Intrepid Travel has released a ‘Not Hot List’ which aims to tackle overtourism and support the operator’s responsible tourism policy.
The list features destinations as diverse as Greenland, Moldova, Sudan and Nicaragua, and all can be visited on Intrepid itineraries.
James Thornton (pictured), Intrepid Group’s chief executive, said: “The global tourism industry is changing, and travellers are becoming increasingly conscious about their actions especially with protests such as the Extinction Rebellion shining a light on environmental issues.
“The general public’s awareness has shifted and there is a desire from tourists to ensure they are benefiting the communities they visit and local people they meet, while respecting their cultures, economy and the environment too.
“The Not Hot List aims to meet this growing demand and promote lesser-known destinations that are just as worthy of travellers’ time.”
The list includes Moldova – sandwiched between Romania and Ukraine – which only sees about 12,000 visitors a year.
Dakhla in Morocco was largely inaccessible until a couple of years ago but offers traditional Bedouin hospitality and ‘epic’ scenery. Elsewhere in Africa, Intrepid tips Senegal and Sudan.
Greenland saw a spike in interest earlier this year after Donald Trump expressed an interest in buying the island.
The Haida Gwaii Islands – Canada’s most remote region – is an isolated archipelago, named the ‘Galapagos of the North’. It offers hiking, surfing, fishing and birdwatching.
In Asia, destinations on the list include northeast Cambodia, Sulawesi in Indonesia, and Tajikistan.
Finally, Nicaragua is back on the map as the Foreign Office has relaxed its guidelines, enabling travellers to return to the ‘land of lakes and volcanoes’.