Uninterested in the standard sights or craving a break from the journey herd?
These 5 journey spots could be the getaway you are in search of.
Journey journey firm Intrepid Journey’s new “Not Scorching” listing is out — spotlighting neglected journey spots around the globe.
The corporate’s annual listing makes an attempt to fight overtourism by serving to vacationers “beat the crowds and … encourage them to hunt out completely different and distinctive experiences around the globe in communities that may actually profit from guests,” Matt Berna, president of the Americas at Intrepid Journey, informed CNBC Journey.
The 2024 listing calls consideration to 2 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 Magnificence.”
Corsica, France.
Supply: Intrepid Journey
Not like 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 line with a press launch by Intrepid Journey.
However the island’s attract extends past its coastlines. Corsica can be identified for its 180 kilometer (112 mile) climbing path — the GR20 — and quite a few historic landmarks, France’s tourism web site confirmed. The island is dwelling to six nature reserves, together with the Scandola Nature Reserve — a UNESCO World Heritage Website famend for its pink volcanic rocks.
Corsica’s “distinctive mix of pure magnificence, cultural richness, and historic significance … units it other than widespread locations like Positano,” in line with Intrepid.
Seoul
Tokyo, Singapore and Seoul are the three most visited Asian cities in 2023, in line with market analysis firm Euromonitor Worldwide.
Seoul, Korea.
Supply: Intrepid Journey
Tokyo welcomed 31.8 million worldwide vacationers in 2019, in line with the Japan Nationwide Tourism Group. In the identical yr, 17.5 million worldwide vacationers visited Seoul, Korea, statistics by the Korea Tourism Group confirmed.
“Tokyo has been a preferred journey vacation spot for a very long time, so its product choices are extra assorted, attracting a bigger spectrum of audiences particularly households and extra mature vacationers,” Nick Lim, Asia CEO of The Journey Company, informed CNBC.
Tokyo’s bookings from January to November 2023 rose by 234%. However Seoul’s reputation is rising. This yr, flight bookings to Seoul elevated 191% — double that of 2022, a consultant at Journey.com informed CNBC Journey.
“Youthful vacationers could select Seoul over Tokyo as a result of the town provides a mixture of conventional and fashionable tradition,” Lim mentioned. The rise of Korean pop music and dramas have additionally boosted the town’s enchantment, he added.
Nonetheless, Seoul and Tokyo stay vastly completely different. Each cities are “culturally wealthy with genuine and distinctive experiences … the selection between them finally will depend on particular person preferences and pursuits,” Lim mentioned.
Panama
Panama, a Central American nation bordered by Costa Rica and Colombia, is dwelling to one of many world’s most refined engineering works — the Panama Canal.
The Panama Canal in Panama, Central America.
Gonzalo Azumendi | Stone | Getty Photographs
Town has 5 UNESCO World Heritage Websites — two archaeological websites, Panama Viejo and Casco Antiguo, and three nationwide parks, the Coiba, Darien and La Amistad nationwide parks.
Intrepid Journey recommends Panama for many who want to “immerse themselves in native traditions, folklore, and modern arts … that differs from the extra European-centric cultural panorama,” the press launch said.
Past historic websites, seven indigenous communities reside in Panama. Two of which — the territories of Guna and Emberá — are open to vacationers, in line with Panama’s official tourism web site.
Kefalonia to Corfu
Greece is thought for its seashores, coastal caves and island hopping.
However away from Santorini and Mykonos, the islands from Kefalonia to Corfu are “a serene haven for vacationers looking for a tranquil escape,” in line with Intrepid.
Corfu, Greece.
David C Tomlinson | The Picture Financial institution | Getty Photographs
Kefalonia and Corfu are two of the most important islands within the Ionian Sea, whereas 12 others are scattered throughout the west coast of Greece.
The Ionian Islands’ “unspoiled landscapes and pristine seashores … provides a serene haven for vacationers looking for a tranquil escape, in contrast to the extra crowded locations” like Cut up and Dubrovnik in Croatia, Intrepid Journey’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, whereas 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.
Supply: Intrepid Journey
“Whereas Bali is undoubtedly a surprising vacation spot with its stunning seashores and wealthy cultural heritage, Borneo provides a wholly completely different expertise that’s unmatched in its personal proper,” the press launch said.
Though 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” seashore vacation spot — the place vacationers typically drop their luggage and spend the day on the seashore — however Borneo is targeted on nature and eco-tourism, Lim informed CNBC Journey.
“Borneo is certainly not a substitute for 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 Excursions’ web site confirmed.
Indonesia may also be relocating its capital, Jakarta, to Borneo’s Nusantara by 2045.
