TOURINFO-Australian Canberra city 100-year-old newspaper The Canberra Times, in an article published on December 30, 2019, referred to some of the 2020 hotspots to travel. Armenia and Georgia are among those hotspots.
Bernadette Chua, author of the article, stated that over-tourism and the value of Australian Dollars are driving new destinations. She picked some of the 2020 hotspots. 
The Caucasus region is fast becoming a popular destination for travelers looking for something different. Countries such as Georgia, and Armenia, wedged between Turkey, Iran, and Russia, with the Black and Caspian seas on either side, are all rich in history and culture. These destinations are relatively unexplored by tourists, and there are few signs of Western brands or commercialism.
Armenia is popularly associated with Armenian-American reality-TV family the Kardashians and pop superstar Cher. However, the mountainous country is defined by its religious sights, including the World Heritage-listed Temple of Zvartnots and the fourth-century Etchmiadzin Cathedral, one of the most ancient examples of Christian architecture anywhere in the world.
The capital of Armenia, Yerevan, is on the Hrazdan River and serves as the country’s administrative, cultural and industrial center. It is the world’s oldest inhabited city – in fact, 29 years older than Rome. However, through invasions, Communism and Soviet rule, many of the city’s original sites have diminished.
These days, the cosmopolitan city is a mix of European-like buildings – you could think you are in Vienna when you stand in Yerevan’s Republic Square. The city has over 50 museums, many of which have free admission. To learn about one of the darkest times in Armenian history, the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute gives detailed accounts of the more than one million people that were killed by Ottoman Turks during World War One.
In Georgia’s capital city, Tbilisi, chains such as the Marriott, Sheraton, and Radisson have only recently opened hotels. The city’s architecture reflects Georgia’s scarred history under Persian and then Russian rule. As visitors walk the cobblestoned streets, they see a mix of
Eastern Orthodox churches, art nouveau buildings, and Soviet Modernist structures.
Food is hardwired in the Georgian culture and service and hospitality are impeccable in Tbilisi. Stalls at the Deserters’ Market are piled high with barberries, tomatoes and all kinds of pickles. In addition, you will find cuts of meat right next to fresh fruits and vegetables, as all the stallholders vie for space.
