Ten holiday hotspots and the 'duplicates' taking the internet by storm

by · Mail Online

The internet's wanderlust is fired up.

On TikTok clips about destination duplicates, or 'dupes' - often cheaper and less crowded alternatives to tourist hotspots - are trending.

And travel site Expedia has identified 10 'dupes' that have seen soaring flight searches.

The list includes a city in the UK with almost as many museums as London, a dreamy alternative to sunny Santorini and a noteworthy swap for Nashville.

Scroll down for the full list - paired with the hotspots they can be swapped for. Are you tempted to switch?

Swap Seoul for Taipei - 2,768 per cent increase in flight searches

LEFT: South Korea’s capital Seoul has become a hub for tech startups, foodie culture, and fun nightlife. RIGHT: Taipei has 'quietly done the same', with flight searches up 2,786 per cent over the past year

Seoul, the capital of South Korea, has become 'a hub for tech startups, foodie culture, and fun nightlife', according to Expedia.

Taiwan's capital Taipei has 'quietly done the same', it says, noting a 2,786 per cent increase in flight searches over the past year.

Swap Bangkok for Pattaya - 249 per cent increase

Expedia recommends swapping Bangkok (the city's Grand Palace is pictured left) for Pattaya, which is 'full of culture and entertainment' 

If you love the idea of jetting off to Thailand and getting lost in the local culture, Pattaya is a good alternative to the more popular city of Bangkok, according to Expedia.

Just like the capital, Pattaya is full of culture and entertainment, from ancient temples to bars night markets - with the added benefit of being on the coast. And being far less busy.

Swap Santorini for Paros - 193 per cent increase

Greece is the word: Both Santorini (left) and Paros (right) 'ooze Cycladic charm' 

'It’s hard to go wrong with a postcard-perfect Greek island in the Aegean Sea,' says Expedia.

'But you’ll find fewer crowds in Paros (up 193 per cent) than you will in popular Santorini.'

For history buffs, the site recommends Paros’s ancient marble quarries and Ekatontapiliani Church, which 'will give you just as much to ponder as Santorini’s Venetian Castle'.

Swap St Martin for Curaçao - 185 per cent increase

'Like St Martin (left), the Dutch Caribbean island nation of Curacao (right) offers the one-two punch of dives - the coral formations of the Mushroom Forest and cave are a must,' Expedia says

What do St Martin and Curacao (up 228 per cent) both have in common, besides both being in the Caribbean?

Expedia has the answer: 'Gleaming beaches, crystal blue water, elite scuba diving? Check, check, and check.'  

Swap Sydney for Perth - 109 per cent increase

Unlike Sydney's Opera House (left) and Harbour Bridge, the waterfront attractions in Perth (right) 'aren't quite as well known' but the area is 'just as beautiful', Expedia says

These two Australian cities both offer 'beaches and plenty of urban culture', says Expedia.

And while it notes that Perth's waterfront attractions 'aren't quite as well known' as Sydney's Opera House and Harbour Bridge, the area 'is just as beautiful'.

The travel site adds: 'And Perth’s Cottesloe Beach can go toe-to-toe with Sydney’s Bondi.'

Swap London for Liverpool - 97 per cent increase

‘A trip to London (left) is a reliable hit, but a jaunt further north to Liverpool is more surprising,' Expedia says. Pictured right is Liverpool's Municipal Hotel 

Tired of London? Try Liverpool instead which is equally 'brimming with art and culture', Expedia says.

It adds: ‘Sure, a trip to London is a reliable hit but a jaunt further north to Liverpool is more surprising.'

The 'dupe' city has the most museums and galleries in the UK, bar London, including the Tate Liverpool and the Merseyside Maritime Museum - alternatives to London's Tate Modern and National Maritime Museum.

Swap Lisbon for Palermo - 89 per cent increase

Lisbon (left) is a gem, but prices there have risen. Palermo (right) in Sicily is a great alternative for a charming city escape by the sea

'A decade ago, the Portuguese capital Lisbon burst onto every travel guide as the new "it" city, heralded as an overlooked European gem,' says Expedia.

'Now the secret is out, and the prices have risen accordingly.'

If you missed the boat for visiting Lisbon before its rise in popularity, Palermo in Sicily could be your next best bet when it comes to a charming good-value city escape by the sea.

Swap Geneva for Quebec City - 60 per cent increase

Quebec City (right) mirrors many of Geneva's (left) features, boasting a well-preserved Old Town and a multilingual culture - and it sits on a striking body of water

Geneva sits on a striking body of water, boasts a well-preserved Old Town packed with historical significance, is lined with cobblestone streets, and has a multilingual culture. And a trip to Québec City has all of these things too.

So says Expedia, which recommends the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec as 'an easy dupe for the Musée d’art et d’histoire de Genève'.

Swap Zermatt for Sapporo - 38 per cent increase

LEFT: No cars are allowed in the Swiss ski mecca of Zermatt, where you travel by public transport or horse-drawn carriage. RIGHT: The Japanese ski city of Sapporo has its own charming mode of transport - a vast system of streetcars

Sapporo is a 'wonderful ski destination that’s a little further afield than the Alps', says Expedia, which noticed a 38 per cent increase in flight searches to the Japanese destination - a 'dupe' for the more popular Swiss ski hub of Zermatt.

'No cars are allowed in Zermatt, meaning you travel by bicycle, foot, public transportation or horse-drawn carriage,' the company says.

'In the ski paradise of Sapporo, you’ll find a similarly charming mode of transport - a vast system of streetcars.'

Swap Nashville for Memphis - 16 per cent increase

Pictures show an uncanny resemblance between the famous honky-tonks of Nashville's Broadway (left) and the blues clubs on Beale Street, Memphis (right)

If you are a fan of live music, Memphis might appeal as a less crowded destination to Nashville.

Pictures show an uncanny resemblance between the famous honky-tonks of Nashville's Broadway and the blues clubs on Beale Street, Memphis, both lined with colourful neon signs.

'Memphis is to blues and soul what Nashville is for country music,' says Expedia.

TOP 10 ALTERNATIVE HOLIDAY DESTINATIONS FOR 2024

1. Taipei, dupe for Seoul: 2,786 per cent increase in flight prices in the past year.

2. Pattaya, dupe for Bangkok: 249 per cent increase in flight prices.

3. Paros, dupe for Santorini: 193 per cent increase.

4. Curaçao, dupe for St. Martin: 185 per cent increase.

5. Perth, dupe for Sydney: 109 per cent increase.

6. Liverpool, dupe for London: 97 per cent increase.

7. Palermo, dupe for Lisbon: 89 per cent increase.

8. Quebec City, dupe for Geneva: 60 per cent increase.

9. Sapporo, dupe for Zermatt: 38 per cent increase.

10. Memphis, dupe for Nashville: 16 per cent increase.

Source: Expedia.com, based on percentage increase in Expedia flight searches year on year