The Secret Series for Globe-Trotter

Can you keep a secret?

Hidden gems/off the beaten track

As devotees of the Globe-Trotter brand, chances are you’re pretty travel savvy and aware of the concept of ‘overtourism’. If not, it’s the phenomenon where too many tourists visit too few places within too limited a timeframe, leading to massive overcrowding and a significantly impacted experience for visitors and locals alike.

As a discerning bunch, we’re sure you’d far rather avoid these destination bottlenecks, but many don’t, and in a counter-trend being called Tourism Resentment, frustrated locals are fighting back. Places like Barcelona – long a hugely popular destination thanks to the proliferation of AirBnbs and Instagram hot takes – are creaking at the seams with tourists and some residents have had enough, taking to the streets in protest and even squirting tourists with waterpistols. I’m not sure anybody really wants that on holiday.

As a travel company we’re acutely aware that we risk being part of the problem, so we actively promote ‘undertourism’, where we encourage going to less obvious destinations, or visiting at less busy times of year. It’s in our DNA to be on the lookout for new and upcoming destinations to help lighten the load, but often there’s no need to reinvent the wheel; there is another, (we think) clever way to go.

Enter our new concept: The Secret Series. It’s a simple enough idea. The classic destinations are classics for a reason – the food, the culture, the scenery, the locals, the beaches and cities and more. They often combine all of the above and more into one intoxicating delight of a destination that is unique (in the true sense of the world) but also – crucially – one that is full of places away from the obvious tourist traps that are every bit as lovely.

That’s where the Secret Series comes in. We want to shine a light on the places within these classic destinations that are anything but over-run; the ones where you might find a smattering of local tourists but not a foreigner in sight. After all, Italy is still glorious, wonderful Italy away from Amalfi Coast, where camera-toting tourists clog up the pretty towns that cling to the region’s cliffs. Consider instead Cilento, in the same beautiful region of Campania as the Amalfi Coast, but welcoming a fraction of the visitors per year, most of whom are clued-up Italians who know a lovely place when they see one.

And as with many of the Secret Series destinations, you even fly to the same airport – in this case Naples – and instead of heading to Amalfi, push on an hour to charming, chic Cilento.

When we researched these hidden gem destinations for the Secret Series portfolio, it was amazing how many of these special places are surprisingly accessible from busy airports that cater to the overtourism hot spots. Cilento from Naples, the surf beaches of Costa Vincentina from Faro in Portugal; the gorgeous Peloponnese from Athens; the Picos de Europa mountains from Bilbao in Spain. If that all feels a little Euro-centric, there are plenty of other Secret Series destinations around the planet, including the wild and wooly Western Cape from Cape Town in South Africa, and the fabled ‘Lost Coast’ in northern California from San Francisco where you can still camp on deserted beaches.

So next time you travel, resist the urge to take to Instagram for inspiration, and instead enjoy our little secret. Just be careful not to tell too many people.

By Tom Barber, Co-Founder of Original Travel

Discover more Secret Series destinations at originaltravel.co.uk