Lonely Planet named this Irish city as the place to visit it 2018

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Lonely Planet has named Belfast as the number one region in the world to visit in 2018. They've also highlighted the Causeway Coast as the attraction to go along with people's visit. The nod to Belfast has come under Lonely Planet's Best of Travel 2018 guide. It beat the likes of Alaska, Julian Alps in Slovenia, France's Languedoc-Roussillon region and the Aeolian Islands in Italy. For the guide, Lonely Planet described Belfast as, "full of hip neighbourhoods that burst with bars, restaurants and venues to suit all tastes. The rusting old docklands are now the vibrant Titanic Quarter, home to fancy apartments and a sensational museum”. While the Causeway Coast was described as having, "timeless beauty and high-grade distractions, including golf, whiskey and some of the world's most famous rocks." Commenting on the news, John McGrillen, Tourism NI Chief Executive said:

“The word is officially out there, Northern Ireland is a must see destination. This is a game changer for Belfast and the Causeway Coastal Route and indeed the rest of Northern Ireland. We are thrilled and excited to read words like ‘unforgettable’, ‘unmissable’, ‘sensation’ and ‘extravaganza’ in Lonely Planet’s praise of our tourism gems. This accolade will give a massive boost to our marketing campaigns, helping us engage with an even bigger global audience who look to Lonely Planet for new, unique and special places to help plan their holidays. We are proud and honoured to have worked with Lonely Planet down the years to showcase Northern Ireland’s tourism transformation and their recognition could not have come at a better time in terms of our ambitions for the future”.