Lonely Planet ranks Sri Lanka as world’s #1 travel destination 2019

Sri Lanka has been selected as the number one country in the world for travellers to visit in the coming year by world leading travel authority, Lonely Planet, in its “Best in Travel 2019”. This award is being globally announced today.

“Best in Travel” is Lonely Planet’s highly anticipated annual collection of the best travel destinations, trends, journeys and experiences to have in the year ahead. Over the past 13 years’ Lonely Planet has set the travel agendas for the next 12 months with the annual release of “Best in Travel”.

”Our number-one country to visit in 2019, Sri Lanka is decidedly having its moment in the equatorial sun,” said Lonely Planet spokesperson Chris Zeiher. “Whether you’re a family traveller or an adrenaline junkie, a wellness seeker or a foodie, in Sri Lanka you’ll find all the magic you’d expect from South Asia bundled into a resurgent, medium-sized island-nation that’s friendlier and – with improved tourism infrastructure and transportation – more accessible in 2019 than ever before.”

“We are elated by the news. Lonely Planet is an authority on travel and tourism news and this endorsement is a big win for destination Sri Lanka. It is good to see that Sri Lanka is finally getting its due place in the global tourism map. We expect to see this publicity being converted to actual footfall in the coming winter season and the year beyond. This accolade will complement our new brand identitycampaign which is now set to get off the ground next month,” said Tourism Development and Christian Religious Affairs Minister John Amaratunga said.

Best in Travel will be featured on international sites and magazines in multiple languages which cover the key traffic generating markets for Sri Lanka.Each year, Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel lists start with nominations from Lonely Planet’s vast community of editors, researchers, locals and influencers, and ultimately are decided and ranked by a panel of judges. The outcome is an eclectic list of destinations with unique, compelling and topical reasons to visit in the year ahead – as well as underlying travel trends to look for. Lonely Planet’s experts also select the best New Openings, Places to Stay, Food Experiences and Attractions for Kids.

“These are the places to experience in 2019”, says Lonely Planet spokesperson Chris Zeiher. “They might be coming into their own, celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime event or simply have been overlooked for too long – whatever the reason, now is the time to plan a trip.”

Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world’s number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we’ve printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers.

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