Wales earns top-10 place in Lonely Planet guide

Forget London, Shakespeare's Stratford, Viking York or the castles of Scotland.

North Wales emerged Tuesday as the only region in Britain to win a top-10 list of places in the world to visit in 2017.

Lonely Planet, recognised as one of the world's leading travel authorities, has listed North Wales in fourth spot in its top-10 regions to visit.

Famed for its Snowdonia mountain range, Lonely Planet found the region described as a playground for thrill seekers, a hideout for stargazers and a goldmine for heritage seekers.

The region, generally off the global tourist map, has transformed former industrial landscapes to create a series of world class attractions, from high speed zip lining and inland surfing, to underground trampolining in a 176-year-old disused slate mine.

Welsh Government Economy Secretary Ken Skates described the Lonely Planet accolade as a real coup for north Wales.

He said: "I'm sure it will make people who haven't visited before to think about Wales as a holiday destination. We've seen Investment in products which are attracting people to Wales - many for the first time and once in Wales they experience the warm welcome, culture and history of the area." Endit