Our annual Not Hot List spotlights 10 lesser-known places that are ready to welcome more travellers in 2026. With a mix of emerging destinations like Sierra Leone and Kyrgyzstan, and little-known regions in Mexico, Croatia and more, you’ll be inspired to take the road less travelled, uncover unique experiences and go where your presence can have a positive impact. 

A view over Dirang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, India, as the sun rises over buildings on a hilltop.

Download the 2026 Not Hot List

Factoring visitor numbers, tourism readiness and cultural milestones, this list is our call to action to curious travellers – to push the boundaries, explore new places and connect with new cultures.
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A person stands rowing on a boat along the Moa River in Sierra Leone

1. Tiwai Island

1. Tiwai Island

Sierra Leone
A recently launched 10-year tourism strategy marked a bold plan to attract international travellers and recast the country as a leader in ecotourism.
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Aerial shot of a tiny island filled with green trees on a hazy day in Sierra Leone.
Two travellers walk on a dirt path in the rainforest in Sierra Leone with towering green trees.
At the heart of this transformation is Tiwai Island. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2025, it’s renowned for its diverse populations of animals and part of the Gola Forest National Park.
An orangey-pink-hazy sunset over Tiwai island in Sierra Leone over the ocean and palm trees.
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A man smiles and holds out fresh nuts from his stall at the market
Smoke rises from a yurt set up on a field in front of the Tien Shan Mountain Range in Kyrgyzstan
Travellers stand looking at rock formations at Tash Rabat
Kyrgyzstan yurts
A man smiles and holds out fresh nuts from his stall at the market
Smoke rises from a yurt set up on a field in front of the Tien Shan Mountain Range in Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan

2. Tien Shan Mountain Range

Long traversed by nomads, yet little-known by outsiders, this trekking paradise is finding its rightful place on the radar of adventure-seekers around the world.
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3. Sierra Norte

Mexico
Deep in the Sierra Norte mountains of Oaxaca lies one of the most compelling examples of Indigenous-led tourism in the world: the Pueblos Mancomunados.
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A photo from the top of the Sierra Norte range in Mexico, looking back over a green valley.
A local at Tepache village holds out a bowl to travellers.
This cooperative of eight self-governing Zapotec villages operates under a community-led model that shares profits equally and limits visitor numbers.
Three people pose and smile with arms out on the Sierra Norte Latuvi hike in Mexico
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People swimming in bay with clear blue water, Croatia
A few people are spread out along the ocean on a beachfront on Vis Island in Croatia.
Solo traveller looking out over Dubrovnik water
Croatia Dubrovnik Beach
People swimming in bay with clear blue water, Croatia
A few people are spread out along the ocean on a beachfront on Vis Island in Croatia.
Croatia

4. Vis Island

As Croatia steers visitors away from overcrowded destinations, Vis Island is emerging as serene refuge ready to welcome more travellers.
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Turkey

5. Southeastern Anatolia

Driven by a national push to showcase the region’s cultural and culinary heritage, Southeastern Anatolia is poised for a tourism revival.
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A photo of Istanbul from a rooftop.
A view from the water of Balikligol Lake in Sanliurfa, Turkey
No secret to locals, but still off the beaten path for most foreign visitors, the area is dotted with UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and cities like Sanliurfa and Gaziantep are deeply invested in attracting more visitors.
Two travellers sit on a gulet sailing in Turkey.
A view of the harbour in Antalya.
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A view over Dirang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, India, as the sun rises over buildings on a hilltop.
A view over Dirang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, India, as the sun rises over buildings on a hilltop.
A view over Dirang Valley in Arunachal Pradesh, India, as the sun rises over buildings on a hilltop.
India

6. Arunachal Pradesh

Despite towering Himalayan peaks, ancient monasteries and diverse tribal cultures, Arunachal Pradesh’s remoteness and strict permit rules have long kept it in the shadows of India’s northeast.
Colourful buildings in a village in Romania with trees losing leaves and a church in the back.

7. Via Transilvanica

7. Via Transilvanica

Romania
Dubbed the ‘Camino of the East’, and with 170 km of new paths opening in 2026, Romania’s Via Transilvanica walking trail is helping position the country as Europe’s next great walking destination.
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Two hikers walk along a tree-lined section of Romania's Via Transilvanica trail on a sunny morning.
A photo of the sun rising on a castle Terra Saxonum, a stop along Romania's Via Transilvanica.
Weaving through villages, ancient forests and 12 UNESCO World Heritage sites, it's been intentionally designed to share the economic benefits of tourism more widely.
A bird's-eye view of a street in Transylvania, with old buildings and lots of people walking.
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Sunset along the coastline with waves crashing and a pink sky in El Salvador near El Zonter
A photo from the Ruta de las Flores highlands in El Salvador.
Sunset along the coastline with waves crashing and a pink sky in El Salvador near El Zonter
A photo from the Ruta de las Flores highlands in El Salvador.
El Salvador

8. Ruta de las Flores

El Salvador is gaining attention as one of the world’s fastest growing travel destinations with government-backed initiatives helping to drive tourism growth.
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Finland

9. Oulu

Perched on the delta of the Oulujoki River and surrounded by untamed wilderness, Oulu’s a dynamic, forward-thinking coastal city just below the Arctic Circle in Finland.
Aerial view of blue lakes and green forests on a sunny summer day in rural Finland
A bird's eye view of a coastline in Oulu, Finland during sunrise in autumn.
And as the newly dubbed ‘European Capital of Culture 2026’, it’s attracting visitors through a bold cultural program that fuses climate science with creative expression.
An older woman in snow gear and goggles getting ready to dog sled in Finland.
Colorful polar arctic Northern lights Aurora Borealis activity in winter Finland, Lapland

A view from a lake in Great Basin National Park, looking up at a mountain and a clear blue sky.
A view from a lake in Great Basin National Park, looking up at a mountain and a clear blue sky.
A view from a lake in Great Basin National Park, looking up at a mountain and a clear blue sky.
United States

10. Great Basin National Park

Home to some of the darkest skies in America, Great Basin National Park offers a rare kind of national park experience that’s still largely untouched by mass tourism.