Manchester is officially the top UK destination to visit in 2020

It’s official, Manchester is the number one destination to visit in the UK next year – which is convenient, as most of us won’t have to commute very far at all.

That’s right, while the United Kingdom has a vast bank of beautiful and interesting locations to visit, our fair city took the top spot.

This is courtesy of the good people at Big 7 Travel, who ranked the top 25 destinations in 2020.

Mike Peel / Wikimedia

The travel company asked their 1.5 million-strong social audience for the places they’re most excited to visit next year, and they combined this with their editor’s top picks.

A lot of the usual suspects made the list, including natural beauty spots like The Cotswolds (21), Scottish Highlands (18), Lake District (16) and Devon (15) – as well as the whole of Northern Ireland (7).

As well as that, a few gritty cities made the cut, like Nottingham (25), Newcastle (14), Birmingham (13), Liverpool (12), Glasgow (10), Leeds (8) and London (4), alongside some more picturesque offerings, like Edinburgh (22), York (19) and Bath (6).

David Dixon / Geograph

But 2020 is definitely the year of the city break, with eight of the top ten being city destinations – which is why Manchester was destined to take the crown.

Here’s what they had to say about Manchester: “Manchester might already be popular, but it’s worth the hype. It has always been an important city in the United Kingdom, with a rich history and strong industrial heritage.

“These days, the city is a vibrant and cultural melting pot with amazing sports teams, restaurants and museums. Plus, the food scene in the city has been exploding over the last couple of years. What more could you ask for from a city getaway?”

The top ten in full:

10) Glasgow
9) Brighton
8) Leeds
7) Northern Ireland
6) Bath
5) Bristol
4) London
3) Cornwall
2) Cambridge
1) Manchester

You can check out the full list here, enjoy!