Istanbul fought off competition from nine other travel destinations for this coveted award which is known as a mark of excellence. Istanbul stands out on Turkey’s tourism landscape as one of the country’s most visited cities, welcoming 10.5 million visitors in 2013, that is to say up 12% year on year. Istanbul's varied luxury offerings are of a world-class standard as has been justly recognised with this prestigious award. The National Luxury and Lifestyle Awards is an awards ceremony held by London’s number one luxury and lifestyle magazine, Chelsea Monthly. The award show celebrates the best luxury products, brands and services with all nominations submitted by luxury consumers and public voting online – this year 51,120 participated in voting.