Published Tuesday, 23 October 2012
Derry is listed fourth in the Best in Travel list. (© Getty)
The maiden city was placed fourth in a top 10 cities list in its Best In Travel 2013 publication.
"Londonderry is the UK City of Culture 2013, which means this vibrant historic walled city is undergoing a renaissance," the guidebook states.
Lonely Planet's Tom Hall explained: "Best in Travel is all about identifying destinations which offer the traveller something special.
"Derry is a brilliant example of a city that has bounced back from difficult times. This is a city with heart, which shines through in its exciting arts and music scene."
Top of the list of cities to visit next year is San Francisco, followed by Amsterdam and the Indian city of Hyderabad.
Beijing is in fifth place, followed by Christchurch in New Zealand, Hobart in Australia, Montreal in Canada, Addis Ababa in Ethiopia and Puerto Iguazu near the famous waterfalls in Argentina.
Sharon O'Connor, Chief Executive of Derry City Council, said: "This accolade is not that we are the same as or comparable to some of those cities but that we have a very unique set of attributes, that people really need to come and discover.
"I think a lot of people in Belfast have driven through the city and not stopped, but you really need to come and experience the place that it is today because it's a completely different place to the one you've been familiar with."
Whether it's the forthcoming City of Culture year, our rich history, our status as a city in the vanguard of promoting peace or just the rich diversity of our cultural, social and business scenes, Derry is right on the world map.
Mark H Durkan
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan has welcomed news.
"This news, coming as it does from one of the world's most highly-respected travel publishers, is international affirmation of what we all knew to be true: that Derry has a wealth of things to offer the global tourist market," he said.
"This announcement is testimony to the hard work and dedication of all those who work to promote Derry to the world."
He added: "We look forward to the boost this will bring our city and we will continue to work hard so that we do not take this honour for granted but instead use it as an opportunity to build a sustainable future for our tourist economy."
Sinn Féin Foyle MLA Maeve McLaughlin said the announcement was good news for the local tourism industry.
"For Derry to be in there with destinations such as San Francisco and Montreal is quite an achievement," she said.