Each year, Intrepid Travel releases its Not Hot List, spotlighting a short list of lesser-known destinations that are ready to welcome more visitors over the coming year
The old village of Chora in Alonnisos island is on the list(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
While some destinations are creaking under the strain of too many visitors, others are actively hoping more tourists will come.
In recent years, Canary Islanders, Romans, Santorinians and even Laplandic folk have complained that overtourism is changing the way they live their lives, and for the worse. Roads are too busy; accommodation too expensive; neighbourhoods unreconigsable.
There are, however, some places that are actively hoping more people will come.
Each year, Intrepid Travel releases its Not Hot List, spotlighting a short list of 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.
The 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
1. Samburu National Reserve, Kenya
2. Mestia, Georgia
3. Northern Highlands, Jordan
4. Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada
5. Alonnisos, Greece
6. Dili, Timor-Leste
7. Pekoe Trail, Sri Lanka
8. Liepāja, Latvia
9. Carretera Austral, Chile
This year’s list is designed to highlight 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 trails of Patagonia.
The 2027 Not Hot 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.
To coincide with the report, Intrepid has 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 9-day Trek the Trans-Caucasian Trail in Georgia.
Erica Kritikides, general manager of experiences at Intrepid Travel, said: “If we want tourism to continue to be a force for good, we need to constantly rethink how and where we 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.”