With overtourism dominating the news and tourist boards increasingly campaigning to deter visitors from its most popular spots and spread tourism further and wider, Original Travel has fasttracked the launch of its new Secret Series.

Original Travel's new Secret Series collection totals 40 itineraries, including 18 that are entirely new and all incorporating lesser-visited regions of the popular destinations of Spain, Greece, Italy, France, Turkey, Morocco, Jordan and further afield to India, USA, Canada, Brazil and Japan. 

The portfolio of hidden gems in some of the world's classic destinations shines a light on areas which receive a fraction of the tourism traffic, yet still offer everything people love about the country. In Italy for example, the collection highlights the likes of Campania, Basilicata, Piedmont and Abruzzo; in Spain, Galicia, Asturias, the central region of Castile and alternative Canary islands, including El Hierro and La Gomera; in France, Hauts-de-France, Perigord and the Alsace, whilst the Greek islands of Sifnos, Milos, Naxos, Chios and Symi also get their moment in the sun.  

Longer-haul, Original Travel has included Hokkaido, Kyushu and the Goto Islands for Japan, Brazil's Gold Route, Lake Michigan in the US, the Yukon in Canada and Gujarat in India. The tour operator is also thrilled to offer alternative options in Morocco, where they have introduced new itineraries for the Berber villages and beaches in the south and artist enclaves of the north, as well as an option for Jordan that goes beyond Petra to Pella, Um Qeis, Madaba and Dana. 

Tom Barber, Co-founder of Original Travel, says: 'We've made it our mission to tackle the scourge of 'overtourism', where too many tourists descend on too few destinations, in the process risking what made these precious places so special in the first place. The good news is that we have the antidote: finding, and promoting, alternative destinations with just as much wow factor, but that fly under the radar.  

'While we understand the urge to break new ground and visit pristine corners of the globe in untouched countries, these classic destinations are classics for a reason and well worth deeper and wider exploration. After all, Italy is still Italy – same heritage, same food, same gorgeous scenery – a couple of hours away from the Amalfi Coast, but minus the high season gridlock. To access many of these Secret Series spots you often even fly to the same airport and just head off in the opposite direction from the holiday hot spots. When you arrive at your hidden haven, feeling ever so slightly smug, you may only find a few canny locals luxuriating in tourist-free virgin territory.' 

Sample itineraries: 

Spain: 

Direct flights from the UK serve Oviedo, the elegant and lively capital of Asturias, a region which boasts beaches and mountains and is a popular place for the Spanish to holiday – and yet, despite all this, it is not on the radar of most Brits. Until now. Original Travel is launching a NEW 13-day road trip taking in the Picos de Europa national park, Ribadeo on the Galician coast, the beaches of La Coruna – a fortress city with 3 ports - three nights based on the Santiago de Compostela, visiting some of the landmark sites of this ancient pilgrimage and ending in Cambados. 

Prices from £2,900pp, based on two sharing and including return flights, car hire, 12 nights' B&B accommodation and guided tours in the Picos de Europa, Santiago de Compostela and Cambados. Original Travel, 020 3582 4990, originaltravel.co.uk 

Greece 

Just one hour by ferry from the popular Greek island of Rhodes, lies Symi. The small but perfectly formed island is all about the good life of swimming, snoozing and snorkeling – it's one of the hottest Greek islands, which is probably why the pace of life is so slow, but it makes it a great option for the shoulder seasons of April and October. For more active days, you can choose to explore the island's mountainous interior, dotted with monasteries, or go island-hopping to some even smaller islands. Chios also lies nearby, yet remains largely off the tourist trail; perhaps because it has never needed to court tourism, as it already has a strong stream of revenue from mastic. One of nature's miracles, the gum is a natural antibacterial and used in for a multitude of products and – despite many attempts to export it – the tree thrives only on this island. It has much to recommend it to visitors, being home to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Byzantine monastery of Nea Moni and where Homer wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey.  

A new eight-night trip to Rhodes and Symi costs from £2,500pp, while a 12-night trip to Chios and Rhodes costs from £3,200pp. Both prices are based on two sharing and include return flights, transfers, boat crossings and B&B accommodation. Original Travel, 020 3582 4990, originaltravel.co.uk 

Italy 

Nestled at the foot of the Alps, Piedmont has much to recommend it; it's capital, Turin – divided by the waters of the Po, Italy's longest river - boasts baroque buildings, one of the largest squares in Europe and its largest market with 800 merchants selling local produce from all over the region - and what produce there is! The surrounding Langhe region is home to white truffle, hazel trees which produce the famous Alba hazelnuts and Barolo vineyards. On Original Travel's NEW six-day trip, you'll spend two nights in Turin and then three in Benevello, a tiny Piedmontese town in the heart of the Langhe. 

Prices from £1,600pp, based on two sharing and including return flights, one-way airport transfer and three days' car hire, five nights' B&B accommodation and two guided tours. Original Travel, 020 3582 4990, originaltravel.co.uk 

Morocco 

Venture beyond the souks of Marrakech to discover the likes Asilah, an artsy coastal town just south of Tangiers; Tafraout and the canyon of Ait Mansour, where palm trees grow at the bottom; Erg Chegaga dunes, which reach 900ft in height; Todra Gorge in the Atlas Mountains at an altitude of 1400 metres and incredible for walking and climbing; Tinghir, one of the most beautiful oases in Southern Morocco; and Mirleft and the wild beaches of the Southern Moroccan coastline.  

