Namibia has been voted one of the top 30 emerging travel destinations on the planet for 2020. The annual awards honouring trending destinations were published last week on the TravelLemming.com website, which promotes emerging destinations around the world as a solution to over-tourism.  

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 Namibia was selected, the article reads: “If you’re looking to get away from the crowds in 2020 and experience nature as you’ve never seen, then put Namibia at the top of your list of where to travel. You’ll be mesmerized by the million-year-old Sossusvlei dunes, an otherworldly landscape, unlike anything you’ve ever seen.” 

The article continued: “You’ll fall in love with Fish River Canyon, a trench so deep and impressive that it draws comparisons to its more famous American cousin. Thrill-seekers will love skydiving across the unique landscapes near Swakopmund. Oh, and you will have plenty of opportunities to enjoy a traditional African safari - but without the throngs of safari, vans crowding your way. Raw, real and ready for tourists, Namibia is the future of adventure tourism.”

“The massive dunes of Sossusvlei in the Namib Naukluft National Park attract visitors from around the world, but we were mesmerized by the Fish River Canyon. The 550 m (1804 feet) deep canyon is the largest in Africa. The capital city of Windhoek was a lovely break from our bicycle ride through the Kalahari Desert,” said Deb & Dave, one of the judges and the travel blogger behind The Planet D. 

The site is also inviting readers to cast votes for their favourite 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.