New Zealand's made the cut to be named in Lonely Planet's
prestigious Best in Travel publication for 2010.
New Zealand was picked by Lonely Planet authors, staff and
travellers as one of the Top 10 Countries to visit in 2010.
Also featured on the list are El Salvador, Germany, Greece,
Malaysia, Morocco, Nepal, Portugal, Suriname and the USA.
Lonely Planet pokes fun at itself for recommending New Zealand
as "too obvious, right?"
"But there's wisdom in the old saying, 'If it ain't broke, don't
fix it', and last time we checked the land of Māori and hobbits it
certainly didn't need repairing," the guide says.
It lists New Zealand essential experiences as being 'as strong
as ever', from spectacular landscapes and wildlife to Māori culture
and food and drink. It also singles out New Zealand for praise in
spearheading eco-travel and for its ethos towards responsible
travel.
"Being singled out as one of the Top 10 Countries for 2010 by
Lonely Planet is an astonishing result for New Zealand, given the
competition out there from established and emerging tourism
destinations," Tourism New Zealand Chief Executive George Hickton
said.
Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2010 also features its top 10
regions and cities for the year ahead, as well as other travel
lists including:
* Top 10 super cycling routes - the Otago Peninsular route is
named as the number one ride for its mixture of 'scenery and
sweat'
* Top 10 places to walk your dog - Dunedin makes the cut for its
'network of dog-friendly trails' around the city
* Top 10 for twitchers - the Otago Peninsular is singled out as
one of New Zealand's hot attractions because of the region's
birdlife.
Earlier this year, readers of the prestigious travel magazine
Condé Nast named New Zealand as one of their favourite
destinations.
"New Zealand's ability to continue to compete with hot new
destinations is a testament to the country's desire to deliver a
great tourism experience, its innovation in creating new tourism
products and its drive to improve its environmental performance,"
George Hickton said.
Read other awards won by New
Zealand and Tourism New Zealand
For further information please contact:
Cas Carter on 021 915 410