Georgia among best places to travel in 2016

Georgia has been named one of the best travel destinations in 2016 by New York-based travel magazine Travel + Leisure that enjoys almost five million readers.

The magazine offered its readers a list of 50 places that suited all budgets and holiday options, whether it be a weekend away close to home, a far-flung bucket list trip or even a multi-stop tour.

"Consider the 50 incredible destinations on this list a road map for your planning and inspiration in 2016,” the magazine said.

Georgia was named 44th in the list.

"The origins of wine can be traced back to this region, which straddles the border between Europe and Asia,” said the magazine in its review of Georgia.

"Oenophiles have long flocked to Kakheti, the top winemaking region, for vineyard tours and exceptional tastings. But the buzz is building about Georgia and the country is about to get an influx of visitors interested in more than just wine.”

The magazine said "concerns about safety” in Ukraine had led many leading cruise lines, including Regent Seven Seas and Oceania, to spend more time in Georgia’s laid-back Black Sea coastal city, Batumi, which is home to one of the world’s largest botanical gardens.

The publication also mentioned that major hotel brands were breaking ground in Georgia too: a Radisson Blu was opening in Kakheti’s Tsinandali village and Le Méridien had plans to open in a few years.

"Go now to be one of the first to experience breathtaking views of the Caucasus Mountains, the varied Persian, Soviet, and Art Nouveau architecture in the capital, Tbilisi, and - of course - the world-famous wine,” it said.

Other destinations from the list included Panama, Mexico, Chile, France, Iran, Hawaii, China, Portugal, India and Australia.