Belfast and Northern Ireland's Causeway Coast rated world's best region

UK is rated seventh for value, behind Arizona and Poland

World class: the Causeway Coast is rated best region in the world (NI Tourist Board)

Belfast and the Causeway Coast has been rated best region in the world to visit in the coming year by Lonely Planet.

In a boost to Northern Ireland’s international image, the area was rated ahead of Alaska and the Julian Alps of Slovenia in the travel guide publisher’s Best in Travel 2018 awards.

Lonely Planet praised its “timeless beauty and high-grade distractions – golf, whiskey and some of the world’s most famous rocks.

”The region may be famous for Game of Thrones but its many scenic filming locations are just the start.”

In the first six months of 2017, tourism numbers for Northern Ireland increased by 10 per cent to a record of over 2 million, with an increase of 23 per cent from the Republic of Ireland.

John McGrillen, chief executive of Tourism NI, said: “The positive growth has been supported by an intensive burst of partnership marketing initiatives in the Republic of Ireland highlighting both well-established and new tourism offerings from Titanic and the Causeway to Seamus Heaney Homeplace and the Game of Thrones tapestry.”

There are fears that hardening the border between the two parts of Ireland could reverse recent gains.

In contrast to the Lonely Planet plaudit, last month readers of the Irish Times rated the Giant's Causeway the world's most disappointing tourist attraction.

Northern Ireland is the UK’s only winner. In the Best Value destinations for 2018, Britain is rated seventh despite the plunge in the pound following the EU referendum. Sterllng has lost 14 per cent of its value against the euro and Australian dollar, and 10 per cent against the US currency.

The Estonian capital, Tallinn, is said to offer the best value worldwide, followed by the Spanish island of Lanzarote and the state of Arizona. The Bolivian capital La Paz, Poland and the Moroccan resort of Essaouira all offer better value, according to the guidebook publisher.

James Smart, Lonely Planet’s Destination Editor for Britain and Ireland, said; “While the value of the pound hasn’t been great news for British travellers, it has been a great boost for people looking to visit the UK, and we expect this to continue next year.”

Yet Arizona, a high-cost location, is rated well above the UK. A spokesperson for Lonely Planet told The Independent: “When we refer to ‘best value’ we are talking about ‘value’ rather than ‘cost’. Whilst some of our best value destinations may be expensive to visit, the experience they offer is of better value than similar destinations, or it is better value this year than at other times.

“Arizona kept coming up in recommendations from our US experts who cited positive experiences in Phoenix, Flagstaff and Sedona. In particular, they highlighted the good value of accommodation and the easily accessible, iconic National Parks, including the Grand Canyon."

Lanzarote is rated higher for value than the UK for its “great combination of unique experiences and ease of accessibility”.

The top three countries are Chile, South Korea and Portugal.

Seville, Detroit and Canberra are awarded the best city prizes; London, New York and Sydney are unrated.

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