Rwanda has been voted one of the top 30 emerging travel destinations on the planet for 2020, and number one overall on the continent of Africa. The annual awards honoring trending destinations were published this week on the site TravelLemming.com, which promotes emerging destinations around the world as a solution to over tourism.
The article with the full list of winners can be found here.
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.
Belise Kariza, Chief Tourism Officer of the Rwanda Development Board responded to the news by saying:
“We are honoured to receive this award and be among the top countries to be visited in 2020 as rated by the world’s leading travel bloggers. Visit Rwanda shares this award with the community members, conservationists, tourism operators and hoteliers who contribute every day to making Rwanda a special place to visit. If you haven’t visited Rwanda yet, we welcome you to experience the country’s natural beauty, culture and wildlife. Rwanda is truly one of the world’s most remarkable luxury ecotourism destinations.”
In describing why Rwanda was selected, the article states: “[W]ith the World Economic Forum recently naming it the safest country in Africa and RwandAir slated to open direct flights from JFK to Kigali, 2020 is the best year yet to travel to Rwanda.”
“This East African pearl is changing the African travel narrative in so many ways. It will be exciting to visit Kigali to see its amazing transformation and to see the conservation efforts at its national parks,” said Amarachi Ekekwe, one of the judges and the travel blogger behind Travel with a Pen.
“Rwanda is at the top of my list to visit in Africa to experience its cultural mix and beautiful natural surrounds. While most people go to see the gorillas there are lots of other cultural heritage sites and experiences to be had,” added Amanda Mouttaki, another judge and the travel blogger behind Maroc Mama.
The site is also inviting 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.