Intrepid Travel has released its annual Not Hot List, spotlighting 10 lesser-known destinations that are ready to welcome more visitors in 2027.
Developed using insights from Intrepid’s extensive global network of local leaders and destination experts, the list shines a light on under-the-radar alternatives and less-visited regions where travellers’ presence can have an outsized positive impact.
To further promote visitation and destination development, Intrepid has also launched five new trips to several of the featured regions.
These include the new 10-day ‘Kenya Safari Adventure’, the 16-day ‘Wild Canada & Alaska’, the 10-day ‘Hike Sri Lanka’s Pekoe Trail’, the 12-day ‘Jordan Uncovered’ and the new nine-day ‘Trek the Trans-Caucasian Trail’ in Georgia.
Alonnisos, Greece. Picture courtesy Municipality of Alonnisos
The 10 destinations on the Not Hot List are selected based on three key criteria:
(1) Being less-visited, with fewer visitors than comparable places
(2) Demonstrating tourism readiness, with infrastructure and capacity to support more tourists
(3) New initiatives, improved connectivity, major events, launches or infrastructure developments that give travellers a compelling reason to visit in 2027.
The 2027 Not Hot List includes:
- Samburu National Reserve, Kenya
- Mestia, Georgia
- Northern Highlands, Jordan
- Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
- Alonnisos, Greece
- Dili, Timor-Leste
- Pekoe Trail, Sri Lanka
- Liepāja, Latvia
- Carretera Austral, Chile
- Dalsland, Sweden.
This year’s list showcases destinations that offer compelling alternatives to some of travel’s most popular experiences.
Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve, for example, represents a nationwide effort to combat overtourism in some of East Africa’s busiest national parks, while Chile’s Carretera Austral provides an alternative to some of the well-trodden routes of Patagonia.
The list also highlights countries like Timor-Leste, Latvia and Georgia, which receive fewer international visitors than their regional counterparts, as well as lesser-known regions of Jordan and Sri Lanka.
Mestia, Georgia. Picture courtesy Intrepid Travel
“If we want tourism to continue to be a force for good, we need to constantly rethink how and where we travel,” said Erica Kritikides, General Manager Experiences at Intrepid Travel.
“The Not Hot List isn’t just about surfacing lesser-known places, it aims to shift the conversation and help travellers to discover new destinations where their visit can make a meaningful contribution to local communities and economies.”
The 2027 Not Hot List was informed by expert local insights from Intrepid’s destination and operations experts across 35 countries, as well as input from tourism boards, local guides and travel trend agency Globetrender.
Main image: Samburu National Reserve, Kenya. Courtesy Intrepid Travel
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