Canadian World Traveller Winter 2018-19 Issue

20
The Intrepid 2019 Not Hot Travel List: Asia Edition
Over-tourism in Asia has become a
major issue, leading to closures of
popular tourist sites, such as the
recently-announced indefinite closure of
Maya Bay beach by the government of
Thailand. Additionally, in the Philippines,
Boracay was sensationally shut down for six
months due to unsustainable tourism practices.
To combat this issue, small group
adventure tour operator Intrepid Travel has
put together its annual ‘Not Hot List’, focusing
on alternatives to travellers’ favorite
Asian destinations by uncovering lesserknown
and more sustainable destinations
for people to visit in 2019.
Intrepid Travel’s Regional Director for
North America, Darshika Jones, said the
second ‘Not Hot List’ was developed in
response to concerns about over-tourism,
with a focus on less-frequently visited destinations
to support the adventure travel
company’s ongoing commitment to
responsible tourism.
“Recently, we’ve seen a number of Asian
countries take a proactive approach to
combat over-tourism. North Americans are
increasingly concerned with over-tourism
and this is about encouraging them to step
away from the familiar to approach this
continent in the most ‘intrepid’ way possible.
Tourism can be a potent force for
good, and we believe the broader the travel
experience, the better. As North
Americans’ interest in traveling to Asia continues
to grow, the more dispersal to lesserknown
regions, the better,” said Jones.
The Intrepid Travel List
The Similan Islands are the new Maya Bay
With Maya Bay no longer a travel option as
of Summer 2018, travellers can still enjoy
the warm blue-green Andaman Sea, blind-