Summer of the
destination ‘dupes’
Would your clients trade South America for Europe? Malta for Italy? Laos for Thailand? Alternatives to popular but crowded destinations continue to gain traction after a surge of post-pandemic interest.
Travelers are cashing in on the destination “dupes” trend in what has become the summer of the swap, according to advisors and suppliers.
Dupes, the name given to destinations that offer similar experiences to ones that are known for being overcrowded, expensive or both, became a travel buzzword starting at the end of last year. And with the post-pandemic travel surge resulting in popular places getting even more popular and pricey, the trend seems to have gone full throttle.
Intrepid Travel said that 74% of its guests booked destination dupes this summer.
“Americans are more likely to choose alternative destinations over tried-and-true tourist hot spots for their vacation due to increasing economic pressures — and we are excited to help them experience the road less traveled,” said Matt Berna, president of the Americas at Intrepid Travel.
Renee Stanton-Defaria, director of sales at Goway Travel, is also seeing demand for dupes.
“Travel is booming. Already popular destinations will continue to get busier, driving more seasoned travelers to seek out new and creative options,” she said. “We predict this will make room for up-and-coming destinations to grow and mature their product. It will also be an opportunity for established destinations to diversify their offerings to appeal to travel styles they don’t currently serve.”
Europe, especially the Mediterranean, was the destination that suppliers and travel advisors said was most frequently being duplicated.
With temperatures in countries like Greece burning past 100 degrees this summer, and hotel rates also hitting highs, it’s no wonder the Continent’s reputation for being hot, crowded and expensive is pushing some travelers away.
Intrepid said that due to favorable exchange rates and overall affordability, South America emerged as the region of choice for people priced out of Europe, where the company said it has seen a 25% drop in demand this year.
One destination someone swapping out Europe might appreciate is Lake Atitlan in Guatemala, which Intrepid called “The Lake Como of Latin America” as it offers a lakefront retreat at half the cost of the ritzy Italian region. The company has a new six-day Heart of Guatemala tour that takes travelers to Santiago Atitlan, one of the largest towns on the lake but one that sees far fewer tourists than others in the region.
Jennifer Doncsecz, president of VIP Vacations in Bethlehem, Pa., said if a client is hankering for a Greek island but doesn’t want the summer crowds and long flight, she would send them to Anguilla: Aurora Anguilla Resort and Golf Club’s architecture was inspired by Mykonos, she said, and the Four Seasons has a similar vibe with “beautifully white villas.”
Rather than avoid it altogether, some travel advisors encourage clients to consider lesser-known parts of Europe.
Italy, a perennial favorite, is known for summertime crowds and high temps. Keith Waldon, founder and director of Departure Lounge in Austin, Texas, said to avoid that, advisors should recommend northwest Tuscany to their clients.
Waldon would know: When he’s not in Austin, he can often be found at his other home there.
“The northwest portion of Tuscany is mountainous and has a high elevation with charming villages and way cooler temperatures — also with no crowds,” he said.
‘Northwest Tuscany has cooler temps and no crowds.’
He particularly recommended Lucca and northward, which offers everything from marble quarries to the “artsy” town of Pietrasanta and nature trails. Lucca itself, he said, has many of the same “wow factors” as Florence but with much smaller crowds.
To get out of Italy entirely, try Malta, said Courtnie Nichols, CEO and founder of TravelBash Corp. in Christiansburg, Va.
“It is a melting pot of various cultures, including Arabic, Italian and Spanish, infusing Mediterranean vibes,” Nichols said. “It’s compact and easy to get around, and you can really immerse yourself in the culture.”
‘You can really immerse yourself in the culture in Malta.’
Some other lesser-known European swaps Nichols recommends Menorca, Spain, instead of Mallorca; La Palma, Montenegro, instead of Croatia; and Austria instead of Budapest.
Kareem George, CEO of Culture Traveler in Franklin, Mich., offered ideas for some city dupes on the Continent: Madrid instead of Barcelona; Antwerp, Belgium, over Amsterdam; and Glasgow over Edinburgh in Scotland.
Of the latter, George said, “Both of these cities are incredibly historic and friendly; however, Glasgow possesses an underdog edge and authenticity that I found utterly charming. It is more of a city for travelers as opposed to tourists.”
‘Glasgow is a city for travelers as opposed to tourists.’
