Belfast is Hot and It's the Place to Be in 2018

Belfast and the Causeway Coast in Northern Ireland has been named the number one region in the world for travelers in 2018.

The region receives the accolade in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2018 – the collection of the world's hottest trends, destinations and experiences for the coming year.

Belfast is described as, "full of hip neighbourhoods that burst with bars, restaurants and venues to suit all tastes. The rustling old docklands are now the vibrant Titanic Quarter, home to fancy apartments and a sensational museum."

Belfast shares the Lonely Planet Top Region accolade with the Causeway Coast, an coastal touring route, "whose timeless beauty and high-grade distractions – golf, whiskey and some of the world's most famous rocks – are more popular now than ever."

Northern Ireland is home to more filming locations for the hit TV series Game of Thrones than anywhere else in the world and the publication highlights Ballintoy – which fans will recognise as the real-life Iron Island port – as a must-see on the Causeway Coast.

Top ten regions in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2018 are:

1. Belfast & the Causeway Coast, Northern Ireland

2. Alaska, USA

3. Julian Alps, Slovenia

4. Languedoc-Roussillon, France

5. Kii Peninsula, Japan

6. Aeolian Islands, Italy

7. The Deep South, USA

8. Lahaul & Spiti, India

9. Bahia, Brazil

10. Los Haitises National Park, Dominican Republic