The Anti-Atlas Mountains in Morocco, Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan, Disko Island in Greenland and the Adirondacks in New York State are among the destinations featured in Intrepid Travel’s 2025 ‘Not Hot List’.
Launched at a media dinner in Brighton this week, the list shines a light on lesser-known and travelled destinations that offers visitors a deep cultural insight and takes them away from locations already saturated with tourists.
“With the Not Hot List we really want to shine a light on those places that are under-represented or under-appreciated or perhaps just do not get as many visitors as they should for such beautiful destinations,” said Hazel McGuire, the operator’s General Manager UK & Ireland.
“This year we have seen a definite broadening of opinion and a better understanding of some of the challenges of overtourism. It is important we try to disperse those tourist pounds and dollars and the destinations on the list feature communities that really want to welcome international tourists and have built the necessary infrastructure or introduced initiatives to do so.
“The list includes alternative regions in popular countries like Morocco, where the AntiAtlas Mountains are often missed by visitors, and emerging destinations like Pakistan and Greenland, where neighbouring countries have commanded most of the spotlight.
“The Adirondacks mountains in New York are also often overlooked and have a new rail trail opening next summer,” added McGuire.
The full list is Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan; (Qeqertarsuaq) Disko Island, Greenland; Cape York, Australia; Adirondacks, New York; Sainshand, Mongolia; Rupununi Savanna, Guayana; Anti-Atlas Mountains, Morocco; Accra, Ghana; Maldonado, Uruguay; Oslo, Norway.
McGuire said that for the first timer the Not Host List was compiled in association with travel trend agency Globetrender, which provided third-party research, stats, trends and local insight in regions that are seeking to encourage travel in 2025.
“We are the antithesis of massive cruise ship and big-bus touring. Our group size is very small (average of 10 travellers), we only employ local leaders and almost exclusively use locally owned accommodation and suppliers,” said Erica Kritikides, Intrepid’s General Manager of Global Product.
Alongside the list, Intrepid has introduced four -new trips in Greenland, Ghana, Mongolia and Australia.
These are a 10-Day Intrepid Greenland Expedition, a land-based itinerary where travellers will experience Greenlandic culture and traverse the country’s diverse landscapes by foot; a 15-Day Benin, Togo and Ghana Adventure, taking travellers to rarely-visited spots like Teshie Nungua in Ghana where skilled artisans craft elaborate art coffins symbolizing continued passion into the afterlife; an 11-Day Trans-Mongolian Railway Adventure, a train journey stopping at remote villages along the Gobi Desert; and an 11-Day Cape York & Torres Strait Explorer journey to the northernmost tip of Australia, where among the experiences on offer for travellers are eating crayfish toasties with a Torres Strait Islander guide and camping under the stars.
“Developing tourism in concert and consultation with host communities is the best way to combat the negative effects of overtourism,” added Kritikides.
“For example, our Greenland Expedition spotlights modern life above the polar circle. Surrounded by views of icebergs and whales breeching in the distance, travellers will experience the culture and history of local fishing towns, learn the centuries-old tradition of bone carving, and take guided hikes to traditional Inuit settlements,” added.
Prices for the 10-day Greenland adventure start at £5,070pp.
Gilgit-Baltistan is a remote region within Pakistan’s Karakoram Mountain range and home to the densest cluster of peaks over 7,000 metres.
“While Nepal attracts two million hikers annually, Pakistan welcomes fewer than 20,000. With the most extensive glacier range in a single area, it has four distinct climate zones and five ethnic groups. The destination offers more than most well-trodden regions yet remains a secret to even the most adventurous travellers,” said Kritikides.
