This Is the Ultimate Tool for Finding Off-the-Beaten-Path Travel Destinations

27.11.2024 - 13:33 / cntraveler.com / Natalia Bayona

Off-the-beaten-path travel destinations are set to be a major trend in 2025—and it's no surprise, considering the overtourism of popular destinations in Europe this summer and the record-shattering holiday travel season.

While cities like Paris and Barcelona will always have their draw, "there will be an increased desire for authentic, off-the-beaten-path experiences,” says a recent 2025 trend report from Booking.com. Similarly, Expedia’s trend forecasting shows that 63% of consumers are likely to visit a so-called “detour destination”—a low-key locale near a popular tourist area—as more tourists “hunt for the less crowded and less well-known.”

Experts say that this trend of traveling to destinations that are less frequented by international tourists is one that's likely here to stay. “More than a trend, it’s a reality,” says Natalia Bayona, executive director of UN Tourism. “There’s a reality to come back to authenticity, to the local, and to help the community and give back.”

To assist travelers in their quest to find less crowded destinations, UN Tourism has been amassing a database of the best rural “tourism villages” over the past four years. The database is a gold mine for travelers looking to uncover hidden-gem destinations where tourism is wanted—and needed—for economic growth and development.

Each village highlighted by this initiative is an “outstanding example of a rural tourism destination with recognized cultural and natural assets that preserve and promote the rural and community based values, products, and lifestyle," the UN says. Plus, they are each committed to economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

Here’s what to know about the UN Best Tourism Villages initiative and how to use it as a trip-planning tool for your next adventure.

Portugal's Castelo Rodrigo, one of the UN's “best tourism villages," has well-preserved sites of historic heritage, like this Gothic castle.

Each year, UN Tourism adds a new crop of dozens of villages from around the world to the database, formally called the Best Tourism Villages.

Every village is evaluated in nine key areas, which include criteria like cultural and natural resources, environmental stability, social stability, tourism development, and health, safety, and security. In order to be added to the list, the village must be working “to advance tourism’s role in rural areas, preserving landscapes, cultural diversity, local values, and culinary traditions,” according to the UN’s site.

“Today more than ever we need responsible tourism based on towns or rural destinations that are leading by example,” Bayona says. “This is the way to showcase the things that they are doing and what really makes them unique.” Each village has an approach to