The Suffolk Gazette was officially “confused” today after the popular website TripAdvisor claimed Ipswich is a top 25 worldwide emerging destination.
It’s normally this newspaper’s duty to write satirical or spoof news about Suffolk’s county town.
But now TripAdvisor’s Top 25 Emerging Destinations in the World list has named Ipswich as the only UK inclusion, leaving us and many townsfolk scratching our heads.
With mounting crime, anti-social behaviour, shop closures and a football team that is heading to oblivion, Ipswich was a surprise entry on TripAdvisor’s list, which is being reported gleefully all over the media today.
Travel expert Lorraine Fisher, 34, said: “I’ve been to Ipswich. It’s a surprise to see it named alongside exotic locations in the likes of the Caribbean, Australia, Japan and Brazil.”
TripAdvisor insists the worldwide list is based on positive visitor reviews, claiming the town is popular for its “historical charm” and “ever-growing list of theatres and dance houses”.
Local man Steve Walshe said: “I don’t even know what a dance house is.
“I invite TripAdvisor reps to spend a few days wandering around the town centre to see what it’s really like.”
A Suffolk Gazette spokesperson said: “We advise TripAdvisor to leave the Ipswich jokes to us.”
Top 25 emerging destinations
- Kaliningrad, Russia
- Saranda, Albania
- Beirut, Lebanon
- Luxor, Egypt
- Naoussa, Greece
- Rugen Island, Germany
- Phu Quoc Island, Vietnam
- Monopoli, Italy
- La Paz, Mexico
- Curaçao, Caribbean
- Ile d’Oleron, France
- Guayaquil, Ecuador
- Tulsa, United States
- Ipswich, United Kingdom
- Franschhoek, South Africa
- Tangier, Morocco
- Takamatsu, Japan
- Cala d’Or, Spain
- Petropolis, Brazil
- Antwerp, Belgium
- Mirissa, Sri Lanka
- Alvor, Portugal
- Winnipeg, Canada
- Darwin, Australia
- Agra, India
