Pristine

Every day, no fewer than 30,000 people crowd in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, enough to fill more than once the Accor Arena Paris-Bercy. This overtourism, which Paris, Barcelona or Amsterdam also know, is no longer tenable. Neither for visitors nor for residents. It is precisely to offer an alternative that the Intrepid Travel agency publishes each year its famous Not Hot List, a ranking of destinations still preserved.

They are chosen according to three precise criteria: a low rate of tourist visitation, infrastructure sufficient to welcome travelers, and their ability to renew themselves, whether through events, projects or recent developments.

Kenya and Georgia at the Top of the List

The ranking drawn up for 2027 was unveiled by Time Out. First stop: Kenya, with Samburu National Reserve. This vast wild space in East Africa still attracts only 30,000 to 40,000 visitors per year, compared with about 300,000 for the Masai Mara reserve. Yet, there too, leopards, cheetahs and elephants roam these lands in peace, far from the crowds. The region even hosts its own trio of local stars, nicknamed the “Samburu Five”.

Among the wildlife are the reticulated giraffe, Grévy’s zebra, the Somali ostrich, the beisa oryx of East Africa, and the Waller’s gazelle, whose long neck you won’t forget.

Ranked second are Georgia and the small mountain town of Mestia, which have nothing to envy from the Alps. This corner currently attracts fewer than 100,000 visitors per year, compared with 120 million for the Alpine massif. New infrastructure and an airport are, in fact, under construction. A sign that Mestia’s discretion may not last forever.

Dili, Alonnisos, the Pekoe Trail…

In Jordan, it is the northern highlands of the country that captivate with their unexpected greenery, in contrast to the desert landscapes typically associated with this destination. Community tourism initiatives, designed to support the locals, are also highly acclaimed.

The list also yields other surprises, such as the small Greek island of Alonnisos, home to monk seals that are sadly endangered, a tucked-away Southeast Asian destination far from the beat of backpackers, Dili (Timor-Leste), or the European Capital of Culture in the making, Liepāja in Latvia. In total, ten emerging destinations make up this edition, from Canada’s Whitehorse to Sweden’s Dalsland region, via Chile’s Carretera Austral and Sri Lanka’s Pekoe Trail. A wealth of leads for an upcoming adventure, to be noted somewhere in the back of one’s mind.