Ireland Top ‘Desirable Destination’

Ireland has won the "most desirable island destination in Europe" award in London.

 TV presenter Simon Reeve (right) is pictured presenting the award to Pat Michalski, Judith Cassidy and Jennifer Edwards, all Tourism Ireland.

The award was presented to Tourism Ireland at the 21st annual Wanderlust Travel Awards, which took place in the iconic White Tower of the Tower of London.

Wanderlust is a popular travel magazine in Britain, and the winners of its annual awards are decided on by an independent panel of judges, as well as by tens of thousands of the globe-trotting readers of the magazine.

Ireland took the number one spot in the "most desirable island destination – Europe" category, beating off competition from Malta, Crete, Sicily and Madeira.

According to Wanderlust, its readers selected Ireland as the winner in this category because it’s “the island they're dreaming about the most in Europe. Marking the western edge of the continent, the Emerald Isle calls out to travellers looking for fantastic natural landscapes, historic cities and epic road trips to connect it all. Its capital Dublin, sitting on the east coast, is known for being the home to Guinness - best experienced in the cobbled riverside neighbourhood of Temple Bar. While the Wild Atlantic Way is a fantastic tourist trail stretching 2,500 km along the entire western coastline of Ireland, linking County Donegal to County Cork”.

Welcoming the news of the award, Niall Gibbons, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “We are delighted that Ireland has been singled out for this prestigious award. Accolades like this help to shine a spotlight on Ireland for all the right reasons."