The City of Sails has topped the wish list of Conde Nast Traveller, saying 2023 is the year for planning a trip to the New Zealand super city.

Not merely by virtue of alphabetical order, football and direct flights are the reasons the venerable UK Travel magazine is promoting Auckland.

In anticipation of the first summer with open borders the city appears to be pulling out all the stops. “Auckland’s jam-packed events calendar seems to be making up for lost time,” says Paul Jebara of Conde Nast.

The magazine predicts football fans will be flocking to Auckland next year as one of nine host cities for the Women’s Fifa Football World Cup. The tournament kicks off in Eden Park on 20 July, during the event which is being shared with Australia and watched around the world.

Paige Satchell and Tameka Yallop welcome football fans to Eden Park which will be hosting the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. Photo / Photosport

Queensland also made the List as Australia’s only submission. Indigenous-led experiences of the tropical north Conde Nast also noted that Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium will be hosting games for the Fifa World Cup.

On the subject of sharing things with our neighbours across the Tasman, new direct air links from Australian and Kiwi airlines have made the trip even easier for UK travellers.

Mentioning Air New Zealand’s new direct service from New York, the publication says that Qantas’ rival JFK to AKL route will give UK travellers more options for reaching New Zealand when it launches in June.

 “Air connectivity with the US has never been stronger,” says the publication.

Snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef with Dreamtime Dive and Snorkel. Queensland mad the top 23. Photo / Tourism and Events Queensland

On the edge of the city, Conde Nast praised the “Scandi-inspired” Parohe Island Retreat on Kawau Island and advised travellers to make Auckland the start of a scenic rail journey, catching the Northern Explorer south.

Vetted by Conde Nast Editors from UK, US and India, they said that their wishlist was looking for opportunities “for richer engagement with local communities, slower travel, and more meaningful – and joyful – human connection.”

Looking to the more remote destinations, Peru’s Ollantaytambo plantations and the Mustang valley in Nepal make the list for 2023. As do a range of anniversaries and milestones.

Cycling in the Loire Valley in France for Louis XIV's 600th birthday. Photo / File

Loire Valley is welcoming visitors celebrating the 600 anniversary since the birth of the Sun King, Louis XIV and the UAE is marking 30 years of the Sharjah Biennial. The third largest Emirate Sharjah has emerged as a cultural capital - on a par with Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Conde Nast Traveller: The Best Places to Go in 2003

Auckland, New Zealand

Go for: Cultural and sporting events, new hotels, improved flight connectivity

British Columbia, Canada

Go for: New Indigenous-led experiences and wilderness lodges

Central California Coast, USA

Go for: New wine country stays, standout tasting rooms and restaurants

Egypt

Go for: One-of-a-kind archaeological museums, waterfront resorts, cruises

Galilee, Israel

Go for: Charming boutique hotels, vineyards, improved connectivity

Kenya

Go for: City hotspots, island getaways and dazzling safari lodges

Loire Valley, France

Go for: New hotels and restaurants in historic châteaux, luxury train journeys

Marrakech, Morocco

Go for: New riads in the city, desert stays, art and design exhibits

Melides, Portugal

Go for: Lesser-known beaches, design-forward stays

Memphis, Tennessee

Go for: New public spaces, restaurants and hotels that highlight the city’s heritage

Mendoza, Argentina

Go for: Women-led food experiences, new lodges on iconic vineyards

Mustang, Nepal

Go for: Luxury mountain retreats, rare experiences in a remote destination

Ollantaytambo, Peru

Go for: Old-meets-new food and drink experiences, eco-stays

Queensland, Australia

Go for: Indigenous-led experiences, swanky new hotels

Srinagar, India

Go for: New infrastructure for easier road tripping, elevated nature retreats

Taiwan

Go for: The performing arts centre, two years’ worth of hotel and restaurant openings

Turks and Caicos

Go for: Easier access to remote islands, cruise upgrades, sleek resorts

Vienna

Go for: A revived cultural calendar, dazzling new hotels

Wales

Go for: Locavore food experiences, forest hotels and saunas

Western Japan

Go for: Expedition cruises in the Seto Inland Sea, new onsen experiences

Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico

Go for: Design-forward boutique hotels amid the region’s jungle and waterways

Zamora, Spain

Go for: Romanesque architecture, dazzling lakes, and improved access from Madrid