Lonely Planet releases 2017 top 10 travel destinations rankings By Darla Guillen

Photo Credit: Toronto, Canada/worldplacez.blogspot.com

The No. 1 country to visit in 2017, according to Lonely Planet, will be Canada, because it's "turning 150 in 2017 and making no apologies for it."

"Canada is always popular with us," Lonely Planet's Canada destination editor Alex Howard said. "But there are several things going on in 2017 that made it number one. It's the country's biggest birthday party in recent memory with the sesquicentennial next year [2017], and they won't be shy about celebrating. Also, international travelers can expect their money to go further due to the weak Canadian dollar, so now is the time to start planning a trip." Chron

Botswana named Lonely Planet's No 1 destination for 2016

(CNN) It's one of the most hotly anticipated travel guides of any year -- the annual survey of destinations Lonely Planet is recommending for 2016. The travel giant's "Best in Travel 2016" is a roundup of top as well as emerging destinations and experiences. The collection "highlights not the places travelers are headed to next year, but the places our team determined they should visit," says Tom Hall, Lonely Planet's editorial director. Next year's must-visit country is Botswana, which the team at Lonely Planet calls "wild Africa at its best." CNN Photo

Singapore named Lonely Planet's No 1 destination for 2015

Chinese New Year laterns add a splash of colour at Marina Bay. -- PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/LONELY PLANET Singapore has been named Lonely Planet's top travel destination for 2015. Lonely Planet said "a slew of new developments has elevated the 'Singapore experience' to a new level", from Marina Bay to "a new crop of swanky hotels". The Straits Times