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Northern Ireland Is the New Croatia

Everybody's always trying to tell us what the next must-see destination is. If enough people say the same thing long and loud enough, then their prediction comes true. Let's see how Northern Ireland fares in 2007, since renowned travel guide publisher Lonely Planet put it on the "what's hot" list in its latest Blue List.

More famous for fighting than fun, Northern Ireland's got itself all sorted out, with tourist numbers already increasing five-fold since the IRA ceasefire of '94. Lonely Planet reckons that it's:

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.

Whether or not bad Irish jokes are as popular there as elsewhere remains to be seen. You can always try a couple out on the locals and see if their good spirits remain.

[Photo: randubnick]

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