Intrepid Travel has released its top 10 under-the-radar destinations for 2026, with Sierra Leone’s Tiwai Island taking the top spot.
The company’s Not Hot List showcases areas with lower visitor numbers, infrastructure readiness for increased tourism, and new events due in 2026.
The 2026 list emphasises ecotourism, with Kyrgyzstan’s Tien Shan and Mexico’s Sierra Norte mountain ranges placing second and third.
“Our annual Not Hot List seeks to inspire travellers to discover different and unique experiences, with communities that can truly benefit from more visitors,” said Intrepid Travel’s general manager of Global Experiences, Erica Kritikides.
“The places on this list combine authenticity with ambition: where tourism strategies, infrastructure investments and community-led initiatives are laying the foundations for sustainable growth.”
Wildlife sanctuary Tiwai Island was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July, and direct flights from London to Sierra Leone began earlier in the year. The country reported just 60,890 overnight foreign visitors in 2024, with its government also launching a decade-long plan to attract tourism that year.
The list also includes Croatia’s Vis Island, Turkey’s Southeastern Anatolia region, and India’s mountainous Arunachal Pradesh state.
Europe and North America hosted the most destinations on the list, at three each.
The global ecotourism market was valued at US$260.76 billion last year, rebounding above its pre-Covid value in 2023. It is projected to grow to $814.40 billion by 2032, according to Fortune Business Insights.
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