The Mother City needs your help!

Cape Town‚ which has been voted the best events and festival destination in the African leg of the World Travel Awards‚ now goes head to head with other major events cities across the world for the global title.

Residents and visitors are being asked to help Cape Town achieve this global recognition - against the top events destinations in other regions - including London‚ Montreal‚ Seoul‚ Sydney and Rio de Janeiro - by voting on the World Travel Awards website.

Cape Town International Airport is also in the running for the award for world’s leading airport‚ after being named best in Africa for the second consecutive year. Its competitors for the title include Singapore’s Changi Airport‚ as well as airports in Brisbane‚ Zurich and Dubai. Gauteng’s OR Tambo is also nominated.

Voting is open to members of the travel industry and the general public until October 24. The awards ceremony will take place in Lisbon‚ Portugal on December 1. Western Cape minister of economic opportunities Alan Winde said on Friday: “Cape Town and the Western Cape have received many feathers in their caps this year and we appreciate that the world is recognising our excellence in areas ranging from technology to finance.

“Cape Town International Airport continues to make us proud and has walked away with several top international awards this year already.

“Events and festivals contribute to the local economy and are responsible for the creation of a large number of jobs in the tourism and hospitality industry. Major events like the Cape Cycle Tour‚ the Cape Town International Jazz Festival‚ the Two Oceans Marathon and Africa Travel Week are also excellent marketing tools for our region.

"They receive international media coverage and visitors share their experiences with friends and family through word of mouth and social media channels.

“We urge everyone to take a few moments to register on the World Travel Awards website and to cast their vote for Cape Town in recognition of the sterling efforts of all those involved in investing in and putting these events together.”

To vote for Cape Town‚ you can visit the World Travel Awards website.