Lonely Planet reveals best travel destinations for 2022
Global travel website Lonely Planet has unveiled its top-10 countries, cities, and regions to visit next year with the release of Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2022
Best in Travel 2022 is Lonely Planet's 17th annual collection of the world's hottest destinations and the must-have travel experiences for the year ahead.
The Cook Islands – one of the world's smallest countries – claims the coveted spot as the number-one country to seek out in 2022, while Norway places second and Mauritius third.
Lonely Planet's number-one region for 2022 is the Westfjords, Iceland, a region of the island nation untouched by mass tourism where communities are working together to protect and promote their spectacular landscapes. West Virginia, US, comes in second, followed by Xingshuabanna, China.
Celebrating the world in its variety
Number-one city Auckland, New Zealand, was recognised for its blossoming cultural scene where the spotlight is on local creativity, while Taipei, Taiwan, is second-ranked, with Freiburg, Germany, in third place.
According to Lonely Planet's Vice President of Experience Tom Hall, the release of Lonely Planet's annual ‘hot list’ of destinations and travel experiences could not be more timely.
"After an enforced hiatus, it's time to take those long-postponed travel plans off the shelf and make them a reality," Hall said on release of the list today. "The lists celebrate the world in all its wonderful enticing variety. From the lagoons and forests of the Cook Islands to the waterfalls and mountains of Iceland's Westfjords, via Auckland's natural and urban delights."
Meanwhile, Portugal was named Condé Nast Traveller’s best country in the world 2021, as voted for by thousands of readers.