Online publication The Travel has recognised Armidale as one of the top 10 most beautiful destinations in NSW.
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The city was named on the list alongside the likes of Mudgee, Kingscliff, Bundeena, Kangaroo Valley, Dubbo, Gunnedah and Berry.
The publication described Armidale as one of NSW's "most charming towns" and gives it the tick of approval as a bucket list location for those visiting the state.
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It singles out several local attractions, including the New England Regional Art Museum and Waterfall Way, and describes the city's farmers' markets as a prime location to buy organic fruit and vegetables.
The article, which places Armidale 10th on the list of most beautiful NSW towns, also recognises the city's national parks and wineries.
Mayor Sam Coupland said there was something for everybody in Armidale, ranging from the city's rich arts scene to the picturesque gorge country.
He also singled out the New England Regional Art Museum (NERAM) and Dangars Falls as his favourite local destinations.
"We are the thinking person's Queenstown," Cr Coupland said.
"If you are artistic, we have some real highlights. Probably the jewel in the crown is NERAM, which houses some really enviable [works] from Arthur Streeton and Tom Roberts and so on.
"We also have the New England Conservatorium of Music and a really vibrant arts scene, with different venues such as the Hoskins Centre, the Armidale Playhouse and many others.
"We have world-class mountain biking out of the University of New England and we are surrounded by beautiful gorge country for those who are intrepid and want to hike."
Cr Coupland encouraged travellers to give themselves time to explore when visiting Armidale and consider staying in the city for a few nights.
"We are equally distant between Sydney and Brisbane, so we are an alternative to going up the Pacific Highway, which doesn't have the scenic beauty that we have," he said.
"If you are travelling that route, you'd be mad not to take the inland route via the New England Highway and overnight in Armidale.
"Don't just spend one night, spend two because there is plenty to see and do around the place.
"It is certainly different from those [other locations on the list], because there are things that we offer that they certainly can't - so spend your time and money in Armidale."
Armidale's tourism scene attracted attention in 2020 when Wotif.com data for June revealed the city had topped the list of most searched Australian destinations.
It came as travellers turned to regional and remote areas to escape large crowds in city centres during the pandemic.
Wotif managing director Daniel Finch said at the time that many regional locations were experiencing unprecedented interest on the site.
"According to Wotif research, half of Aussies would like to keep away from the crowds and because of that, we're seeing a huge spike in interest for destinations outside of the usual hotspots," he said.
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