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 city’s historic 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 “head-turning” urban redevelopment, and ranks it alongside Italy’s food heartland of Emilia-Romagna, Greece’s Small Cyclades islands and the Northern Spanish region of Cantabria.
Council leader John Alexander described it as a “tremendous badge of honour” and said the listing was fitting recognition for years of hard work.
“We are just over half way through a 30-year masterplan to completely transform the waterfront and re-connect the Tay with the heart of the city,” he said.
“Development land is already being earmarked for hotels, residential, retail and leisure uses by some of the world’s top brands including AC by Marriott.
“We’re a thriving cruise ship destination, a hub for creative industries, media and life sciences and a UNESCO City of Design that is committed to fairness and social justice.
“Dundee is determined to succeed and our ambitions for the city and its people are sky-high.”
Tourism Secretary Fiona Hyslop said it was a “deserved accolade for Dundee, and further evidence of the city’s growing reputation as a top tourist destination”.
She added: “The Open Championship at Carnoustie, and the opening of the V&A – which is backed by Scottish Government funding – make 2018 a big year for tourism in Dundee and the wider Angus area.
“I know that everyone associated with the local tourism industry is working hard to make the most of these opportunities, and to make sure all visitors from around the world get a typically warm Dundee welcome.”
Philip Long, director of V&A Dundee, said: “Everyone working on V&A Dundee is absolutely delighted that our city has been featured in Lonely Planet’s Best in Europe list, alongside such other remarkable travel locations.
“It’s great recognition of what we’ve known for years – Dundee is a fast-changing, vibrant and exciting city for people to visit.”
Malcolm Roughead, chief executive of Visit Scotland, added: “With the arrival of V&A Dundee, the city is fast becoming the star of the Scottish travel scene and thanks to accolades like this one, more and more people will discover what we have known for some time, that Dundee is a must-visit destination.”
