Venice, Lake Como, Saint-Tropez — these are the places many Europeans dream of visiting at least once. But overtourism has turned these icons into bottlenecks, and not everyone can travel in the shoulder season to avoid the crush.
Enter the “destination dupe”: a place that offers the same visual or cultural appeal as the original, but with fewer crowds, lower prices, and a chance to discover something new. The concept has gained traction as travellers seek alternatives that are easier on both their wallets and the environment.
Holafly, an eSIM provider, has compiled a Travel Dupe Index that ranks the best substitutes based on visual and cultural similarity, accommodation savings during peak season, visitor pressure, accessibility, and social media buzz. All alternatives are in a different country from the original, and no country appears more than twice on the list.
Ghent stands in for Venice
The top dupe is Ghent in Belgium, which replaces Venice. Both cities boast medieval canals and historic architecture, but Ghent lets you wander without fighting for a spot on the Rialto Bridge. It’s a classic example of a dupe that delivers the essence of the original without the tourist crush.
Second on the list is Banff in Canada, a stand-in for Aspen in the US. Both are set in the Rocky Mountains and offer world-class skiing, but Banff comes without the celebrity-driven price tags that have made Aspen increasingly exclusive.
Third is Jeonju in South Korea, which substitutes for Kyoto in Japan. Japan has been grappling with overtourism, recently raising visa fees fivefold to curb the surge. In Jeonju, you can explore the traditional hanok village, visit Gyeonggijeon Shrine, and learn about the Three Kingdoms period at the Jeonju National Museum. Foodies will also appreciate that it’s the birthplace of bibimbap.
The full top 10 includes other pairs, such as the Azores as a dupe for Madeira, and Ljubljana as a substitute for Prague. The ranking aims to “prioritise destinations that deliver a similar experience while providing better value, fewer crowds and the opportunity to discover somewhere new,” according to Holafly.
For Europeans, the dupe trend is more than a travel hack. It’s a response to the growing pressure on iconic sites, from Venice’s lagoon to the Alps, where heatwaves are pushing travellers north. Choosing a dupe can ease the burden on overtouristed places while spreading the economic benefits of tourism to lesser-known regions.
Some dupes are more dubious than others — the “Maldives of Poland” (Park Gródek) is a stretch — but the Holafly ranking is based on more rigorous criteria. It’s a useful starting point for anyone who wants to see the world without contributing to its congestion.
As solo travel grows in popularity, dupes offer a way to explore with more freedom and less stress. And with platforms now letting travellers offload non-refundable bookings, flexibility is becoming easier to manage.
So next time you’re planning a getaway, consider a dupe. You might find that the alternative is just as memorable — and you’ll have the space to enjoy it.
