Uninterested in the standard sights or craving a break from the travel herd?
These five travel spots will be the getaway you are on the lookout for.
Adventure travel company Intrepid Travel’s recent “Not Hot” list is out — spotlighting neglected travel spots world wide.
The corporate’s annual list attempts to combat overtourism by helping travelers “beat the crowds and … encourage them to hunt down different and unique experiences world wide in communities that may truly profit from visitors,” Matt Berna, president of the Americas at Intrepid Travel, told CNBC Travel.
The 2024 list calls attention to 2 destinations in Asia, two in Europe and one in Central America.
Corsica
Corsica, a mountainous Mediterranean island and territorial collectivity of France, is a self-proclaimed “Island of Beauty.”
Corsica, France.
Source: Intrepid Travel
Unlike Italy’s tourist-saturated Positano, travelers visiting Corsica can “enjoy a more authentic, tranquil, and immersive experience … without the overwhelming crowds,” based on a press release by Intrepid Travel.
However the island’s allure extends beyond its coastlines. Corsica can be known for its 180 kilometer (112 mile) climbing trail — the GR20 — and diverse historic landmarks, France’s tourism website showed. The island is home to six nature reserves, including the Scandola Nature Reserve — a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its red volcanic rocks.
Corsica’s “unique mix of natural beauty, cultural richness, and historical significance … sets it aside from popular destinations like Positano,” based on Intrepid.
Seoul
Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul are the three most visited Asian cities in 2023, based on market research company Euromonitor International.
Seoul, Korea.
Source: Intrepid Travel
Tokyo welcomed 31.8 million international tourists in 2019, based on the Japan National Tourism Organization. In the identical 12 months, 17.5 million international tourists visited Seoul, Korea, statistics by the Korea Tourism Organization showed.
“Tokyo has been a preferred travel destination for a very long time, so its product offerings are more varied, attracting a bigger spectrum of audiences especially families and more mature travelers,” Nick Lim, Asia CEO of The Travel Corporation, told CNBC.
Tokyo’s bookings from January to November 2023 rose by 234%. But Seoul’s popularity is rising. This 12 months, flight bookings to Seoul increased 191% — double that of 2022, a representative at Trip.com told CNBC Travel.
“Younger travelers may select Seoul over Tokyo because town offers a mixture of traditional and modern culture,” Lim said. The rise of Korean pop music and dramas have also boosted town’s appeal, he added.
Nonetheless, Seoul and Tokyo remain vastly different. Each cities are “culturally wealthy with authentic and unique experiences … the alternative between them ultimately relies on individual preferences and interests,” Lim said.
Panama
Panama, a Central American country bordered by Costa Rica and Colombia, is home to certainly one of the world’s most sophisticated engineering works — the Panama Canal.
The Panama Canal in Panama, Central America.
Gonzalo Azumendi | Stone | Getty Images
The town has five UNESCO World Heritage Sites — two archaeological sites, Panama Viejo and Casco Antiguo, and three national parks, the Coiba, Darien and La Amistad national parks.
Intrepid Travel recommends Panama for many who want to “immerse themselves in local traditions, folklore, and contemporary arts … that differs from the more European-centric cultural landscape,” the press release stated.
Beyond historical sites, seven indigenous communities reside in Panama. Two of which — the territories of Guna and Emberá — are open to tourists, based on Panama’s official tourism website.
Kefalonia to Corfu
Greece is thought for its beaches, coastal caves and island hopping.
But away from Santorini and Mykonos, the islands from Kefalonia to Corfu are “a serene haven for travelers looking for a tranquil escape,” based on Intrepid.
Corfu, Greece.
David C Tomlinson | The Image Bank | Getty Images
Kefalonia and Corfu are two of the biggest islands within the Ionian Sea, while 12 others are scattered across the west coast of Greece.
The Ionian Islands’ “unspoiled landscapes and pristine beaches … offers a serene haven for travelers looking for a tranquil escape, unlike the more crowded destinations” like Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia, Intrepid Travel’s press release stated.
Borneo
Borneo, an island in Southeast Asia, is split amongst three countries — Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
Kalimantan, the Indonesian region of the island, takes up two-thirds of the island, while the Islamic country of Brunei lies between two Malaysian states — Sarawak and Sabah.
Borneo, an island in Southeast Asia, has the Malaysian states of Sabah and Sarawak, Indonesian’s Kalimantan and Brunei.
Source: Intrepid Travel
“While Bali is undoubtedly a shocking destination with its beautiful beaches and wealthy cultural heritage, Borneo offers a wholly different experience that’s unmatched in its own right,” the press release stated.
Although the islands could also be close to one another, they’re vastly different.
Bali is taken into account a well established “drop and flop” beach destination — where tourists often drop their bags and spend the day on the beach — but Borneo is targeted on nature and eco-tourism, Lim told CNBC Travel.
“Borneo is unquestionably not a substitute for Bali … [but] it has the whole lot to be an up-and-coming hotspot,” he said.
The island, the largest in Asia, is home to the world’s oldest rainforest and Southeast Asia’s tallest mountain — Mount Kinabalu, travel operator Borneo Eco Tours’ website showed.
Indonesia may also be relocating its capital, Jakarta, to Borneo’s Nusantara by 2045.
