There are certain destinations around the world everyone wants to visit at least once: Venice. Lake Como. Saint-Tropez.
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But overtourism in many of these top spots is becoming a huge problem, and not everyone has the luxury of being able to travel in shoulder- or off-season to dodge the crowds.
Enter: The “destination dupe”.
You get to experience all the reasons the original city is popular without the crowds, and an under-the-radar destination benefits from tourism cash. Plus, you’re easing the pressure put on places that just don’t want or need any more visitors.
Over the years, we’ve seen some rather dubious dupes (my favourite has to be the “Maldives of Poland”... aka Park Gródek), but the team at eSIM provider Holafly have done their homework on this new ranking.
Each destination pair was evaluated based on its visual and cultural similarity, accommodation savings based on average peak-season hotel prices, visitor pressure, accessibility, and momentum across social media and online search platforms.
All the alternatives offered are in a different country to the original, and there are no more than two substitutes from the same nation.
This is so the ranking “prioritises destinations that deliver a similar experience while providing better value, fewer crowds and the opportunity to discover somewhere new”.
The best travel dupe? That would be Ghent in Belgium, which replaces Venice. All the medieval canals and historic architecture, without having to battle past crowds for a photo on the Rialto Bridge.
Next up on the ranking was Banff in Canada, which is a dupe for Aspen in the US. Both spots have Rocky Mountains, both have incredible skiing, and you won’t have to pay the kind of prices Aspen’s soaring popularity with the rich and famous have brought.
Third place went to Jeonju in South Korea, which replaced Kyoto in Japan. Japan’s struggles with overtourism are well known, with the country recently increasing its visa fees fivefold in a bid to combat the surge of tourists.
In Jeonju, you’ll be able to explore traditional architecture in the hanok village, visit Gyeonggijeon Shrine, and learn more about the history of the Three Kingdom period at the Jeonju National Museum. For foodies, it’s also the birthplace of bibimbap.
The top 10 destinations in the Travel Dupe Index
- Ghent, Belgium, instead of Venice, Italy
- Banff, Canada, instead of Aspen, US
- Jeonju, South Korea, instead of Kyoto, Japan
- Budva, Montenegro, instead of Ibiza, Spain
- Cascais, Portugal, instead of Saint-Tropez, France
- Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, instead of Lake Como, Italy
- Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic, instead of Tulum, Mexico
- Menton, France, instead of Amalfi Coast, Italy
- Ciudad Perdida, Colombia, instead of Machu Picchu, Peru
- Siargao, Philippines, instead of Bali, Indonesia