SALISBURY has been announced as one of the top cities to visit in the world by the guidebook Lonely Planet in its latest edition - Best in Travel 2015.
The highly influential book predicts the world’s hottest trends, destinations and experiences for the year ahead. It highlights the top 10 countries, cities and regions to visit in 2015.
Salisbury, with a population of just 40,000, features seventh on the city list, above Vienna and Toronto, whilst Washington DC takes top spot.
VisitWiltshire’s CEO David Andrews said: “We are delighted Lonely Planet has recognised Salisbury as one of the Top 10 Cities in the World to visit.
"We are extremely proud of Salisbury’s history and heritage such as Salisbury Cathedral and Magna Carta, as well as our arts and culture, shopping, food and drink and nightlife. Salisbury is also a great base for visitors to experience popular attractions further afield such as Stonehenge, Avebury and our White Horses.
“Here at VisitWiltshire we are focused on growing the county’s visitor economy by raising awareness to increase tourism visits and spend.”
The leader of Salisbury City Council Andrew Roberts welcomed the news and is looking forward to a boost in tourism in 2015.
He said: “I am very pleased with the news. I think that Salisbury is a great place to visit and hopefully tourists will want to come to the city in 2015.”
With Salisbury Cathedral set to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta the book calls visitors to see a “quintessentially English city”.
Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2015 contributor Tom Hall said: “We included Salisbury in this year’s Best in Travel Top 10 Cities list because it deserves to be recognised as one of the UK’s most important destinations for travellers next year.
“Bursting with history, top class restaurants, atmospheric nightlife and a host of festivals planned for 2015, we believe Salisbury is a must-see for domestic and international travellers alike.”
“The 800th anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta gives a great excuse to visit .
“Like most visitors I headed straight for the cathedral, but found that I liked exploring Salisbury’s historic old centre, green spaces with a relaxed atmosphere and exploring some historic pubs as much as the big-name sights.”
The full list is:
- WASHINGTON, DC, USA
- EL CHALTÉN, Argentina
- MILAN, Italy
- ZERMATT, Switzerland
- VALLETTA, Malta
- PLOVDIV, Bulgaria
- SALISBURY, UK
- VIENNA, Austria
- CHENNAI, India
- TORONTO, Canada
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