SINGAPORE, 8 November 2020: For adventure enthusiasts planning their next holiday, G Adventures crunched the data and coupled it with the latest travel trends to forecast the 12 hottest spots to visit in 2020.
G Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip says that as well as highlighting lesser-known gems, this year’s list includes destinations where tourism can truly be a force for good for the communities travellers visit.
Top 12 destinations for adventure nuts
NEPAL
Visit Nepal Year 2020 takes off five years after the April 2015 earthquake wreaked havoc on the nation. Nepal aims to attract 2 million visitors during the year. G Adventures has experienced a 90% increase in travellers during 2017, and in 2020 it will offer a new Wellness Nepal tour.
GEORGIA
It’s safe to say Georgian food and wine are both having a moment with the media spotlight highlighting delicacies such as khinkali (soup dumplings) and the country’s traditional winemaking process. G Adventures has witnessed a 44% increase in travellers over the past three years, and Georgia’s profile as an international tourism destination will continue to grow. New budget flight routes through Europe will also help open up this emerging destination.
MADAGASCAR
Located off the coast of southern Africa, Madagascar has continued to attract adventurous travellers with a 33% increase for G Adventures in the past three years. This has led the company to expand into Northern Madagascar for 2020, where travellers can spend time on Nosy Be, known as ‘lemur island’. There’s also a new Planeterra community tourism project – G Adventures non-profit partner – launching, which aids reforestation of the habitat around Ranohira for native species, such as the endangered lemurs.
SRI LANKA
After a meteoric rise to become 2019’s hottest travel destination with its kind people, rich culture and stunning shoreline, Sri Lanka’s tourism was crushed following the Easter attacks last April.
According to the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, arrivals fell 71% in May; the lowest number since the civil war ended a decade ago. With all foreign advisories lifted, now is the perfect time for travellers to return to experience all Sri Lanka has to offer and to support this return, the government is offering a free online visa for travellers from 48 countries.
IRELAND
2020 is a leap year, so where better to visit than the country with its own leap-year tradition of reversing the traditional engagement proposal to having women asking for a hand in marriage.
Additionally, Galway has been named as a European Capital of Culture for 2020.
NICARAGUA
With its beautiful beaches, world-class surf and stunning classic colonial architecture, Nicaragua is back on its feet and ready to welcome tourists following a period of unrest, making this the perfect time to visit. G Adventures returns in November, just in time for the dry season which begins in December. The Nicaraguan Institute of Tourism reports that during 2018 tourist numbers dropped 28% but now calm has returned the friendly locals are hopeful the tourists will follow.
BRAZIL
With a 10% increase in G Adventures travellers in the past year, the first increase in the past few years, Brazil appears to be firmly back on traveller’s hotlists. Rio de Janeiro has been named the World Capital of Architecture for 2020 by UNESCO.
SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES
Travellers who are looking for an instagrammable Caribbean holiday, with few tourists to photobomb their pictures, need to look no further. G Adventures’ new sailing trip cruises the untouched islands of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. Travellers will sail from hidden coves to secluded beaches in a comfortable catamaran, with time to snorkel some of the Caribbean’s best sites and indulge in tasty local Creole cuisine.
LAOS – Often overlooked on a Southeast Asia adventure, travellers on a G Adventures trip will explore this small land-locked country starting with a boat voyage, sailing the Mekong River. According to the Ministry of Tourism, traveller numbers to Laos for the first half of 2019 have increased 5% compared to the same time last year, and to encourage more tourism, as of June 2019, international visitors to Laos are eligible to apply online for a single entry visa for a maximum stay of 30 days.
JAPAN
Appearing for a second year, Japan is on a roll. Hot on the heels of hosting the Rugby World Cup this year and an iconic visit from the Fab Five, 2020 has them keeping busy hosting the Summer Olympics. G Adventures travellers to the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ have been steadily increasing with an additional 23% growth in the past year.
SOUTH AFRICA
It’ll be 30 years next year since Nelson Mandela was released from prison, and G Adventures has been experiencing double-digit growth in South Africa for the past few years. Their recent 2019 Rugby World Cup win is sure to bring fresh tourism interest as well. As a result of increased footfall, and the opportunity to change more lives through travel, a new Planeterra project has been launched to help educate travellers about the Indigenous San culture.
GREENLAND
Greenland hit the headlines earlier this year with search results doubling after President Trump claimed he wanted to buy it. See what attracted him to this pristine piece of the world aboard the G Expedition ship, as it traverses Greenland’s coast.
Founded in 1990 by social entrepreneur Bruce Poon Tip, G Adventures is a small group adventure travel operator offering more than 700 tours in 100 countries, on all seven continents. It has its Asia-Pacific office in Melbourne, Australia, and offices worldwide in 28 countries.
