Cape Town has topped the list of the most popular destinations worldwide for British Airways (BA) travellers next year.

The airline compiles a top 10 "longhaul league table" with the cities it considers will draw the largest number of international tourists.

And hotels said they noted an immediate surge in queries and bookings after last week's World Cup final draw.

Other cities in the top 10 are Istanbul, Las Vegas and New York.

The Maldives continues to be a favourite, along with Delhi in India, while Vancouver cracks a nod in the top 10 as the host city for next year's Winter Olympics.

BA commercial manager Sue Botes said that having an international airline name Cape Town as the top destination would "get people's attention". She said they were analysing the booking figures after last week's draw and early patterns indicated that fans were likely to base themselves in Cape Town.

During the World Cup, the airline has scheduled seven flights a week to the city.

The Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (Fedhasa) Cape said it had noted an increase in bookings for city hotels for next year. Fedhasa Cape represents the Western Cape and Northern Cape.

The association's chairman, Phillip Couvaras, said they had seen a strong increase in interest from tourists wanting to stay in the city next year.

Rey Franco, Fedhasa Cape restaurants' segment chairman, said the city was probably heading into its best year for the tourism and hospitality sector.

Last year, South Africa recorded its highest international visitor figures with 9.5 million arrivals.

SA Tourism said despite the global economic crisis, tourists from the US, Australia and France continued to stream into the country.

Travel agents said overseas travel magazines particularly featured Cape Town for its affordability and natural beauty.