Popular American publication Thrillist named Georgia among the 20 best tourist destinations of the world for Americans for 2019.

The article reads that new tourism initiatives complement warm, Old World hospitality in Georgia.

“You might have to squint to find Georgia on a map, but don’t be fooled by its tiny geographical footprint. Everything here is dazzlingly over-the-top, from the epically cheesy khachapuri to the whirlwind folk dances to the Alps-shaming Caucasus mountains that tower over the landscape,” it reads.

The author says that a spate of geopolitical conflicts in the "90s and naughts scuppered the country’s once-thriving tourism industry, but in the last decade, Georgia has redefined itself, cracking down on crime, paving roads, building new airports, and promoting itself abroad. The most dangerous thing in Georgia these days? Chacha, the zillion-proof moonshine that locals will foist on you in the outdoor markets,” the American publication says.

The artcle also mentions that for the hiking  there’s a new Transcaucasian Trail that winds through some of the highest settlements in Europe.

“And stay for the food, an East-meets-West smorgasbord of slurpable soup dumplings, herb-centric salads, and walnut-thickened stews. Wherever you are in Georgia, expect Old World hospitality at every turn - and a steady stream of wine, a beverage that Georgians’ Stone Age ancestors arguably invented. And don’t forget to pile into a 4x4 and zoom up to , a mossy candlelit chapel that was built above the cloudline in the 14th century. It sits in the shadow of Mount Kazbek, Europe’s fifth-highest peak and the mountain to which Prometheus is said to have been chained after stealing fire from the gods,” the publication reads.

The American publication also recommends holiday-makers travel to Romania, Poland, Montenegro, South Africa, Nepal, Finland, Jordan and others.

By Thea Morrison

Photo by Thrillist

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