Tiwai Island in Sierra Leone Poised for Tourism Boom in 2026

Intrepid Travel's annual "Not Hot List" has revealed the top 10 destinations poised for tourism growth in 2026. The list, developed in collaboration with travel trend forecasting agency Globetrender, aims to highlight remarkable places that have been overlooked by mainstream travelers.

Topping the list is Sierra Leone's Tiwai Island, which was newly awarded UNESCO World Heritage status in 2025. Sierra Leone launched its first-ever 10-year tourism strategy in 2024, and direct flights from London have now made the island more accessible. Intrepid says Tiwai's dense jungle, rare flora and fauna, and boat cruises along the Moa River present an opportunity to "leverage tourism to diversify the economy" in the country.

Intrepid also highlighted lesser-visited destinations in Mexico's Sierra Norte and Turkey's Southeastern Anatolia as alternatives to all-inclusive resorts and urban centers. Other emerging destinations on the list include the Tien Shan Mountain Range in Kyrgyzstan and India's easternmost state, Arunachal Pradesh. The former Yugoslav military base of Vis Island in Croatia and Romania's 1,400km long-distance walking trail, Via Transilvanica, also made the top 10.