Tired of the typical sights or craving a break from the journey herd?
These 5 journey spots could also be the getaway you are wanting for.
Adventure journey firm Intrepid Travel’s new “Not Hot” list is out — spotlighting missed journey spots round the world.
The firm’s annual list makes an attempt to fight overtourism by serving to vacationers “beat the crowds and … encourage them to search out completely different and distinctive experiences round the world in communities that may actually profit from guests,” Matt Berna, president of the Americas at Intrepid Travel, informed CNBC Travel.
The 2024 list calls consideration to two locations 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, vacationers visiting Corsica can “get pleasure from a extra genuine, tranquil, and immersive expertise … with out the overwhelming crowds,” in accordance to a press launch by Intrepid Travel.
But the island’s attract extends past its coastlines. Corsica can also be recognized for its 180 kilometer (112 mile) climbing path — the GR20 — and quite a few historic landmarks, France’s tourism website confirmed. The island is dwelling to six nature reserves, together with the Scandola Nature Reserve — a UNESCO World Heritage Site famend for its crimson volcanic rocks.
Corsica’s “distinctive mix of pure magnificence, cultural richness, and historic significance … units it other than common locations like Positano,” in accordance to Intrepid.
Seoul
Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul are the three most visited Asian cities in 2023, in accordance to market analysis firm Euromonitor International.
Seoul, Korea.
Source: Intrepid Travel
Tokyo welcomed 31.8 million worldwide vacationers in 2019, in accordance to the Japan National Tourism Organization. In the identical yr, 17.5 million worldwide vacationers visited Seoul, Korea, statistics by the Korea Tourism Organization confirmed.
“Tokyo has been a preferred journey vacation spot for a very long time, so its product choices are extra diversified, attracting a bigger spectrum of audiences particularly households and extra mature vacationers,” Nick Lim, Asia CEO of The Travel Corporation, informed CNBC.
Tokyo’s bookings from January to November 2023 rose by 234%. But Seoul’s recognition is rising. This yr, flight bookings to Seoul elevated 191% — double that of 2022, a consultant at Trip.com informed CNBC Travel.
“Younger vacationers could select Seoul over Tokyo as a result of the metropolis gives a mixture of conventional and fashionable tradition,” Lim mentioned. The rise of Korean pop music and dramas have additionally boosted the metropolis’s attraction, he added.
Nonetheless, Seoul and Tokyo stay vastly completely different. Both cities are “culturally wealthy with genuine and distinctive experiences … the alternative between them in the end relies on particular person preferences and pursuits,” Lim mentioned.
Panama
Panama, a Central American nation bordered by Costa Rica and Colombia, is dwelling to one among the world’s most subtle engineering works — the Panama Canal.
The Panama Canal in Panama, Central America.
Gonzalo Azumendi | Stone | Getty Images
The metropolis has five UNESCO World Heritage Sites — two archaeological websites, Panama Viejo and Casco Antiguo, and three nationwide parks, the Coiba, Darien and La Amistad nationwide parks.
Intrepid Travel recommends Panama for those that want to “immerse themselves in native traditions, folklore, and up to date arts … that differs from the extra European-centric cultural panorama,” the press launch said.
Beyond historic websites, seven indigenous communities reside in Panama. Two of which — the territories of Guna and Emberá — are open to vacationers, in accordance to Panama’s official tourism web site.
Kefalonia to Corfu
Greece is thought for its seashores, coastal caves and island hopping.
But away from Santorini and Mykonos, the islands from Kefalonia to Corfu are “a serene haven for vacationers searching for a tranquil escape,” in accordance to Intrepid.
Corfu, Greece.
David C Tomlinson | The Image Bank | Getty Images
Kefalonia and Corfu are two of the largest islands in the Ionian Sea, while 12 others are scattered throughout the west coast of Greece.
The Ionian Islands’ “unspoiled landscapes and pristine seashores … gives a serene haven for vacationers searching for a tranquil escape, not like the extra crowded locations” like Split and Dubrovnik in Croatia, Intrepid Travel’s press launch said.
Borneo
Borneo, an island in Southeast Asia, is split amongst three nations — Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia.
Kalimantan, the Indonesian area of the island, takes up two-thirds of the island, while the Islamic nation 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 vacation spot with its stunning seashores and wealthy cultural heritage, Borneo gives a wholly completely different expertise that’s unmatched in its personal proper,” the press launch said.
Although the islands could also be shut to one another, they’re vastly completely different.
Bali is taken into account a properly established “drop and flop” seaside vacation spot — the place vacationers usually drop their luggage and spend the day at the seaside — however Borneo is targeted on nature and eco-tourism, Lim informed CNBC Travel.
“Borneo is certainly not an alternate to Bali … [but] it has all the things to be an up-and-coming hotspot,” he mentioned.
The island, the largest in Asia, is dwelling to the world’s oldest rainforest and Southeast Asia’s tallest mountain — Mount Kinabalu, journey operator Borneo Eco Tours’ web site confirmed.
Indonesia will even be relocating its capital, Jakarta, to Borneo’s Nusantara by 2045.