Northern Ireland is going to be a very busy place next year after Lonely Planet announced that Belfast and The Causeway Coast have been named the world’s number 1 region to visit in 2018.

The must-visit region beat out a number of bucket list destinations to claim the top spot, including the Kii Penninsula in Japan and Alaska in the USA.

Describing their winning region, Lonely Planet wrote: “Belfast’s transformation over the past two decades has been remarkable. A city once patrolled by heavily armed troops and dogged by sectarian violence is now full of hip neighbourhoods that burst with bars, restaurants and venues to suit all tastes.”

They added: “The rusting old docklands are now the vibrant Titanic Quarter, home to fancy apartments and a sensational museum. Beyond lies the Causeway Coast, whose timeless beauty and high-grade distractions – golf, whiskey and some of the world’s most famous rocks – are more popular now than ever.”

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

For more information, visit lonelyplanet.com.