You’ve heard of Aritzia dupes, you’ve heard of Lululemon dupes, but have you heard of destination dupes? Instead of the affordable version of a pair of cult-favorite leggings, a destination dupe is a place that offers similar visuals and experiences as its more popular and expensive counterpart elsewhere.
Instead of a TikToker explaining how to search for the right product on Amazon, these destination dupes come courtesy of Expedia. The travel company just identified a few of these top trending dupe destinations in its just-released report on travel trends for 2024.
“In the Expedia Trends in Travel report, dupes are destinations that are a little unexpected, sometimes more affordable, but every bit as delightful as the tried-and-true places travelers love,” said Melanie Fish, chief trend tracker for Expedia Brands. “Places like Palermo, Taipei, Curaçao, and Québec City make a really interesting destinations of the year list for 2024.”
Here are some of the destinations that Expedia has identified as the best dupes for more expensive and popular destinations that you’ve probably already wanted to visit, but may not have been able to afford, along with how much flight searches have surged for each dupe this year over 2022:
- Taipei, Taiwan is a dupe for Seoul, South Korea (+2,786%)
- Pattaya, Thailand is a dupe for Bangkok, Thailand (+249%)
- Paros, Greece is dupe for Santorini, Greece (+193%)
- Curaçao is a dupe for St. Martin (+185%)
- Perth, Australia is a dupe for Sydney, Australia (+109%)
- Liverpool, UK is a dupe for London, UK (+97%)
- Palermo, Italy is a dupe for Lisbon, Portugal (+89%)
- Quebec City, Canada is a dupe for Geneva, Switzerland (+60%)
- Sapporo, Japan is a dupe for Zermatt, Switzerland (+38%)
- Memphis, Tennessee is a dupe for Nashville (+16%)
It should be noted here that “dupe destinations” aren’t destinations that will offer the same cultural experiences as the “non-dupe” spots. But these destinations do have enough in common that if you are seeking a type of vacation that offers specific features, you’d find yourself pretty satisfying. For instance, Expedia points out that Palermo and Lisbon both offer “Moorish castles, jaw-dropping views of the harbors, fresh oysters, and cotton-candy sunsets,” and that Taipei and Seoul are both tech destinations.
You can use this list as a starting point for your own destination dupe as well. If you’ve been eyeing a place that is suffering from overtourism or high prices, break down what it is about that destination appeals to you so much. Is it the beaches? The art? The food scene? Identify your top draws and explore other places that offer similar things.