01 Nov 2021
Tags: Lonely Planet
With travel back on the agenda, global travel authority Lonely Planet has today unveiled its top 10 countries, cities and regions to visit next year with the release of Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2022.
Best in Travel 2022 is Lonely Planet's 17th annual collection of the world's hottest destinations and the must-have travel experiences for the year ahead. This edition places particular emphasis on the best sustainable travel experiences — ensuring travellers will have a positive impact wherever they choose to go.
This year, the number-one city has been given to Auckland, New Zealand, recognised for its blossoming cultural scene where the spotlight is on local creativity, while Taipei, Taiwan is second-ranked, with Freiburg, Germany in third place.
“Having Auckland as the number-one city and travel neighbour, Australians can discover even more about this great city. Many may not know that within the city's boundaries there are 53 volcanoes, more than 50 islands, three wine regions and numerous beaches” says Lonely Planet's Chris Zeiher.
Queensland's Scenic Rim has been named the Number 8 region to visit - an exciting coup for the region and Australia.
“We're thrilled to see the Scenic Rim included in the world's best destinations, especially as it's such an untouched and diverse eco-based Australian destination'” adds Chris. “From the amazing food and wine to the incredible rainforest and bush walks and memorable places to stay, this is an unexpected pocket of Australia that has it all.”
Remote and proudly independent The Cook Islands - one of the world's smallest countries - claims the coveted spot as the number-one country to seek out in 2022, while Norway places second and Mauritius third.
Adding to the 2022 Best in Travel list, Lonely Planet's number-one region for 2022 is the Westfjords, Iceland, a region of the island nation untouched by mass tourism where communities are working together to protect and promote their spectacular landscapes.
Each year, Lonely Planet's Best in Travel lists start with nominations from Lonely Planet's vast community of staff, writers, bloggers, publishing partners and more. The nominations are then whittled down by our panel of travel experts to just 10 countries, 10 regions and 10 cities. Each is chosen for its topicality, unique experiences, 'wow' factor and its ongoing commitment to sustainable tourism practices.
According to Lonely Planet's VP of Experience Tom Hall the release of Lonely Planet's annual “hot list” of destinations and travel experiences could not be timelier. “After an enforced hiatus, it's time to take those long-postponed travel plans off the shelf and make them a reality,” Hall said on release of the list today.
“The lists celebrate the world in all its wonderful enticing variety,” Hall continues. “From the lagoons and forests of the Cook Islands to the waterfalls and mountains of Iceland's Westfjords, via Auckland's natural and urban delights.”
As always Lonely Planet's Best in Travel delivers new takes on popular destinations such as Norway and Dublin, Ireland, and unearths some lesser-known gems like Shikoku, Japan and arguably Germany's most sustainable city Freiburg.”
-Ends-
Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2022
AU$27.99 | Hardback
ISBN - 9781788689199
Available where all good books are sold
Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2022 - Destination Top 10's
Top 10 Countries
- Cook Islands
- Norway
- Mauritius
- Belize
- Slovenia
- Anguilla
- Oman
- Nepal
- Malawi
- Egypt
Top 10 Regions
- Westfjords, Iceland
- West Virginia, USA
- Xishuangbanna, China
- Kent's Heritage Coast, UK
- Puerto Rico
- Shikoku, Japan
- Atacama Desert, Chile
- The Scenic Rim, Australia
- Vancouver Island, Canada
- Burgundy, France
Top 10 Cities
- Auckland, New Zealand
- Taipei, Taiwan
- Freiburg, Germany
- Atlanta, USA
- Lagos, Nigeria
- Nicosia/Lefkosia,Cyprus
- Dublin, Ireland
- Merida, Mexico
- Florence, Italy
- Gyeongju, South Korea
Notes to Media:
- Images: Top 10 countries, cities, regions and best value lists available on request
- Digital Copy of the book: here
- Interviews: Melbourne based Chris Zeiher, Senior Director of Global Trade Sales & Marketing Lonely Planet, available for interviews
- Hashtag: #BestinTravel
- FAQ's: As attached
- Auckland Media Enquiries: Jason Anthill, Auckland Unlimited, antill@aucklandnz..com
- Scenic Rim Media Enquiries: Kath Rose, Kath Rose & Associates, kath@kathrose.com
How Best in Travel destinations are selected:
Each year, Lonely Planet's Best in Travel lists start with nominations from Lonely Planet's vast community of staff, writers, bloggers, publishing partners and more. The nominations are then whittled down by our panel of travel experts to just 10 countries, 10 regions and 10 cities. Each is chosen for its topicality, unique experiences, 'wow' factor and its ongoing commitment to sustainable tourism practices
According to Lonely Planet's VP of Experience Tom Hall the release of Lonely Planet's annual “hot list” of destinations and travel experiences could not be timelier. “After an enforced hiatus, it's time to take those long-postponed travel plans off the shelf and make them a reality and the lists celebrate the world in all its wonderful enticing variety. “
About Lonely Planet:
A trusted voice in travel guidance, Lonely Planet is part of the Red Ventures portfolio. Providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973, Lonely Planet reaches hundreds of millions of travellers each year online and via its mobile product helping them unlock amazing experiences. Lonely Planet can be found on lonelyplanet.com, mobile, video and in 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebook and more. Over the past 48 years Lonely Planet has printed over 145 million guidebooks covering 221 countries as well as countless other titles showcasing the wonders of the world for travellers of all types
Lonely Planet has been guiding travel for almost 50 years with a core belief that travel is for everyone, with a goal to help more people from more backgrounds to experience the joy of exploration. Because ultimately this helps build a kinder, more inclusive, more open-minded world. Visit Lonely Planet at lonelyplanet.com and join our community of followers on Facebook (facebook.com/lonelyplanet), Twitter (@lonelyplanet) and Instagram (instagram.com/lonelyplanet).
For media enquires contact:
Kathee Gunn- 0418 300 228
