The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Dynamic Dundee one of Europe’s top 10 hotspots
Lonely Planet praises cultural scene and city’s ‘exciting transformation’
The opening of V&A Dundee is a really exciting moment that marks the city out as well worth a visit
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We’re a thriving cruise ship destination, a hub for creative industries, media and life sciences and a Unesco City of Design. Dundee is determined to succeed and our ambitions for the city and its people are sky-high. Council leader John Alexander.
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With the V&A Dundee, the city is fast becoming the star of the Scottish travel scene and thanks to accolades like this, more people will discover what we have known for some time, that Dundee is a must-visit destination. Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of VisitScotland. “
It is a deserved accolade for Dundee, and further evidence of the city’s growing reputation as a top tourist destination. I know everyone associated with the local tourism industry is working hard to make the most of these opportunities. Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop. “
Everyone working on V&A Dundee is delighted that our city has been featured in Lonely Planet’s Best in Europe list. It’s great recognition of what we’ve known for years – Dundee is a fast-changing, vibrant and exciting city.
Philip Long, director of V&A Dundee.
Dundee has been chosen as a “top European destination for 2018” by the world’s largest travel guide publisher.
The City of Discovery is the only UK destination named in a top 10 list of tourism hotspots to visit this year, by travel authority Lonely Planet.
Praised for its “growing cultural scene and the exciting transformation of the waterfront”, the accolade follows similar recommendations from prestigious outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Bloomberg and The Guardian.
The guide lauds Dundee for its growing cultural scene and the transformation of the city’s historic waterfront, spearheaded by the opening of the newest branch of the V&A this September.
Describing the city, Lonely Planet’s writers praised a creative scene that “increasingly attracts some of the UK’s most visionary talent”, building on its selection by Unesco as the UK’s first City of Design in 2014.
Lonely Planet’s spokesperson and editorial director Tom Hall said: “While visitors have always been assured of a friendly welcome, Dundee has often been overlooked by travellers to Scotland, but that should be set to change.
“The opening of V&A Dundee is a really exciting moment that marks the city out as well worth a visit, but throw in nationally important museums and attractions, and its dynamic, creative spirit, and travellers will find a city boasting plenty to discover.”
The recognition forms part of Lonely Planet’s Best in Europe 2018, compiled annually by the travel company’s European experts to reveal their pick of the most exciting and underrated destinations to visit across the Continent.
This year’s list claims to highlight some of the “best lesser-visited regions, alternative city breaks and hidden gems that in-the-know travellers should be planning their next trips around”.
Others making the top ten list include Italy’s food heartland of EmiliaRomagna, Greece’s Small Cyclades islands and the Northern Spanish region of Cantabria.