The area came in at number four on this prestigious list but what caught the eye of the Lonely Planet - said to be the world’s leading travel authority - is the way the former industrial landscape has been reinvented and repurposed to create a series of truly world class attractions, from high speed zip lining and inland surfing, to underground trampolining in a 176-year-old disused slate mine.
Wales has enjoyed two record breaking years with visitor numbers crossing the 10 million mark for the first time in 2014 and record spend from domestic and overseas visitors in 2015.
Wales is looking to sustain this performance with the raised profile from international events such as Euro 2016, and the success of the 2016 Year of Adventure tourism campaign.
Economy Secretary and North Wales AM, Ken Skates, said: “This is such fantastic news for Wales as our Year of Adventure draws to a close. Being listed as one of the best in the world by such a well respected and established publication such as the Lonely Planet is a real coup for north Wales.
“The award will of course play a big part in our marketing for 2017 as we move on to celebrate the Year of Legends in Wales. I’m sure it will make people who haven’t visited before think about Wales as a holiday destination and will also entice those who haven’t visited for a while back to Wales.
“This recognition is testimony to the commitment and partnership working between public and private sector to deliver a world class visitor experience. North Wales has reinvented itself over recent years and the addition of some cutting edge, world class facilities to match the awe-inspiring scenery has given people compelling reasons to visit the area.
"We’ve seen Investment in products which are attracting people to Wales – many for the first time and once in Wales they experience the warm welcome, culture and history of the area.”
Top 10 Regions in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2017:
Wales is looking to sustain this performance with the raised profile from international events such as Euro 2016, and the success of the 2016 Year of Adventure tourism campaign.
Economy Secretary and North Wales AM, Ken Skates, said: “This is such fantastic news for Wales as our Year of Adventure draws to a close. Being listed as one of the best in the world by such a well respected and established publication such as the Lonely Planet is a real coup for north Wales.
“The award will of course play a big part in our marketing for 2017 as we move on to celebrate the Year of Legends in Wales. I’m sure it will make people who haven’t visited before think about Wales as a holiday destination and will also entice those who haven’t visited for a while back to Wales.
“This recognition is testimony to the commitment and partnership working between public and private sector to deliver a world class visitor experience. North Wales has reinvented itself over recent years and the addition of some cutting edge, world class facilities to match the awe-inspiring scenery has given people compelling reasons to visit the area.
"We’ve seen Investment in products which are attracting people to Wales – many for the first time and once in Wales they experience the warm welcome, culture and history of the area.”
Tom Hall, Lonely Planet’s Editorial Director, said: “We included North Wales in this year’s list of top ten regions because it deserves to be recognised on the global stage. It’s a stunning area with a vast array of activities on offer to keep travellers entertained.
"North Wales has also become a haunt of in-the-know foodies, so however visitors get their kicks, once they’ve worked up an appetite, they’ll also be well catered for. North Wales is a gem and should be on every traveller’s radar.”
- Choquequirao, Peru
- Taranaki, New Zealand
- The Azores, Portugal
- North Wales, UK
- South Australia
- Aysén, Chile
- The Tuamotus, French Polynesia
- Coastal Georgia, USA
- Perak, Malaysia
- The Skellig Ring, Ireland.
No comments:
Post a Comment