Laurel Highlands lands on Travel Lemming's Top 5 list

What do the Laurel Highlands; Lausanne, Switzerland; Prince Edward Island, Canada; McLaren Vale, South Australia; and Nova Scotia, Canada, have in common?

They are the five winners of the travel site TravelLemming.com’s annual Reader Awards, following an online competition among 30 emerging travel destinations on the site’s annual list of emerging travel destinations.

Founder Nate Hake established the travel blog to promote emerging destinations around the world as a solution to over-tourism, according to a release.

More than 3,000 readers weighing in on places people should visit put the Laurel Highlands in the number 3 position on the top 5.

We are excited to announce that PA's Laurel Highlands took home 3rd place in the 2020 @travellemming Readers' Choice Awards!

Thank you so much for your votes and support, and letting everyone know that we're the place to visit in 2020.

See the full list: https://t.co/VCs81miVIQ

— Laurel Highlands (@laurelhighlands) December 17, 2019

The Pennsylvania Tourism Office/Visit PA nominated the Laurel Highlands.

“The Laurel Highlands has always been a beloved destination in Pennsylvania, and we’re thrilled to know travelers are taking notice and have selected the region for the 2020 Travel Lemming Readers’ Choice Awards,” says Carrie Fischer Lepore, deputy secretary, marketing, tourism and film, state Department of Community and Economic Development.

“I cannot think of a better way to begin a new decade in tourism promotion for our region than to have the Laurel Highlands as the only U.S. destination on such a distinguished list,” adds Ann Nemanic, Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau executive director.

Travel Lemming refers to the Laurel Highlands as an “enchanted woodland retreat” and suggests the region for a “relaxing East Coast getaway.”