Cheers to Dublin in Top Ten tourist list

REPUBLICAN rebels and whiskey tasting are credited with helping to elevate Dublin to one of the best destinations in Europe to visit by TripAdvisor.

The travel giant named both Belfast and Dublin among the top hotspots in Europe when it comes to experiences.

Thanks to attractions like the Black Taxi Tour and the Titanic Experience, Belfast was rated the fourth best destination in the newly released rankings.

Meanwhile, Dublin landed in No.10 on the Top Ten table thanks to outings such as the Whiskey Tasting Tour and the 1916 Rebellion Walking Tour.

TripAdvisor noted that travellers are showing appreciation for destinations beyond global favourites, with iconic cities like London, Paris, and Rome being outranked by places like Tromso in Norway, St Petersburg in Russia, and Santorini in Greece.

TripAdvisor, the world’s largest online provider of outings, determined the rankings for countries, cities and regions based on the combined average rating and reviews on its site.

It found that the Irish capital’s historical tours can compete with the likes of the Northern Lights in Tromso and the Fabergé Museum in St Petersburg. Split in Croatia, where many scenes in Game Of Thrones were filmed, is named at No. 6.

Funchal in Portugal is also included, along with Berlin, Porto and Edinburgh.

The research found that destinations that put travellers ‘in the heart of nature’ emerge as the world’s top ranked travel experiences.

The data revealed Costa Rica – known for rainforests, volcanoes, beaches and surfing – to be the world’s best country for travel experiences. Ireland is in fourth place.