Kenya, Georgia & Jordan Top Intrepid Travel's 2027 'Not Hot List' of Lesser-Known Destinations
Intrepid Travel has released its annual Not Hot List, spotlighting ten 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 9-day Trek the Trans-Caucasian Trail in Georgia.
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; and (3) new initiatives, improved connectivity, major events, launches or infrastructure developments that give travellers a compelling reason to visit in 2027.
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 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.
Erica Kritikides, General Manager of Experiences at Intrepid Travel commented: "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.”
Since the Not Hot List was first introduced in 2018, it has become a strong indicator of up-and-coming destinations. Pakistan’s Gilgit-Baltistan and Kyrgyzstan’s Tien Shen Mountain Range, which both featured on previous lists, were later recognised in The New York Times ’52 Places to Go’ list for 2025 and 2026 respectively. Intrepid also saw strong booking growth following the destinations’ inclusion, with travel to Pakistan increasing 67% year-on-year, while bookings for Kyrgyzstan grew by 62%.
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.
The 2027 Not Hot List includes:
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
10. Dalsland, Sweden
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