Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2019

Lonely Planet Names Australia's Red Centre One of 2019's Top Regions

Global travel authority Lonely Planet has chosen The Red Centre, Australia as one of the world's Top 10 Regions for next year in Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2019.

Best in Travel 2019 is Lonely Planet's 14th annual agenda-setting collection of the world's hottest destinations, experiences and trends for the year ahead. The best-selling inspirational travel yearbook highlights the top 10 regions, cities and countries that Lonely Planet's experts recommend travellers experience in 2019.

The Red Centre, Australia is ranked fourth on the book's list of Top 10 Regions 2019.

"At the spiritual heart of Australia's Red Centre is the country's most recognised natural wonder, Uluru," Lonely Planet says. "In 2019, this sacred site is finally closing to climbers, almost 150 years after explorers decided to 'conquer the rock'. Instead, visitors will find that this World Heritage site – recognised for its outstanding natural and cultural values – conquers them."

"Learn about the unique world view of the traditional custodians of this place," the book encourages, "and see the stars and the desert with new eyes. Explore Uluru-Kata Tjuta (Ayers Rock and the Olgas), Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon) and Alice Springs nearby."

Lonely Planet's Top 10 Regions for 2019 are:
1. Piedmont, Italy
2. The Catskills, USA
3. Northern Peru
4. The Red Centre, Australia
5. Scotland's Highlands and Islands
6. Russian Far East
7. Gujarat, India
8. Manitoba, Canada
9. Normandy, France
10. Elqui Valley, Chile

The Northern Territory also features on another of the book's top 10 lists for 2019 - Best New Openings - #3 Litchfield National Park: "The most visited park in Australia's Top End, Litchfield is about to undergo extensive improvements to make it even more attractive to visitors seeking adventure. In total, there will be five new swimming spots, at least three new campgrounds and new routes for both mountain biking and 4WDs."

Other Australian destinations and attractions to be ranked on Lonely Planet's Best in Travel 2019 lists are:
Best New Places to Stay - #9 The Tasman, Hobart: "The Tasman's doors aren't opening until 3 June 2019 but it'll be worth the wait. This luxury hotel is to be set within a group of heritage buildings, including Hobart's grand, Georgian-style St Mary's Hospital, built in the 1800s. The historical elements will be merged with modern artworks and cutting-edge glass and steel structures."

Best New Food Experiences - #4 Laura, Mornington Peninsula: "This sophisticated merging of food, wine and art on Point Leo Estate enjoys phenomenal sunsets from all angles. Named after a 7m-high cast-iron statue by Spanish sculptor Jaume Plensa, Laura offers views across sparkling Western Port Bay and its sculpture park, one of Australia's largest privately owned collections."

Best New Attractions for Kids - #2 Live Wire Park, Victoria: "Billing itself as the 'ultimate elevated adventure', the park allows children aged between seven and 15 to take part in the Short Circuit, where they have to complete 26 activities involving obstacle courses and suspended trails through the Otway treetops."

In addition, Darwin's Royal Flying Doctor Service attraction is highlighted in the book's "Top Trends" feature on "Augmented Attractions", while Queensland's Electric Super Highway is showcased as one the "The Great Places for Electric Road-Tripping".

Each year, Lonely Planet's Best in Travel lists start with nominations from Lonely Planet's vast community of editors, researchers, locals and influencers, and ultimately are decided and ranked by a panel of judges. The outcome is an eclectic list of destinations with unique, compelling and topical reasons to visit in the year ahead – as well as underlying travel trends to look for.

"These are the places to experience in 2019", says Lonely Planet's spokesperson Chris Zeiher. "They might be coming into their own, celebrating a once-in-a-lifetime event or simply have been overlooked for too long – whatever the reason, now is the time to plan a trip."

Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. Lonely Planet can be found on lonelyplanet.com, mobile, video and in 14 languages, nine international magazines, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks and more. Visit us at lonelyplanet.com and join our 14 million followers on Facebook (facebook.com/lonelyplanet), Twitter (@lonelyplanet), Instagram (instagram.com/lonelyplanet) and Snapchat (@lonely.planet).