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Brisbane has been named as one of the greatest places in the world by Time Magazine.
Key points:
- Brisbane is named as one of the "World's Greatest Places of 2023' in a Time Magazine list
- Cr Shrinner says Brisbane's inclusion in the list will boost tourism for the city
- Several of the city's attractions were cited as reasons for Brisbane making the list
It is among 50 extraordinary destinations, including Budapest and Barcelona, in the magazine's annual list of The World's Greatest Places.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner told ABC Radio Brisbane's Rebecca Levingston he had an "inkling" earlier in the week that Brisbane would be on the list and that it would boost Brisbane's tourism.
"There was a little rumour going around about this and a bit of excitement building, but I hadn't heard exactly what it was until it was just confirmed last night," he said.
"It's really exciting — Time Magazine has 20 million subscribers around the world.
"It's obviously a global publication, and this is just one of those things that helps elevate Brisbane from a tourist point of view.
"We love to welcome the tourists here.
"It means opportunities and jobs for Brisbane people and customers for Brisbane small businesses, so there's a whole range of great things about this," he said.
Cr Schrinner said the Brisbane City Council had no paid involvement in being named on the list.
But he said Brisbane's ongoing development, including the Queen's Wharf and the upcoming 2032 Olympics, played a part.
"The Queen's Wharf development is a $2.6 billion investment in the city, which will be a place that tourists will visit, and there's no doubt about that.
"The things they mentioned really referred to the momentum that Brisbane has — the Olympic and Paralympic Games that are coming, the Women's Soccer World Cup, and the investment in infrastructure and facilities like Queens Wharf.
"They also mentioned direct flights, but then they also mentioned some of our precincts like James St and Fortitude Valley, which was great," he said.
Photo a little dated
Cr Schrinner also said Brisbane residents already knew they lived in a wonderful city, but he was disappointed in the photo selection for the list.
"Everyone in Brisbane knew this, and now the world is starting to know, but my only disappointment is the photo they chose was about five years out of date.
"They must have selected some file photo from a long time ago, but the good news is we've got a whole range of fresh images that we're getting across the world.
"We'll make sure we send them the new one," he said.
While Brisbane is the only Australian city to have made the list, Australia's third largest island located in South Australia, Kangaroo Island, was also included for its flora and fauna.