Red Centre Makes Lonely Planet’s ‘Best in Travel’ for 2019
The Northern Territory’s iconic Red Centre has emerged as one of the “Top Five Regions” on the planet to explore in 2019.
Lonely Planet's newly released travel bible, “Best In Travel 2019” reveals the top 10 countries, top 10 regions, top 10 cities and best-value destinations for the year ahead.
The “spiritual heart of Australia” is the only Australasian destination making the travel media company's lists for 2019.
The Red Centre comes in at fourth place in the world's regions list following Piedmont, Italy (1), The Catskills, USA (2) and Northern Peru (3).
Related: What Can Property Developers Learn from the Travel Industry?
Lonely Planet’s Chris Zeiher described the red centre as “the beating heart of Australia, a place of surprises, and a destination that leaves a profound impression on those who visit”.
Tourism is a major economic driver for the region employing thousands of Territorians.
Minister for Tourism and Culture Lauren Moss says the announcement is about recognising the traditional owners and tourism operators in Australia’s spiritual heartland.
“To be included as number four on Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel is fantastic recognition of our Traditional Owners and tourism operators – they are a passionate bunch who are fiercely proud of this iconic and spiritual part of the Territory.”
Each year, Lonely Planet's Best in Travel is selected by a panel of judges who then release an eclectic list of destinations with unique and topical reasons to visit in the year ahead.
Sri Lanka took the top spot for the Best in Travel 2019 “top countries” list.
While Denmark’s “capital of cool” , Copenhagen, was first place in the “top cities” list.
Related: Melbourne is No Longer the World’s Most Liveable City
The number one region is the Piedmont area of Italy, home to new UNESCO heritage sites.
Related: Brisbane is Australia’s Most Liveable Capital City: Report
"These are the places to experience in 2019," explained Lonely Planet Destination editor Trisha Ping.
“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's Best in Travel 2019
| Top Regions | Top Countries | Top Cities | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Piedmont, Italy | Sri Lanka | Copenhagen, Denmark |
| 2. | The Catskills, USA | Germany | Shēnzhèn, China |
| 3. | Northern Peru | Zimbabwe | Novi Sad, Serbia |
| 4. | The Red Centre, Australia | Panama | Miami, USA |
| 5. | Scotland’s Highlands and islands | Kyrgyzstan | Kathmandu, Nepal |
| 6. | Russian Far East | Jordan | Mexico City, Mexico |
| 7. | Gujarat, India | Indonesia | Dakar, Senegal |
| 8. | Manitoba, Canada | Belarus | Seattle, USA |
| 9. | Normandy, France | São Tomé & Príncipe | Zadar, Croatia |
| 10. | Elqui Valley, Chile | Belize | Meknès, Morocco |
