Vancouver Island named top global travel destination in 2022

Beaches on the west coast of Vancouver Island, near Tofino and Ucluelet, B.C. (iStock)

Victoria — Vancouver Island is winning more top honours from the global travel industry.

Renowned guidebook Lonely Planet has named the island one of the 10 best regions to visit in 2022.

The island was the only Canadian destination to make the annual list, which was topped by Westfjords, Iceland, followed by West Virginia, United States, and Xingshuabanna, China.

"We are honoured to receive such positive recognition for Vancouver Island at a time when our tourism industry is embarking on a road to recovery,” said Tourism Vancouver Island president Anthony Everett in a statement Wednesday.

"As international visitors begin to travel again, they will look to trusted travel authorities such as Lonely Planet for direction on which destinations to choose first," Everett added.

The 2022 Best in Travel list is the 17th annual ranking from Lonely Planet.

The list is culled from the guidebook's community of staff, writers, bloggers, and partners and is then whittled down by an in-house panel of travel experts, according to the company.

The guidebook publisher says the 2022 list put particular emphasis on environmentally sustainable travel experiences.

"This criteria is particularly meaningful given Tourism Vancouver Island’s dedication to developing and promoting responsible and sustainable travel in the Vancouver Island region," said Tourism Vancouver Island chair Janet Docherty.

"We thank the residents of Vancouver Island for contributing to making the region a special place to live and visit."

Complete list of Lonely Planet's Top 10 regions to visit in 2022:

1. Westfjords, Iceland

2. West Virginia, USA

3. Xishuangbanna, China

4. Kent’s Heritage Coast, UK

5. Puerto Rico

6. Shikoku, Japan

7. Atacama Desert, Chile

8. The Scenic Rim, Australia

9. Vancouver Island, Canada

10. Burgundy, France