Intrepid Travel's chief marketing officer Hazel McGuire introduced the 2026 Not Hot last night in London, describing it as a list of destinations that are not on the tourist map, but that offer huge potential for a better kind of tourism.
She said: “There are a handful of destinations around the world that welcome millions, if not tens of millions of visitors every single year. And yet there are many more that are not on the radar of mainstream tourism at all. The Not Hot list is here to identify destinations which offer opportunities for visitors to give back to the communities, where tourists are actually really welcomed and can add something to the country they are visiting.”
The list includes lesser-known places in popular tourist destinations such as Mexico and Croatia as well as places in countries that don’t benefit from tourism as much as they could, such as Sierra Leone and Kyrgyzstan.
Pulling the list together with collaboration from 32 of Intrepid’s local offices around the world made it “a truly global picture of what’s not hot in 2026”, explained McGuire.
“Mitigating against the effects of overtourism has been in the DNA of Intrepid since day one. We don’t believe that less tourism is the answer, rather that better tourism is the answer. Tourism has huge benefits – economic benefits for small communities, preservation of local culture and funding of conservation projects. The Not Hot list is not just about where to travel but how to travel as well.”
“I’m so proud of this list and we’ve had the opportunity this year to build Intrepid trips around some of these destinations,” she concluded.
Jenny Southan, CEO and founder of Globetrender, explained that both Intrepid Travel and Globetrender submitted destinations for a long list, which was then whittled down to the final list of 10 using stringent criteria and robust methodology.
“We blended numbers with human judgement, industry expertise and media instinct,” she said. “Each place assessed against three key metrics – (1) tourism numbers, which had to be low volume; (2) tourism readiness (we chose places with potential for tourism to contribute positively with consideration of infrastructure, development, community benefit and sustainable growth plans; and (3) 2026 topicality, eg each destination also needed a timely news peg, such as a major event, an airport opening or a cultural milestone.
Southan added: “The Not Hot list isn’t about chasing what’s fashionable, it’s about championing what’s overlooked. It flips the usual must-visit narrative on its head, spotlighting destinations that are undervalued, under-visited and under the radar.”
The 2026 Not Hot List
Tiwai Island, Sierra Leone
In 2024, this West African country welcomed just 61,00 international overnight visitors. At heart of the country’s tourism transformation is Tiwai Island, which became a Unesco World Heritage site in July 2025, and is home to wildlife including rare pygmy hippos. Actor Idris Elba's support of the country's emerging tourism industry also made it one to watch, noted Southan.
Great Basin National Park, USA
One of United States’ least visited national parks, with just 152,000 visitors in 2024. For comparison, Great Smoky Mountains had 12 million. The park is notable for its groves of ancient bristlecone pines, dark night skies and Lehman Caves. It’s 500 km from Las Vegas, and the park has expanded its number of year-round campgrounds this year.
Great Basin National Park © Travel Nevada
Vis, Croatia
An island that poses a much quieter alternative to Hvar and Dubrovnik, where new walking and cycling trails are opening up, for visitors to enjoy the island's unspoiled charm and slower pace.
Southeastern Anatolia, Turkey
Off the beaten track for most tourists, this area is dotted with Unesco World Heritage sites. Major cities like Gaziantep, recognised by Unesco as a Creative City for Gastronomy and famous for its baclava, are deeply invested in attracting more visitors.
Arunachal Pradesh, India
In the northeast of India, this remote mountainous region, home to 26 major tribes, is building a tourism strategy around community-based travel and homestays. This year the region opened an adventure zone at Ma Falls, featuring a zipline, a bungee jump and a giant swing, and in December, the first ever Sunrise Festival will take place, honouring where dawn first breaks on Indian soil.
West Siang in Arunachal Pradesh © Samsul Huda Patgiri
Tien Shan Mountain Range, Kyrgyzstan
Central Asian state bordering China, which became independent after collapse of Soviet Union in 1991. Billed as an undiscovered trekking paradise, those who travel with Intrepid share stories with nomadic families whose way of life has endured for generations.
Sierra Norte, Mexico
The Pueblos Mancomunados, deep in the Sierra Norte mountains of Oaxaca, is an incredible cooperative of eight self-governing Zapatec villages that have been quietly building a blueprint for sustainable travel for more than 30 years.
Ruta de las Flores, El Salvador
Southan highlighted how this country has become a lot safer to visit, with Ruta de las Flores providing a scenic route that connects five rural towns, known for their coffee plantations, waterfalls and food markets.
Oulu, Finland
A 2026 European Capital of Culture is Oulu, lying just below the Arctic Circle in Finland. The forward-thinking coastal city will be attracting visitors with a year-long programme spotlighting Arctic nature, creative innovation and Indigenous heritage.
Via Transilvanica, Romania
In 2026, a new 170km section is being added to this 1,400km walking route that weaves through villages and ancient forests. Dubbed the 'Camino of the East', the trail is helping position Romania as Europe’s next great hiking destination.
