Top travel forum hails city as ‘destination to watch’

Dundee ‘is having a bit of a moment’

“Surprise contender” Dundee has been named in yet another tourism hotlist.

Secret Escapes, a members-only British travel company, has named the city in a list of “new destinations to watch” in 2018, alongside Akureyri in northern Iceland, Bristol, La Paz in Bolivia and the Seychelles islands.

Describing the city as having a “bit of a moment” this year, the blog lists the V&A museum, as well as Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA) and the Rep Theatre as reasons to visit.

The company states: “Something of a surprise contender, Dundee tends to be overlooked by travellers flocking to Edinburgh’s historic charms – but the UK’s only Unesco City of Design is having a bit of a moment in 2018.

“The V&A Dundee may have something to do with it, with the first V&A outpost outside London set to open on the city’s waterfront in September.

“As is fitting for Scotland’s first design museum, the architecture is incredible – a sleek building that evokes a ship’s prow jutting over the water.

“Inside, the Scottish Design Galleries showcases more than 300 iconic objects, from an Eduardo Paolozzi elephant to Charles Rennie Mackintosh works and a dress by fashion designer Holly Fulton.

“Elsewhere, there’s the Dundee Contemporary Arts Museum and the Dundee Rep Theatre – home to the Scottish Dance Company. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

“The $1.3 billion revitalisation project includes a new train station, art installations, an urban beach and a recently-opened city-centre park hosting summer concerts.”

The company specialises in selling heavily discounted luxury hotel stays and trips to its members and has close to four million followers on Facebook.

Also included in its list are Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda, Leeuwarden in the Netherlands, Valletta in Malta, Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Tbilisi in Georgia.

Lynne Short, Dundee City Council’s city development convener, said: “Those of us who live, work and visit here already know what a hidden gem Dundee is.

“The opening in September and all the excitement that the progress of the V&A has gathered has now given us a worldwide platform and I am sure Dundee will not disappoint when it is visited by a wider audience in the years to come.”

Picture: Dougie Nicolson. Secret Escapes has pinpointed Dundee as a “surprise contender” for a holiday destination and points to developments such as the V&A.

Valletta in Malta was also included on the Secret Escapes list.