Lonely Planet reveals travel hotlist for 2018: United Kingdom one of Best Value destinations for travelers, Belfast & the Causeway Coast number one region

The United Kingdom has been named one of the best value destinations for 2018 in the world in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel, the highly anticipated announcement of the world’s hottest destinations that should feature on every traveler’s wishlist for the year ahead. The bestselling, inspirational travel yearbook from the world’s leading travel authority highlights the top ten countries, cities, regions and best value destinations that Lonely Planet’s experts recommend travellers experience in 2018.

In a further boost for British tourism, Belfast & the Causeway Coast has been named the number one region to visit in 2018, ahead of destinations including Alaska, Slovenia’s Julian Alps and the Kii Peninsula in Japan. In the other categories, Chile was named best country in the world to visit, and Seville in Spain the number one city.

Heralding the selection of the Northern Irish region, Lonely Planet praised its remarkable transformation, with the Causeway Coast was described as a destination “whose timeless beauty and high-grade distractions – golf, whiskey and some of the world’s most famous rocks – are now more popular than ever.” Lonely Planet note that Belfast in particular has put its troubled past behind it to become a thriving and welcoming city, and is now “full of hip neighborhoods that burst with bars, restaurants and venues to suit all tastes.”

The appeal of this spectacular region is further heightened by the current value of the pound, with the impact of 2016’s referendum on EU membership helping to make the country a more affordable place to visit, and a key reason for the United Kingdom being named one of the Best Value Destinations for travelers in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2018. Lonely Planet note that the weakening of the pound against other currencies is ‘good news’ for travellers planning a trip to London, and suggest international visitors can “make the exchange rate work even harder by aiming for Devon, Cornwall, and big-ticket cities such as Bath, York and Edinburgh.”

James Smart, Lonely Planet’s Destination Editor for Britain and Ireland, said; “While the value of the pound hasn’t been great news for British travelers, it has been a great boost for people looking to visit the UK, and we expect this to continue next year. New galleries and theaters, rehoused historic attractions and thoroughly modern opportunities for adventure combine with classic sights to make the UK a brilliant destination for both staycationers and foreign visitors in 2018.”

 “Belfast & the Causeway Coast topped our list of the top ten regions because it is deservedly now recognized as a must-visit destination by travelers from across the globe. Dynamic Belfast has put its troubled past behind it and is a city transformed, its streets packed with buzzing bars and great stories, while the coastline beyond boasts spectacular scenery and plenty of great diversions. The region may be famous for Game of Thrones but its many scenic filming locations are just the start.”

Deciding the destinations in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel annual selection is a considered process, with Lonely Planet’s expert writers and travellers providing hundreds of suggestions of destinations not to be missed from the places they have visited over the past year. These places are then shortlisted by a panel of in-house travel experts who consider criteria such as topicality, excitement and wow-factor to decide what to include in the best-selling, inspirational travel yearbook.

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2018 also features five travel trends that consumers should look out for next year, with destination races, vegetarian & vegan travel and private islands among those selected as ones to watch, while the travel experts at Lonely Planet also rank the top ten best culture trips for families, new openings and best places to stay.

The landing page, www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel, features all of the Best in Travel 2018 destinations and additional advice on visiting them. Four videos accompany each of the number one destinations to reveal why they were selected the top spots for travel in 2018; all captured using GoPro equipment by Lonely Planet’s experts on the road. Travellers can also enter a My Best in Travel video competition to win round-trip flights for two to the number one country Chile and a GoPro HERO6 Black provided by this year’s sponsor, GoPro.

Notes to Editors:

Further information is available at www.lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel from October 24, 2017

Review copies of the book and extracts are available

Image galleries of each of the top ten countries, cities, regions and best value are available

Lonely Planet spokespeople are available for interview

Specific pages from the book can be emailed on request

Twitter: #BestinTravel

2018's sponsor for Lonely Planet's Best in Travel is GoPro.

 About Lonely Planet:

Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You’ll also find our content on lonelyplanet.com, mobile, video and in 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more. Visit us at lonelyplanet.com and follow us on Facebook (facebook.com/lonelyplanet), Twitter (@lonelyplanet), Instagram (Instagram.com/lonelyplanet) and Snapchat (@lonely.planet).