The summer of 2024 has been inundated with stories of crowded national monuments, tourists packed in like sardines to take pictures of Santorini’s sunsets and protests in Spain against mass tourism. As a result, increasing numbers of tourists are looking for undiscovered and hidden gem destinations to spend their holidays, away from the crowds and the chaos.
Florian Wupperfeld is a world-leading social sustainability and placemaking expert and CEO of LCD Ventures, a UK-based destination innovation company. Speaking to Express.co.uk, Mr Wupperfeld shared two European destinations which he believes could become tourist hotspots in the future, so be sure to visit these places before the rest of the world does.
Comporta in Portugal is described as one of the most exclusive summer destinations in Europe. So much so it has earned the nickname of “the Hamptons of Europe”.
It is found in the northwestern coast of Alentejo, south of the Lisbon metropolitan area. The Herdade da Comporta is a 12,500-hectare swoop of coast between the Sado Estuary and the sea, comprising seven hamlets: Pego, Carvalhal, Brejos, Torre, Possanco, Carrasqueira and Comporta.
The majority of the land is protected from development as a nature preserve, while a significant portion is also protected for traditional agricultural uses such as salt ponds and rice fields, the biggest in Portugal. The Sado Estuary Natural Reserve is home to over 250 bird species including a massive flock of pink flamingos, herons and kingfishers as well as a pod of dolphins.
Restrictive development regulations were installed purposefully by the Herdade da Comporta and the municipal governments to both preserve the natural landscape of the region and ensure its exclusivity.
In 1991, after over 150 years of operating purely as an agricultural estate, the Herdade da Comporta was reconstituted to develop its vast properties into an exclusive summer destination orientated towards ultra high-net-worth individuals, centred on design and sustainability. During this time, the region welcomed high profile celebrities such as Prince Albert of Monaco and Princess Caroline of Hanover.
Comporta is home to over seven miles of uninterrupted yellow fine sand, including Praia da Comporta, Praia da Torre and Praia do Pego. All stretches of sand are similar, with their own charming beachside restaurants.
The region has a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and mild, wet winters. In summer, temperatures can reach 30C or higher, with July and August often being very hot and dry. In the winter months, temperatures average around 10C, with December and February being the rainiest months.
For a slightly cooler, off-peak travel destination, the second town Mr Wupperfeld recommended was Tegernsee, a resort town in Bavaria, on the shore of Tegernsee lake, which he described as the “Malibu” of Germany.
Lake Tegernsee is one of the cleanest lakes in Europe, thanks to a ring sewer system that was created over 50 years ago, the first of its kind in the world. Mr Wupperfeld added that it was “drinking water quality”.
It is surrounded by the forested Tegernsee Valley in the Bavarian Alps, laced with ski trails, toboggan runs and footpaths. The Bavarian state capital, Munich is approximately 31 miles north of the town, with the Austrian state of Tyrol 12 miles to the south. It is one of the most popular day trip destinations from Munich, as well as being a holiday destination in its own right.
The Alpbach stream, the bed of which was cleaned up in 2010, runs through the centre of Tegernsee and the Baumgartenschneid, a 1,448-metre-high mountain, is also found nearby.
When asked what places he expected to become tourist hotspots in the near future, Mr Wupperfeld highlighted that the cost of living and climate change will be among the factors playing a part in driving what the next best tourist destinations will be, so be sure to visit Comporta and Tegernsee before everyone is either priced out of Venice or the popular Italian lagoon is completely underwater.
Wupperfeld’s LCD Ventures says it offers “data-driven, human-centric placemaking services with a strong focus on social sustainability to address the decline of social infrastructure in cities”. The organisation added that it “works with world-leading hospitality, culture, retail, and real estate companies, as well as cities and tourism boards, to improve the quality of life for residents, revitalise urban areas and sustainably boost tourism.”
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