel Queenstown Hotel & Spa and Rydges Lakeland Resort Queenstown were finalists in the NZ section.
Destination Queenstown interim chief executive Ann Lockhart said she was delighted Queenstown had been recognised at the World Travel Awards.
“This award confirms what our community and those that we have welcomed to our town over the years already know very well – that Queenstown is a world class destination.
"After a tough 2020, winning these awards is something that Queenstown can be truly proud of.
"We hope that it inspires New Zealanders who haven’t yet been to Queenstown to visit us this summer and, of course, our Australian neighbours to visit us when they can."
Queenstown took out the title of Australasia’s Leading Destination in 2014 and 2016 and was nominated for Oceania’s Leading City Destination in 2019.
