Georgia has been voted one of the top 30 emerging travel destinations on the planet for 2020. The annual awards honoring trending destinations were published Tuesday morning on the site TravelLemming.com, which promotes emerging destinations around the world as a solution to over-tourism. 

Georgia was nominated for the award by the Georgian National Tourism Administration. Winners were selected after voting by 30 of the most popular travel bloggers in the industry, who collectively sport more than 12 million followers on social media.

In describing why Georgia was selected, the article reads: "Possibly the world's greatest hidden travel gem, Georgia packs a shocking amount to do inside a compact country. The stunning Caucasus mountains give the Alps a run for their money, Tbilisi's bohemian Old Town makes Prague's seem positively pedestrian, and Georgia's wine scene is having a moment of global recognition (about time too, as wine was invented here).  Plus, Georgia is an extraordinarily affordable destination - where else can you enjoy a European-style vacation on a South East Asian vacation budget?"

"Georgia has SO much to offer - one of the funkiest capital cities around, gorgeous mountain scenery, and truly outstanding food and wine. All that and it's fantastic value for money. I fully expect Georgia to be one of the world's hottest destinations within a few years," said Kate McCulley, one of the judges and the travel blogger behind Adventurous Kate. 

"The most stunning landscape I've ever seen (think Switzerland but more rugged), combined with incredible people, a super low cost of travel and ubiquitous khachapuri make Georgia my favorite country in the world," added judge Travis Sherry, host of the travel podcast Extra Pack of Peanuts.

The site also invites readers to cast votes for their favorite destination, with winners on each continent being crowned with the annual "Readers' Choice" Award.

Travel Lemming is a travel blog founded by Nate Hake, an American who has been traveling the world full-time since 2016. The site's mission is to help highlight emerging and underappreciated destinations as a way to fight over-tourism.