Dublin ranked seventh best city in world to visit by Lonely Planet

Plans to pedestrianise part of Dublin city centre have been cited by Lonely Planet as part of its decision to rank the city seventh in its index for best cities in the world to visit next year.

The travel group published its top 10 countries, cities and regions to visit next year on Wednesday. It said this year’s rankings place particular emphasis on the “best sustainable travel experiences” in order to cater for demand for “more responsible travel”.

Taking first place as best city for 2022 is Auckland, New Zealand, which was recognised for its “blossoming cultural scene where the spotlight is on local creativity”.

Dublin was ranked number seven, recognised as “one of Europe’s most down-to-earth and friendly cities”.

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The group cited Dublin’s “approach to ethical tourism, its flourishing independent artisan shopping scene, and plans to pedestrianise parts of the centre to create a renewed sense of community”, as the reasons for this.

Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons said: "The inclusion of Dublin as the number seven city in the world is wonderful news and will surely help to inspire travellers everywhere to put Dublin and Ireland on their holiday wish-list for next year.

“As we restart tourism from overseas, it is another well-deserved accolade which will help position us well for 2022 and create stand-out against competitor destinations.”

The number-one region to visit in the coming year is the Westfjords, Iceland, described as “one of the most remote and untouched regions where communities are working together to protect and promote their spectacular landscapes”.

Lonely Planet said the area is proving increasingly popular with hikers and outdoors adventure enthusiasts.

The UK features in the best regions list with Kent’s Downs and Heritage Coast ranked in fourth place, thanks to its “commitment to sustainable tourism initiatives”.

Topping Lonely Planet’s list of countries is one of the world’s smallest and remote nations, the Cook Islands.

The group cited its “innovative strategies” for pushing forward environmental initiatives in the south Pacific. Norway placed second for “being a leading light on sustainability, green technology and community culture initiatives, from the cities to the wilderness”.

Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2022

Top 10 Countries:

1. Cook Islands
2. Norway
3. Mauritius
4. Belize
5. Slovenia
6. Anguilla
7. Oman
8. Nepal
9. Malawi
10. Egypt

Top 10 Regions

1. Westfjords, Iceland
2. West Virginia, USA
3. Xishuangbanna, China
4. Kent's Heritage Coast, UK
5. Puerto Rico
6. Shikoku, Japan
7. Atacama Desert, Chile
8. The Scenic Rim, Australia
9. Vancouver Island, Canada
10. Burgundy, France

Top 10 Cities

1. Auckland, New Zealand
2. Taipei, Taiwan
3. Freiburg, Germany
4. Atlanta, USA
5. Lagos, Nigeria
6. Nicosia/Lefkosia, Cyprus
7. Dublin, Ireland
8. Merida, Mexico
9. Florence, Italy
10. Gyeongju, South Korea