Goa among top 10 holiday destinations

London, Jan 11: Goa with its sun, sand and sylvan surroundings is one of the world's top 10 "must see" places for 2006 in a list compiled by Frommer's Guide - a leading travel publisher.

The Frommer's list of 10 is said to include 'interesting, affordable destinations' and is aimed at travellers looking for a different holiday experience. Glasgow is the only European city in the list of the world's top 10 holiday destinations for this year. The list includes Amador County, scene of the Californian Gold Rush, and the Brazilian city of Belem, on the banks of the river Amazon in the rainforest. The Hawaiian island of Molokai and Kenya's wildlife reserves have also found place in the top 10 list. Goa has long been a favoured holiday destination of people in the West, starting from the hippie generation of the 1970s. Last month it was the most favoured destination of thousands of British tourists during the Christmas-New Year holidays. According to a survey by thetminute.com website, in December Goa had overtaken America as the top long-haul Christmas holiday destination. It jumped from third to first spot in 2005. Said John Bevan, flights director at lastminute.com: "Trips to India have outsold the (United) States this Christmas, which we believe is indicative of the country's booming tourism. "It's no longer just the preserve of backpackers, India is now a mainstream holidays choice." The guide also described Glasgow as "more cosmopolitan and modern" than Edinburgh and with a more "happening" nightlife. It praised the city's "radiant" Victorian architecture, public parks and art galleries and described the Burrell Art Collection in Pollok Park as a "must see" attraction. The top 10 destinations, according to Frommer's, are: Amador County, California. Belem, Brazil Charleston, South Carolina. Glasgow, Scotland. Charleston, South Carolina. Goa, India. Kenya game parks. Margarita, Venezuela. Molokai, Hawaii. Ramah, New Mexico. Tasmania, Australia.