Tenby has been crowned one of Britain's best beach destinations.

The news came when TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel site, announced the winners of its first-ever Travellers' Choice Beach awards.

Tenby took fifth place in the best British beaches category, while St. Ives in Cornwall was the only UK finalist in the European category.

"These awards recognise the best beach destinations in Britain and Europe as decided by millions of travellers," commented Emma O'Boyle, TripAdvisor spokesperson.

"With so many miles of beautiful coastline in the UK, Tenby's recognition on the list is a testament to the beauty of Welsh beaches."

The Travellers' Choice Beach award winners were determined based on the most highly rated beach destinations by travellers in TripAdvisor reviews.

Unlike any other honours, TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice winners are based on millions of real and unbiased reviews and opinions from travellers around the world.

Mayor of Tenby, Clr. Mrs. Julie Evans, said: "It comes as no surprise to me that Tenby has been awarded this accolade. I use TripAdvisor myself and find the reports to be honest and accurate.

"I would like to pay tribute to the county council beaches staff, especially Ron Jones, who is responsible for beach cleaning. He does a fantastic job and the beaches would not look good if they were not clean. Well done Tenby!"

Chris Osborne, president of Tenby Chamber of Trade and Tourism, also welcomed the news.

He said: "Whether one believes in user generated content websites such as TripAdvisor or not, their influence is now incontestable.

"Many of our customers and potential customers use Trip Advisor, so to be placed fifth within the UK's top 10 beaches is good news.

"Being the only Welsh beach listed is unfortunate for the many other superb beaches within Wales, but it re-enforces just how highly rated is Tenby's beach offer. Now we just need to ensure all elements of 'The Tenby Experience' are memorable for all the right reasons."

Alan Turner, tourism marketing and development manager for Pembrokeshire County Council, added: "Tenby is a really pretty place to visit, but the beaches are its crowning glory and there are three surrounding Tenby.

"North Beach is a safe and sheltered sun trap, Castle Beach has the softest sand and South Beach has acres of space for beach games. A big thank you to TripAdvisor's travellers for voting us into fifth place and we hope they continue to enjoy our wonderful sandy beaches for years to come."

See back page for the full list of the top 10 beach destinations in the UK.