Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2027: Tweed Heads beats Maldives

Lonely Planet has at the moment unveiled their Best in Travel 2027 listing, a set of fifty unbelievable locations and unforgettable international experiences chosen by a crew of journey specialists.

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New South Wales’ The Tweed got here in at fifth place on their listing of the Top 25 Destinations and was the one Aussie place on the listing, beating different spots in Maldives (six), Italy (12), New Zealand (14) and Spain (15).

Japan’s Okinawa area took this yr’s prime spot, adopted by New Mexico, USA in second place and Sibenik, Croatia in third.

Vietnam’s Da Nang got here fourth, narrowly beating The Tweed by only one spot.

Chris Zeiher, senior director of Global Trade Sales & Marketing Lonely Planet, instructed information.com.au that The Tweed may typically “fly under the radar” regardless of having a lot to supply vacationers.

“You’ve got outdoor adventure, fantastic food, beautiful landscapes, and these wonderfully laid-back towns that almost forces you to slow down,” Mr Zeiher mentioned.

“What really stood out for us was the variety The Tweed offers.

“You can be out cycling or hiking in the morning, enjoying some brilliant local food in the afternoon, and then finish the day in one of the regions relaxed little towns.

“The Tweed is one of those places that gives you plenty to do but also gives you permission to do absolutely nothing.”

Despite being positioned between two important tourism hotspots — Byron Bay and the Gold Coast – Mr Zeiher mentioned that The Tweed was “much more relaxed and chilled”, providing travellers the proper “switch off” sort of vacation.

On Lonely Planet’s different listing of their 25 Top Travel Experiences, immersing your self in artwork at Australia’s Red Centre got here in at quantity 21.

“Lonely Planet has always loved the Red Centre, and I’m personally really excited to see it on our Best in Travel list again,” Mr Zeiher mentioned.

“This time, we’re encouraging travellers to look at the region through a different lens, through its extraordinary ancient and modern art and storytelling.

“You can experience Wintjiri Wiru at Yulara, the world’s first permanent drone show which brings the ancient Mala story to life in the night sky, visit Bruce Munro’s newly established Light-Towers at Kings Canyon or, in mid-April, head to Alice Springs for Parrtjima — the incredible Aboriginal-led Festival of Light.

“A trip into the Red Centre is so rewarding and so few Aussies do it. Make 2027 the year you change that.”

Anna Dakin, Owner of Art Tours Australia, mentioned that the Red Centre being recognised within the listing was a “real honour”.

“Central Australia is a moving place to visit,” she mentioned.

“These landscapes hold profound energies, and art is an excellent way to connect to them, whether that’s spending time making your own art outdoors or digging deep into Aboriginal art and the layered stories and culture held within it.

“Art is such an important part of this region, it’s a way of connecting visitors with Country, culture, stories, and the incredible creativity of Aboriginal artists. We are at the creative heart of Australia.”

The Lonely Plant’s Best of Travel listing has been working for the previous 19 years and is cut up into “Destinations” and “Experiences”.

“It reaches hundreds of millions of potential travellers around the world and because the list is independently selected, it can be a pretty powerful endorsement for the destinations that make the cut,” Mr Zeiher mentioned.

“We split Best in Travel into two lists, Destinations and Experiences, and there’s an important difference between the two.

“An experience is really about those moments that make a trip memorable. It’s something you do, rather than simply somewhere you go.

“That could be an incredible food experience, a train journey, a hike, a festival, a homestay or a bike trail.

“It’s not necessarily about getting that perfect Instagram shot. It’s about doing something that feels authentic to that destination and that you really couldn’t replicate anywhere else. They’re the experiences you come home talking about and telling your friends about years later.

“A destination, on the other hand, is somewhere we think has a really compelling reason to visit right now.

“It might be underrated or overlooked, somewhere that’s emerging in an interesting way, or even a well-known destination where there’s another side that travellers perhaps haven’t discovered yet.”

Mr Zeiher defined that the listing is split by a proficient crew of journey specialists who work collectively to provide you with the ultimate prime 50.

“At Lonely Planet, the heart of what we do is to recommend destinations and experiences to our readers,” he mentioned.

“Our annual Best in Travel list distils the essence of that. Our network of 450 writers spread around the world, together with our global team of editors, were asked to reflect on recent travel experiences that truly moved them, resonating long after the trip ended.

“A core panel of Lonely Planet staff debated all entries, to come up with a balanced final list of 50.

“In that list is a mix of places and travel experiences, grounded in first-hand insights. And at the core of each is a writer either sharing why a travel experience was life changing for them, or else explaining how they discovered somewhere that feels fresh, or a different side to a well-known destination.”