Northern Ireland was tipped by Lonely Planettoday as one of the "must-see" countries to visit in 2007.
The Lonely PlanetBluelist featured Northern Ireland in the "Go List" section of the travel guide — a chapter dedicated to detailing the hot destinations for the coming year.
The guide said the country is "abuzz with life: the cities are pulsating, the economy is thriving and the people, the lifeblood that courses through the country, are in good spirits".
In another section of the book Belfast was listed as one of the top 10 "Cities on the Rise".
Lonely Planetco-founder Maureen Wheeler, who grew up in Belfast, was full of praise for her homeland.
"I love the city, its grittiness, its resilience and its beauty and I love how Belfast people turn every social interaction into an excuse for a party.
"The landscape of Northern Ireland is astonishingly beautiful, the people are warm and genuine, and yet it is still relatively undiscovered which makes it the perfect destination."
Another destination with a wartorn history — Beirut — is among the 30 destinations on the Go List with Northern Ireland. Others include Gabon and Xinjiang in China.
Northern Ireland has seen an upsurge in tourist visitors in recent years and the new guide listing can only add to the numbers.
Alan Clarke, chief executive of the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, was thrilled with the accolade.
"Northern Ireland has firmly established itself as a must see destination and its unique selling points are captivating visitors from home and abroad," he said.
"The endorsement by the highly acclaimed Lonely Planettravel guide is a further boost to the tourism industry in Northern Ireland and we can only look forward with optimism to another successful year in 2007," he added.