Lonely Planet has confirmed what Northern Territorians have always known by naming Australia’s spiritual heartland, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, as one of the world’s best places to visit.
The confirmation came from Lonely Planet’s travel experts yesterday, who ranked Uluru in the top three locations to see in the world in 2020.
The full list will be published in the much-anticipated second edition of the global sensation and bestselling coffee table book – Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List, alongside eight other Australian experiences.
“Territorians are acutely aware Uluru is one of the best places in the world, and now it is official according to Lonely Planet’s Ultimate Travel List,” said Minister for Tourism, Natasha Fyles.
“This is well deserved and fantastic recognition for the Northern Territory, recognising the Traditional Owners, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board of Management and tourism operators who work tirelessly to share stories and their culture with visitors.
“It’s been a tough year for tourism operators here in the NT and across the country, but there has never been a better time for domestic visitation to the Territory for most of our Southern counterparts thanks to our biggest ever domestic campaign, the NT Summer Sale.”
The coffee table book features 500 experiences from across the world, with Uluru climbing the rankings from 33 in 2019, to three in 2020, making it the best-performing Australian ‘must see’.
“It’s so exciting to see the majestic Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park featured as one of the world’s ultimate travel destinations,” said Lonely Planet’s Chris Zeiher.
“It’s hands-down one of my favourite places to visit anywhere in the world…and we’re lucky enough to have it in our own backyard.”
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is being acknowledged for the destination’s sustainable practices and ability to connect travellers with Aboriginal culture.
With travel tastes and trends changing in 2020 with the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic impacting international and domestic visitation, the second edition of the book reflects the face of travel today, with over 200 entries differing from 2019.
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park’s third place ranking sees it come in behind Petra, Jordan and the Galapagos Islands on the 2020 list.