Original Travel is introducing three new itineraries to explore more of the country, with prices starting from £1,700pp, based on two sharing and including return flights, transfers, five nights' B&B accommodation and two guided tours. Original Travel, 020 3582 4990, originaltravel.co.uk 

Jordan 

New destinations to be added, include: Pella, a jaw-dropping archaeological site a short drive from Tabaqit Fahl; Umm Qais, the ruins of the ancient city of Gadara; and Dana the largest nature reserve in Jordan, covering over 100 square miles and boasting the greatest concentration of wildlife in all of Jordan. This nature reserve also only offers plenty of adventures, including trekking, mountain biking and canyoning. Happily, these new destinations are also fantastic examples of CBT, a key focus for us at the moment. Two sister properties – Beit Al Baraka near Umm Qais, and Beit Al Fanan near Pella – work closely with the local community, meaning that guests can join locals in olive picking, beekeeping and basket weaving at Beit Al Baraka, or at Beit Al Fanan you can spend the day with a shepherd, learning about their way of life, and you can also learn to make cheese with their family; whilst the Dana Reserve, is one of the best places in the country to spend time with the local community, and give something back. A portion of the income from the properties managed by the Royal Society of the Conservation of Nature (RSCN) – Dana Guest House or Feynan Eco Lodge – goes towards conservation projects. These not only aim to preserve the local flora and fauna, they also work alongside the local community, helping to create jobs and ecotourism opportunities. When staying at Feynan Eco Lodge, you can spend time with the local Bedouin community, learning traditional skills such as making Arabic coffee and arbood bread, and weaving goat hair tents. There are shops in all of the parks managed by the RSCN, selling handicrafts, pottery, soaps and jewellery, all hand-made by local women, giving them a source of income and employment. 

Prices from £5,100pp, based on two sharing and including return flights, transfers and 12 nights' B&B accommodation. Original Travel, 020 3582 4990, originaltravel.co.uk  

France 

Lille might be firmly on the map thanks to the Eurostar, but not many Brits venture beyond in the Hauts de France and they're missing out on some gems. Le Touquet for example, with its huge expanse of beach and sand dunes, is bypassed by most Brits who bomb past it on their way south from Calais, but Original Travel's NEW four-day trip includes one night here, so you can sample one of the region's best gourmet restaurants and most romantic hotel. Next, you'll head to Lens, home to an outpost of the Louvre and well worth a visit. The futuristic building is a masterpiece in its own right and a symbol of the region's renaissance. Two other such examples of this is Lille's incredible La Piscine de Roubaix, an Art Deco pool turned museum and the Lille postal sorting center, a former sorting center that's now a cultural hub. 

Prices from £1,100pp, based on two sharing and including return travel on Eurostar, hire car, three nights' B&B accommodation, private tours of the Louvre-Lens Museum and Andre Diligent Museum of Art and Industry, plus tickets to the Tri Postal de Lille. Original Travel, 020 3582 4990, originaltravel.co.uk 

Japan 

Honshu hogs the limelight, but Japan's other three main islands - Hokkaido, Shikoku and Kyushu -  are all well worth exploration. Come Japan's cherry blossom season, Honshu's highlights become overtourism bottlenecks of note, so we also encourage visiting the country at other times of year, because this fascinating country is beautiful for more than a month a year. Of the other islands, we love Kyushu the most, as it is home to so many quintessentially Japanese experiences from onsen hot spring bathing, buzzing big city nightlife, hiking on perfectly conical volcanoes and exploring samurai castles. The food is unfirmly excellent and the island hosts a handful of the tourist numbers experienced on Honshu. 

Prices from £7,025 pp, based on two sharing and including return flights to Tokyo, all train tickets, B&B accommodation for 12 nights, private tours, visits and guided hiking. Original Travel, 020 3582 4990, originaltravel.co.uk 

-Ends- 

Follow us on instagram @originaltravel for more travel inspiration and for more information contact: press@originaltravel.co.uk; 020 3582 4990  

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Notes to Editors: 

Original Travel curates tailor-made itineraries, crafted by destination experts, to 77 countries worldwide from Anguilla to Zimbabwe. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the company has created over 50,000 itineraries since its launch in 2003, each one unique and adhering to the company ethos that “Life is in the Detail”. 

Original Travel also has its own specialist dive division. Original Diving is the world's only luxury dive travel outfit. 

13 of our consultants were recognised in Conde Nast Traveler's 2023 Travel Specialists list, including repeat inclusions for Co-founder Tom Barber (family specialist), Jacqui Brooks (Indonesia specialist) and Oliver Rodwell (Mexico specialist). Our new additions include Ben Williams (Egypt), Kate Little (Romania) and Paul Tyler (Botswana). 

Original Travel clients enjoy a wealth of additional services they would not find with any other UK tour operator, including: 

• Access to a network of 70-plus Concierges who live locally, know their destinations inside and out and are extremely well-connected. They lend fantastic ground support, offering insider recommendations, facilitating any last-minute changes and troubleshooting.
• A brace of additional services designed to make departure easier than ever. Every Original Travel client, regardless of whether they're off on a city break, or a multi-destination sabbatical, will enjoy UK airport meet and greet, fast track UK check-in, fast track UK security*, lounge access and pre-booked flight seats. There are also upgrade options to include: a luggage transfer service from your home to the airport; fast track check-in and security and lounge access on your flight home; fast track through immigration on your return to the UK.
• The knowledge that not only will Original Travel absorb the carbon footprint of their international flights, but also - in an industry-first - car-hire and transfers, and other flights (even if booked independently).
• The knowledge that they are contributing to Our Foundation, which supports nearly 100 humanitarian projects in 30 developing countries. To date, nearly £1.5 million has been invested to support five key areas: child protection, vocational training, economic development assistance, preservation of cultural and natural heritage and safeguarding the lifestyles of indigenous peoples.