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Lonely Planet names England as second best country in the world for 2020


England has been named as one of the best countries in the world to visit next year by Lonely Planet at its Best in Travel 2020 awards.

Scooping the silver spot, England was beaten only by Bhutan which took the title of best country to visit in 2020 as it’s set to become the world’s first fully organic nation next year. North Macedonia, Aruba and Africa’s Eswatini completed the top five.

The Lonely Planet listing says: “Brexit uncertainties have dominated the headlines in recent years but one constant amid all the confusion has been the timeless treasures that England is famous for: the historic castles and cathedrals, the quaint villages and rolling countryside, and of course, the seaside.

“Taking a bracing walk on a windswept pier, eating delicious fish and chips, searching for marine life in rockpools, finding fossils in ancient cliffs, building sandcastles and dolphin-spotting on picturesque beaches are just some of the activities offered by the English seaside.”

Tom Hall, Lonely Planet’s VP of Experience cites England’s national parks, 34 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the England Coast Path as reasons to visit England next year.

VisitEngland Director Andrew Stokes, adds: “It’s fantastic to see England scoring so highly with Lonely Planet – and with travellers. And it’s no surprise it’s a favourite global destination with our breathtaking and varied coastline, vibrant cities, stunning countryside, heritage and cultural gems, amazing visitor attractions, enchanting green spaces and outstanding range of quality accommodation. England truly is packed full of incredible experiences that visitors can only have here.”

(Lonely Planet)

Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Countries for 2020

1. Bhutan


2. England


3. North Macedonia


4. Aruba


5. Eswatini


6. Costa Rica


7. The Netherlands


8. Liberia


9. Morocco


10. Uruguay

Lonely Planet also announced its pick for the world’s top cities, regions and value destinations for 2020.

Austria’s Salzburg topped the Best in Travel 2020 cities list, followed by Washington DC, Egypt’s Cairo, Galway in Ireland and Bonn in Germany.

Next year marks the centenary of Salzburg’s’ festival of music and drama and, coupled with its stunning scenery, saw the Sound of Music region cruise to the top of the list.

Salzburg, Austria (Getty Images)

Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Cities for 2020

1. Salzburg, Austria


2. Washington DC, USA


3. Cairo, Egypt


4. Galway, Ireland


5. Bonn, Germany


6. La Paz, Bolivia


7. Kochi, India


8. Vancouver, Canada


9. Dubai, UAE


10. Denver, USA

The Central Asian Silk Road has been named as the world’s top region for 2020 thanks to visa improvements and an investment in transportation and infrastructure.

To experience the road yourself, Lonely Planet has partnered with G Adventures and TourRadar to give readers the chance to win a 15-day trip travelling the road through Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Visit lonelyplanet.com/best-in-travel and tell them in 255 characters or less why you’d love to experience the Central Asian Silk Road. The prize also includes money put towards offsetting the carbon footprint of the winners’ flights – in keeping with 2020’s sustainability theme.

Italy’s Le Marche region on the Adriatic Coast has been named as the world’s second best region to visit in 2020, followed by Tōhoku, Japan, Maine in the US and Lord Howe Island in Australia – you can read our full guide to the latter here.

Central Asian Silk Road (Getty Images)

Lonely Planet’s Top 10 Regions for 2020

1. Central Asian Silk Road


2. Le Marche, Italy


3. Tōhoku, Japan


4. Maine, USA


5. Lord Howe Island, Australia


6. Guizhou Province, China


7. Cadiz Province, Spain


8. Northeast Argentina


9. Kvarner Gulf, Croatia


10. Brazilian Amazon

Also announced in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2020 awards is the best value destinations for next year, with a lesser-known Indonesian paradise taking the top spot.

A few islands east of busy Bali, East Nusa Tenggara in Indonesia is the place to head for a lush holiday for those of us who are cash strapped. Closer to home, Hungary’s ever-popular capital of Budapest was named the second best value destination for 2020, followed by Madhya Pradesh in India, Buffalo in the USA and Azerbaijan.

East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia (Getty Images)

Lonely Planet’s Best Value Destinations for 2020

1. East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia


2. Budapest, Hungary


3. Madhya Pradesh, India


4. Buffalo, USA


5. Azerbaijan


6. Serbia


7. Tunisia


8. Cape Winelands, South Africa


9. Athens, Greece


10. Zanzibar, Tanzania

We don’t know about you but Budapest and Athens have now raced to the top of our city break wish lists next year.



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