Southern communities make the Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2024 list
An endorsement from global travel authority Lonely Planet confirms what Central Otago and Southern Lakes communities have known all along: Where we choose to live delivers experiences that are truly world class and valued.
Today (Thursday 26 October 2023) Lonely Planet announced the regions that encompass the towns of Queenstown, Wanaka, Cromwell and Clyde in the best value, Best in Travel 2024 top 50 destinations list.
When making the announcement, Lonely Planet identified the Southern Lakes’ and Central Otago’s strength in cycle and mountain biking opportunities as a key factor in making the top 50 destinations.
Anthony Longman, Head of Destination Tourism Central Otago was stoked that the two southern regions made it into the best value category.
“This is a global acknowledgement celebrating the effort our local community and businesses put into delivering outstanding experiences that not only benefit visitors, but also our communities and environment. We are excited that Lonely Planet identified that value is not strictly being about dollars, but in the visitor sense it is the combination of value for money, depth of the experience, engagement with people and place, and so much more.”
Winning factors include the diversity and choice of trails to enjoy across Otago, which provide many reasons for visitors to stay longer, explore further and return. Central Otago and the Southern Lakes offer a full range of trails from Grade 1 (easiest) to Grade 5 (expert) and parts of six of New Zealand’s Ngā Haerenga Great Rides, which came about following the success of the Otago Central Rail Trail that opened in 2000), the multiple bike parks in Queenstown, Wanaka and Alexandra, plus ongoing trail extensions, infrastructure development and trail related events, means an increasing number of visitors and new residents are choosing the region for its biking experiences and facilities.
“The growth in cycling world-wide is considered by some to be ‘the new golf’. Like golf, cycling and mountain biking opportunities are most often found in stunning scenic locations, immerse people into the lifestyle of local communities, and are best enjoyed with friends. Biking is one of the best low cost, low impact ways to explore and experience our regions’ incredible scenery and attractions,” Mr Longman said.
Sarah O’Donnell (Destination Queenstown, Marketing and Communications Director) added that “the Southern Lakes and Central Otago are very special places, and through the profile generated from awards such as this we can share our love of place with visitors and inspire them to treat our environments with care and respect, thereby encouraging visitors to slow down, delve deeper into our region and engage more with our communities.”
