River Murray named among the world's top 25 places to visit
Our own backyard is among 25 other destinations named best in the world by National Geographic.
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The River Murray has landed itself among the best places to visit in the world.
Handpicked by the explorers, photographers and editors of National Geographic magazine, its list of the top 25 places to visit for 2025 includes luxury train journeys and active volcano hikes.
National Geographic releases the list each year as the most exciting, meaningful and one-of-a-kind travel experiences for the year ahead.
Other destinations in the list include Bangkok, Los Angeles, Greenland, Barbados, and Guadalajara in Mexico.
Murray River, Lakes and Coorong Tourism Manager Greg Stirling said looking at the whole list made him that much more appreciative that the region had been selected.
"With our region we've got some special components of the river ... also the Coorong, the dark sky (reserve)," he said.
The listing had come at a great time, he said, with summer holidays coming up and so many different accommodation options and places to visit.
"From camping, cabins to floating homes ... river shacks and cruising on the Proud Mary and Murray Princess, there's an option for everybody," he said.
Mr Stirling encouraged locals to have a holiday in their own backyard and support communities close to them.
"The key thing is to be really proud ... and go for a little holiday yourself," he said.
"When (the region) grows it opens up new opportunities for new businesses to come in."
The Murray River Lakes and Coorong welcomed 379,000 domestic overnight visitors for the year ending December 2022.0
Eighty-two per cent of overnight visitors were from intrastate and 18% from interstate.
South Australia’s Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison, also welcomed the news, and invited explorers from around the world to come and see the beautiful region for themselves.
“The magical Murray River's inclusion ... is a well-deserved recognition," she said.
"This prestigious listing puts our beloved river alongside global destinations like Antigua and Bangkok, showcasing South Australia to the world."
- More information: www.themurrayriver.com.
