Anna Maria Island Selected as one of the

Top 30 Islands in the World by Conde Nast Traveler Readers

2014 Readers' Choice Awards Winners Announced, Island Clinches No. 26 Spot

Mumbai, October, 2014 – The Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is thrilled to announce that Anna Maria Island has been named one of the world’s top islands, by Conde Nast Traveler Readers.

The popular travel magazine recently released the winners of its annual Readers’ Choice Awards, which ranks top cities, hotels, resorts, spas and cruiselines in the world, based on readers’ votes. One of only 11 U.S. islands on the list, and the only representative from Florida, Anna Maria Island clinched the No. 26 spot, with a readers’ rating of 81.373.

Anna Maria is described by Conde Nast Traveler as a “narrow band off Florida’s west coast, this barrier island has some of the softest, whitest sand on the East Coast. And as it faces west, it’s a stunning place to watch the sun set over the Gulf of Mexico. Pro tip: At seven miles long and two miles wide, Anna Maria Island is a great place for a leisurely biking trip along the water. By-the-hour cycle rentals are available at Beach Bums.”

This year, votes were received from more than 77,000 readers, and each entry was judged on a set of criteria related to its category and using a standard five-point rating scale from excellent to poor. The mean average of all ratings determined the final score.

"This ranking confirms how special Anna Maria Island is to not only to our community, but to visitors as well,” said Elliott Falcione, executive director at the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. "Anna Maria Island is so much more than seven miles of beautiful sugar white sand beaches, it's a community that is low rise, low key, with an old Florida setting that sets itself apart from other islands.”

For a full list of all 2014 categories and winners, visit: http://www.cntraveler.com/galleries/2014-10-20/top-30-islands-in-the-world-readers-choice-awards-2014