The top country to visit next year is said to be Sri Lanka, while, turning to places closer to home, Germany is #2 on the list. The top city, the guide book publisher claims, is Copenhagen, while elsewhere in the ex-Yugo states Novi Sad in Serbia is #3 and Zadar, Croatia, is #9.
With regard to the top regions, the top spot goes to Piedmont, Italy, and this is the closest area on the list to Slovenia, the country that takes #10 in the list of best value destinations, “places for affordable adventures”. The Southern Nile Valley, Eqypt takes the first place here, followed by Łódź (Poland), Great Smoky Mountains National Park (USA), the Maldives, Houston (USA), Argentina, Bangladesh – which gets the only “hidden gem” on the list –, Albania and Ecuador.
In writing why Slovenia deserves it’s place in the top 10, the guide explains:
This pocket of Europe in miniature is a great value bet for anyone who’s after the continent’s highlights but is short on time or funds. In a single day you can tour a Venetian-tinged seaside town, cross Alpine passes and dine by the river in the heart of Ljubljana. But why rush? This is a land of outdoor activities available for much less than you’ll pay in other Alpine countries. It is a place of world-class restaurants and wineries, and undiscovered small towns. Getting around is easy and cheap, and many road and rail journeys are spectacular. Summer brings crowds to lakes Bled and, to a lesser extent, Bohinj, but it’s easy to leave them behind.
Perhaps of more interest, Lonely Planet has also given it’s top travel trends for 2019, which you can read more about here, but in summary these are: getting off the touristed path, augmented attractions, my DNA and me, road trips go electric, dark skies. All of which, we should note, are being enjoyed in Slovenia as we type.
