G Adventures names its top destination picks for 2020

Colorful traditional houses with wooden carved balconies in the Old Town of Tbilisi, Georgia

By Alexandra Coulton

G Adventures has tapped 12 unexplored and rediscovered destinations alongside a slew of old favourites in its Where to Travel list for 2020.

The company has analyzed its data and coupled it with emerging travel trends to forecast the hottest spots your clients will want to explore in the year to come.

G Adventures founder, Bruce Poon Tip, said the list not only highlights lesser-known gems, it also includes a number of destinations where tourism can be a force for good for local people.

“In a world that’s becoming increasingly divided, travel can be a vehicle and force for good to unite us as a global community,” Poon Tip said.

“As pioneers of community tourism, our mission is to change people’s lives through travel, going beyond the lives of our travellers to the locals we visit, particularly people who are marginalized. When we return from a transformative travel experience, we can then bring back what we learnt to make a difference in our own communities. That’s what we call the ripple effect.”

The number one destination in 2020, according to G Adventures research, will be Nepal. As the home of Buddha, travellers can experience a mindful trip in a country still healing from the devastating earthquake of 2015. G Adventures has seen a 90 per cent increase in travellers visiting Nepal since 2017 and is offering a new Wellness tour to immerse travellers in the local culture.

Georgia was tipped as the second most popular, with Georgian food and wine currently enjoying a moment of media spotlight. Delicacies like khinkali (soup dumplings) have captured attention along with the country’s winemaking process. There’s been a 44 per cent increase in travellers choosing to visit Georgia, according to G Adventures. Not to mention, its been chosen to host next years UNWTO board meeting, which is sure to give it more time in the sun.

Up next, G Adventures named the gem off the coast of South Africa, Madagascar which has continued to attract travellers with a 33 per cent increase in the past three years. The company will expand to Northern Madagascar in 2020 where travellers can check out Nosy Be, known as ‘lemur island’ which sounds delightful.

Sri Lanka is also expected to reemerge as a hidden gem, after arrivals dropped by 71 per cent following the Easter attacks earlier this year, exposing the pearl of the Indian Ocean to the lowest arrival numbers since the civil war ended a decade ago. With all foreign advisories lifted, its now the perfect time to visit and experience all Sri Lanka has to offer and support its tourism rebound.

The remaining locations on the list were Ireland, Nicaragua, Brazil, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Laos, Japan, South Africa and Greenland.

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2020 predictions bruce poon tip g adventures