Prepare for a healthy dose of wanderlust because Lonely Planet has revealed its recommendations for the top travel destinations of 2018.
Chile takes the coveted top spot of the best country for travellers in 2018, while Seville receives the accolade of number one city in the world to visit next year.
Hot on the Spanish city’s heels is the American comeback city of Detroit and Australia’s often-overlooked capital Canberra.
The leading travel authority chose Belfast and the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland as the best region to travel to in 2018, with Alaska and Slovenia’s Julian Alps also making the top three.
Meanwhile Tallinn in Estonia has been crowned the best value destination of 2018, closely followed by Lanzarote in the Canary Islands and Arizona in the USA.
Deciding which destinations to include in the ‘Best in Travel’ annual selection is a considered process involving Lonely Planet’s community of writers, editors and bloggers, providing hundreds of suggestions of places that are not to be missed.
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, travel yearbook.
The destinations selected for Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel must offer travellers an outstanding experience in the year ahead; it could be that something special is going on in the year ahead, that it offers travellers new things to see and do, or that the team of experts consider it overlooked and underrated, and recommend travellers visit before the crowds do.
The guide also features five travel trends that consumers should look out for next year, with “destination races”, “vegetarian and vegan travel” and “private islands” among those selected as ones to watch.
Check out the winner lists below or find out more about each destination on the Lonely Planet website.
Best in Travel 2018 Top 10 Countries
1. Chile
2. South Korea
3. Portugal
4. Djibouti
5. New Zealand
6. Malta
7. Georgia
8. Mauritius
9. China
10. South Africa
Best in Travel 2018 Top 10 Cities
1. Seville, Spain
2. Detroit, USA
3. Canberra, Australia
4. Hamburg, Germany
5. Kaohsiung, Taiwan
6. Antwerp, Belgium
7. Matera, Italy
8. San Juan, Puerto Rico
9. Guanajuato, Mexico
10. Oslo, Norway
Best in Travel 2018 Top 10 Regions
1. Belfast and the Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland
2. Alaska, USA
3. Julian Alps, Slovenia
4. Languedoc-Roussillon, France
5. Kii Peninsula, Japan
6. Aeolian Islands, Italy
7. Southern USA
8. Lahaul and Spiti, India
9. Bahia, Brazil
10. Los Haitises National Park, Dominican Republic
Best in Travel 2018 Top 10 Best Value
1. Tallinn, Estonia
2. Lanzarote, Canary Islands
3. Arizona, USA
4. La Paz, Bolivia
5. Poland
6. Essaouira, Morocco
7. United Kingdom
8. Baja California, Mexico
9. Jacksonville, Florida, USA
10. Hunan, China