An influential tourist guide has hailed Dundee and described it as a “newly confident” city with numerous attractions with which to impress visitors.
The Lonely Planet guide, trusted by travellers across the globe, also says Dundonians are “among the friendliest, most welcoming and most entertaining people you’ll meet” as part of a glowing assessment.
With the development of the waterfront beginning to take shape, and the arrival of the V&A museum and boutique hotel chain Malmaison slated for the city, it is thought that Dundee could easily carve out a niche as a top “staycation” destination.
David Else, who compiled the latest edition, said, “With disposable income at an all-time low, many Brits will be opting for a UK holiday this year, but they need to shop around to get the best value.
“It’s perfectly possible to have a cheap holiday in Britain, but unfortunately you can find it costs just as much as a trip abroad.”
The book describes Dundee as “definitely worth a stopover,” with the City Square receiving special mention for its bronze statue of Desperate Dan.
In its description of the city, the guide says, “Dundee enjoys perhaps the finest location of any Scottish city, spreading along the northern shore of the Firth of Tay, and can boast tourist attractions of national importance in Discovery Point and the Verdant Works museum.
“Add in the attractive seaside suburb of Broughty Ferry, some lively nightlife and the Dundonians themselves among the friendliest, most welcoming and most entertaining people you’ll meet.”
Other attractions highlighted include the Frigate Unicorn at Victoria Dock and Broughty Castle.What do you love about Dundee? Have your say below, or on our Facebook.Broughty Ferry councillor Derek Scott was clearly delighted by the write-up given to his ward and he hailed the people of the area for making it so appealing to visitors.
He said, “It’s all down to the people that live there as they are the driving force of the community. They create the atmosphere and we have plenty of shops and facilities for young people whilst older people use and enjoy the cafes.
“Traders work exceptionally hard to keep Broughty Ferry looking good and these all combine to make it a great place for visitors.”
Will Dawson, convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee, also welcomed the publication, stating his hope that readers would “choose to discover the city for themselves.”
He said, “I am pleased to see that the readers of the Lonely Planet Guide will soon be finding out what those of us who choose to live and work here have known all along that Dundee has many unique features and attractions that make it a great place to visit.
“I hope that stay at home and foreign tourists come to the area and enjoy the many attractions we have.”
Lonely Planet is the largest publisher of travel guides in the world and employs 300 authors. The guides are considered to be hugely influential, with 500 titles published in various forms of media.