The Whitsunday Islands, located off Queensland’s Coral Coast, have been voted the best island in Australia and the South Pacific, ahead of Bora Bora and Tahiti.

The accolade was part of the Condé Nast Traveler’s 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards, in which more than 429,000 were asked to rank the 30 best islands in the world outside of the US.

After Whitsunday Islands came Bora Bora in second place, Moorea in third, Tahiti fourth, while Fiji took out the fifth spot.

Tourism and Events Queensland CEO Leanne Coddington says the recognition is great news for the region.

“To receive this international recognition is a wonderful achievement for the region and demonstrates the enormous international appeal of the Whitsundays, which attracted more than 240,000 international visitors over the past year,” she says.

Tourism Whitsundays CEO Natassia Wheeler says it is fantastic to see the Whitsunday Islands being recognised by Condé Nast Traveler.

“The Whitsunday Islands have so much beauty to offer so to know the islands have been recognised as the best in Australian and the South Pacific is a very significant endorsement of the Whitsundays as a leading travel destination,” she says.

“This recognition is another feather in the cap for the Whitsundays and we look forward to continuing to market the region as the most desirable island paradise around the world.”

The accolade comes on the back of the Whitsundays being one of six destinations nominated for Australia’s Leading Destination 2018 which was taken out by Sydney.