Travel can be great, but hype isn’t your friend. When you stay grounded and realistic, you can be pleasantly surprised. But when you have huge expectations for how your adventure will turn out, you’re just waiting in line for disappointment.
The reality is that not all tourist attractions are all that they’re cracked up to be. So, locals took to a thread on the ‘Ask The World’ online community to share their words of warning about the tourist traps to avoid in their countries. Check out the places you might want to rethink visiting on your next journey abroad.
#41
Platform 9 3/4 at London Kings Cross Station.
It’s not even on a platform like in the novels/movies - it’s just a sign they’ve affixed to a portion of blank wall on the main station concourse.
It’s not even on a platform like in the novels/movies - it’s just a sign they’ve affixed to a portion of blank wall on the main station concourse.
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18points
#43
Don’t know so much about International tourists, but The Dog On The Tuckerbox near Gundagai NSW is the worst tourist attraction in Australia.
It’s just off the Hume Highway, the main road between Sydney and Melbourne and maybe as a place to stretch your legs on the drive, it’s ok? But it’s so oversold. I remember as a kid if my family was going on a road trip that way all the adults would say “oh, you’ll have to see the dog on the Tuckerbox”.
It’s just a dog statue on a plinth in a wishing well fountain and that’s it. There’s nothing there, not even a decent restaurant. Gundagai is also home to the Australian Pen Museum. It’s an exciting place!
It’s just off the Hume Highway, the main road between Sydney and Melbourne and maybe as a place to stretch your legs on the drive, it’s ok? But it’s so oversold. I remember as a kid if my family was going on a road trip that way all the adults would say “oh, you’ll have to see the dog on the Tuckerbox”.
It’s just a dog statue on a plinth in a wishing well fountain and that’s it. There’s nothing there, not even a decent restaurant. Gundagai is also home to the Australian Pen Museum. It’s an exciting place!
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18points
#44
I am from Northern Ireland United Kingdom and everyone comes to Belfast to see the peace wall, a grey wall running through West Belfast, then think all Northern Irish people live seperate lives when in reality a lot of us mix with each other both protestant and catholic.
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17points
#45
Honorable Mention in my area: the White House. Nothing to do with my politics. You can’t get close to it to really look at jt, it’s a gamble if you can get an inside tour, and chances are there’s a big enough protest going on that it will disrupt any visit you may want to chance. Go to Mount Vernon, or a variety of of the other famous houses that have tours instead.
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16points
#46
The Corner in Winslow, AZ. The thing didn't even happen there but outside a Weiner Hut in Flagstaff. Jackson Browne suggested to change it to make it flow better.
16points
#47
Do not go to pier 39 in San Francisco it’s a tourist trap ! Go literally anywhere else. I see so many international tourist.
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16points
#48
Bondi - there are so many amazing beaches in Australia.
Intelligent-Fan-6217:
I have to say bondi was utterly disappointing. The beach walk was nice but it wasn’t impressive or anything. Not sure why it’s so hyped.
Intelligent-Fan-6217:
I have to say bondi was utterly disappointing. The beach walk was nice but it wasn’t impressive or anything. Not sure why it’s so hyped.
15points
#49
It’s just ok.
The area around the Mall of America is laid out so that you can get from the airport to the mall to your hotel room without ever going outside (kind of impressive tbh) but the Mall itself is whatever. Except the log ride.
The area around the Mall of America is laid out so that you can get from the airport to the mall to your hotel room without ever going outside (kind of impressive tbh) but the Mall itself is whatever. Except the log ride.
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15points
#50
Surfers Paradise.
colintbowers:
Neither a paradise, nor particularly good for surfers.
colintbowers:
Neither a paradise, nor particularly good for surfers.
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13points
#51
Magnetic Hill in New Brunswick. Tourist trap. You practically have to drive through a maze to get in and out of the place. All to experience an optical illusion.
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13points
#52
Even though it's featured in most documentaries about Brazil or Rio, they're just stairs. There's nothing relevant in the area.
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13points
#53
Gastown Clock.
People are misled to think it's a historical artifact and runs on steam but it's neither. You'll find people waiting for a long time to see it do its steam thing.
People are misled to think it's a historical artifact and runs on steam but it's neither. You'll find people waiting for a long time to see it do its steam thing.
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12points
#55
Krupówki street in Zakopane
it is a just bunch of overpriced souvenir shops and restaurants with mid food.
it is a just bunch of overpriced souvenir shops and restaurants with mid food.
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12points
#56
Gatlinburg, TN. A soulless tourist trap with no redeeming cultural value. Yet it's always chuck full of people visiting Ripley's Believe it or Not or buying moonshine in a mason jar.
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12points
#57
UK: Bronte waterfalls near me, look a bit more impressive with the recent rain than in the summer when it's swamped with people.
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12points
#58
Uzungöl.
This was a legitimate natural beauty alongside a teeny tiny village. When Arabic tourists started to take interest the place got bigger and uglier by the people who tried to grab money off of the place.
Darth-Vectivus:
Yep. It has become a concrete pond. I visited there when it was less “developed”. It was breathtaking.
This was a legitimate natural beauty alongside a teeny tiny village. When Arabic tourists started to take interest the place got bigger and uglier by the people who tried to grab money off of the place.
Darth-Vectivus:
Yep. It has become a concrete pond. I visited there when it was less “developed”. It was breathtaking.
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11points
#59
Probably the Sky Tower in Auckland. I mean we have WAY nicer tourist attractions.
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11points
