The World’s BEST destination dupes; with 8 in Europe

Travel experts at 1st Move International looked at interest shown for various dupe destinations around the world by analysing search data, Instagram and TikTok data to reveal the top trending holiday destination dupes.

‘Destination dupes’ are a new form of holiday destination driven by social media popularity. As seen on TikTok or Instagram, a ‘dupe’ generally means a more affordable or better alternative to a well-known product, meal, clothes, or any applicable area of life. This trend has recently spread to the travel industry as destination dupes are being touted as alternative holiday locations where you can enjoy the charms of a dream destination without the premium or volume of tourists. 

From Greek islands less famous than their neighbours to tropical seaside resorts that allow more room to sunbathe, dupe destinations come in all shapes and sizes. They can be cities, national parks, or even whole nations, replicating or surpassing a similar and more popular destination. But what dupe destinations are the best throughout the world? We have identified the most popular by studying data on the interest shown in various dupe destinations. 

Valencia is named the world’s best destination dupe, and top alternative for Barcelona, with a dupe destination score of 9.24/10. Despite being the third largest Spanish city and racking up over 74,000 Google searches, Valencia is relatively undiscovered compared to its more popular counterpart. Holidayers visiting Valencia can enjoy a comparable experience to Barcelona while spending approximately 25% less on essentials such as groceries and local transportation, making it an ideal destination for those on a budget. 

Kuala Lumpur emerges as Singapore’s most popular alternative, with a dupe destination score of 7.92/10. Kuala Lumpur offers a diverse and vibrant street food scene that rivals Singapore’s renowned culinary offerings. While Singapore has beautiful beaches, Kuala Lumpur is in close proximity to stunning Malaysian islands with picturesque beaches. Interest in visiting Kuala Lumpur scores highly across the board, with over 16M Instagram posts for the location.

Montreal doubles up as the perfect alternative to Paris and New York, with a dupe destination score of 7.71/10. Montreal, though an 8-hour flight from Paris, offers a similar experience, boasting French architecture and culture due to its history as a French settlement. While Montreal attracts 21M Instagram posts, its annual visitor count is approximately 21 million less than Paris, resulting in a less crowded atmosphere. Montreal is often also considered a dupe for New York City, despite being in a different country.

Although the cities are only separated by around 200km, Seattle and Vancouver are in separate countries. Nevertheless, they are similar, and the American city is a destination dupe for its Canadian counterpart. They are both on the coast and surrounded by spectacular mountains that are enjoyable for skiing, hiking, and other outdoor activities.  The cityscape of Seattle is dominated by the iconic Space Needle, the iconic observation platform that looks like a science fiction writer conceived it. Although Seattle is still considered expensive, it is cheaper than Vancouver and allows US-based tourists to stay within their own country. 

Baku, the capital city of Azerbaijan, has increasingly been seen as an alternative to the luxury of Dubai. Much like Dubai, Baku has undergone rapid development and boasts an impressive skyline filled with modern architecture. Baku also has a well-preserved Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage site, providing a historical depth alongside its modern aesthetics. Like Dubai, Baku is also known for its high-end hospitality, but it offers a more culturally rich experience.

Methodology

• A list of destination dupe locations was compiled from various articles such as https://www.flightcentre.ca/window-seat/alternatives-to-popular-travel-destinations
• We used Google Keyword Planner to find the total number of searches for ‘visit [destination]’ in the calendar year of 2023. We then compared this to the same value for 2022 to see the increase or decrease in searches. 
• The number of Instagram posts for each location was found by searching the number of hashtags for each location. 
• The number of TikTok posts for each location was found by searching the number of hashtags for each location. 
• We calculated a normalised score out of 10 for each factor before taking an average of these scores. 

Easter Weekend BBQ Come Rain, Shine or Even Snow!