Intrepid Travel has dropped its 2027 Not Hot List, an annual hit list of places that are still flying under the radar, but probably won’t stay there forever. This year’s ten picks were chosen for being less visited than comparable destinations, ready to handle more travellers and worth a look thanks to new routes, infrastructure, events or tourism projects.
The roll call stretches from Samburu National Reserve in Kenya to Dalsland in Sweden, with Mestia in Georgia, Jordan’s Northern Highlands, Whitehorse in Canada’s Yukon, Alonnisos in Greece, Dili in Timor-Leste, Sri Lanka’s Pekoe Trail, Liepāja in Latvia and Chile’s Carretera Austral making up the rest.
There’s some strategy behind the wanderlust. Samburu offers a way to spread safari traffic beyond Kenya’s busiest parks, while the Carretera Austral gives road-trippers a quieter crack at Patagonia. Alonnisos is leaning into low-impact island tourism and marine conservation; meanwhile, Sri Lanka’s Pekoe Trail sends walkers through tea country while much of the country’s tourism remains concentrated along the coast.
The list was shaped by Intrepid’s destination and operations experts across 35 countries, alongside tourism boards, local guides and trend agency Globetrender.
Intrepid has also launched five new trips connected to featured destinations, including itineraries in Kenya, Georgia, Jordan, Canada and Sri Lanka.
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Previous Not Hot alumni suggest the list has form. Intrepid says bookings to Pakistan jumped 67% year-on-year after Gilgit-Baltistan featured, while Kyrgyzstan grew 62%.
So, where should you go in 2027? Apparently, somewhere your group chat hasn’t already ruined.
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