Chief Secretary Sharat Chauhan receiving the accolade from Annie Greenberg of Lonely Planet that listed Puducherry as a top tier destination in London recently.

Puducherry has been ranked second, only behind Toulouse, France, among the top globally trending must-visit destinations for 2025, brought out by the 15th edition of Lonely Planet.

Chief Secretary Sharat Chauhan received the accolade from Annie Greenberg, Executive Creative Director, Lonely Planet at a recent ceremony at the World Travel Mart, London.

The “Best in Travel” bucketlist of 30 global destinations for tourists was chosen on criteria such as topicality, unique experience, the ‘wow factor’, and commitment to sustainability, community, and diversity. Incidentally, Puducherry was the sole entrant from India in this edition.

The travel guide’s synopsis read: “Located on the Bay of Bengal in South India, Puducherry (formerly Pondicherry) has attracted visitors with its Gallic architecture, reflecting its history as a French colony until 1954, as well as its temples and spiritual centres. Now the city is beckoning beachgoers, thanks to an ongoing effort to restore the sandy coastline.”