By Melissa Lin, The Straits Times, 22 Oct 2014
Its latest guidebook, Best In Travel 2015, published yesterday says that multicultural Singapore"is always celebrating something" and has more reason to when it turns 50 next year.
New attractions opening to coincide with the anniversary include the National Gallery Singapore, which will house art of 19th- and 20th-century Singapore and South-east Asia. The Singapore Sports Hub, which will host the 28th South-east Asia Games, will hold its official opening ceremony next year.
National Day, which falls on Aug 9, is expected to be "celebrated with ultra-extravagant fanfare", the popular guide said.
Best In Travel 2015 is Lonely Planet's 10th collection on top destinations, experiences and travel trends, curated by its staff, authors and contributors. The book is available in eight languages and is on sale in over 100 countries.
It is the first time Singapore has made it to any of the lists in the guidebook.The book noted that new developments, such as Marina Bay and Gardens by the Bay, have "elevated the 'Singapore experience' to a new level".
Hotels such as W Singapore, Parkroyal on Pickering and Sofitel So Singapore have also opened their doors recently.
Coming in second in the top 10 is Namibia, followed by Lithuania, Nicaragua and Ireland. The Republic of the Congo, Serbia, the Philippines, Saint Lucia and Morocco round up the list.
The top country for this year is football World Cup host Brazil.
Mr Chris Zeiher, Lonely Planet's sales and marketing director for the Asia-Pacific, said Singapore scored high on its three criteria - topicality, "wow" factor and broad appeal.
What made Singapore stand out was the fact that the city has put itself on the sporting calendar and has "quirky" attractions such as Gardens by the Bay, he said.
It has also nurtured its dining and fashion scene, he added.
Singapore Tourism Board assistant chief executive Lynette Pang said the board was humbled by the accolade. "It's a nice validation. But it's not going to change what we do, what our focus is on and how we do our work."
She added that the board will continue to place emphasis on quality tourism and work with the industry to grow new products and refresh old ones to cater to the discerning traveller.