Alternatives in Africa and Asia
Kensington Tours found that destination dupes in Africa and Asia are also hot this summer. The company has seen 104% year-over-year growth for Botswana, which Kensington said offers more remote safari experiences than South Africa with fewer camps and fewer tents per camp and opportunities for intimate wildlife encounters by foot, small boat and traditional dugout canoe. Kensington said travelers appreciate the sense of exclusivity and wildlife viewing that rivals that of South Africa.
In Asia, more travelers are choosing Laos — which has seen 264% year-over-year growth, according to Kensington — over northern Thailand. Luang Prabang offers a tranquil setting on the Mekong River with diverse cultural experiences, stunning hikes and waterfalls, which Kensington said makes Laos a great alternative to the more frequented northern Thailand.
Hawaii was a destination that suppliers and advisors said they were finding dupes for, owing to its post-pandemic reputation for pricey lodging: In May, for example, the Hawaii Tourism Authority reported that compared with the same month of 2019, statewide ADR was up 33.9%.
Goway recommended Tenerife in the Canary Islands as a much more affordable Hawaii dupe. It said the islands are also tropical and volcanic and that they offer great value for accommodations, dining and activities. There’s also a rich blend of Spanish culture and history through traditional festivals, colonial architecture and cuisine.
Doncsecz said for those interested in Hawaii but wanting a shorter flight and access to all-inclusive properties, St. Lucia is the “Hawaii of the Caribbean.” And if St. Lucia is also too expensive, she said, “then I recommend Costa Rica, the poor man’s Hawaii,” which she said also offers mountains, volcanoes and a rainforest, often at a lower price point.
‘St. Lucia is the Hawaii of the Caribbean.’
Hotel dupes, too
Travel dupes can go beyond destinations.
For those who plan trips around specific hotels, travel advisors have ideas for swaps when those hotels are not available or are too pricey.
The right hotel dupe can be worth shifting a trip’s scope, said Amber Rose Powers, a Tennessee-based luxury travel advisor with Fora.
For clients eyeing sought-after properties along the Amalfi Coast during the high season, she will occasionally suggest pivoting to Ischia in the Gulf of Naples, where Pellicano Hotels’ Mezzatorre Hotel & Thermal Spa offers an attractive alternative to Positano favorites like Le Sirenuse.
“It has such an insane location cliffside, and this beautiful pool over the water,” Powers said. “I just had honeymoon clients there as the first stop on their trip. They initially wanted Amalfi, but I sent them to Mezzatorre, and it’s all they’ve talked about since.”
The south of France is a popular summertime destination, but for those looking to escape the crowds, Powers recommends the quieter coastal town of Theoule sur Mer, where Millesime Collection’s Chateau de Theoule opened its doors earlier this year.
“It’s a cool spot that’s not in the craziness of St. Tropez or, further east, Cap Ferrat, Antibes, Cannes or Nice, where it can be busier, too,” Powers said. “I just proposed it to clients who are were looking at St. Tropez, but things were already booked up, and because the Chateau de Theoule recently opened, they still had availability.”
‘Theoule sur Mer is cool and not in the craziness of St. Tropez.’
Fedline Saintina, founder and CEO of New Jersey-based Green Book Concierge, is among those who say crowd-averse clients may be better off skipping European hot spots, swapping a summer trip to Italy for the Caribbean, where most destinations are in shoulder or low seasons.
For those seeking an alternative to a property like the Hotel Santa Caterina in Amalfi, for example, Saintina recommends Grace Bay Resorts’ Rock House in Turks and Caicos, which overlooks the ocean from atop a limestone cliff in Providenciales.
She also has a few domestic hotel dupes up her sleeve. While Amangiri’s Camp Sarika in southern Utah is famous for its luxury tented accommodations and scenic desert surroundings, a more accessibly priced alternative is the nearby Under Canvas Lake Powell – Grand Staircase.
“It’s very close to Camp Sarika, and while it’s obviously not an Aman, it offers a luxe feel in the same kind of landscape,” Saintina said.
‘Under Canvas Lake Powell – Grand Staircase has a luxe feel.’
And in upstate New York, Saintina said Eastwind Hotels’ Eastwind Oliverea Valley in the Catskills serves as a perfect and less expensive dupe for Auberge Resorts Collection’s Wildflower Farms in the Hudson Valley.
“They have the activities and upscale cabin accommodations that you’d find at Wildflower Farms, all for a fraction of the price,” Saintina said.
Comparable cruise ships
Advisors are also at the ready to help find cruise dupes.
“It’s no secret that summer in Europe is very busy and crowded,” said Theresa Scalzitti, COO of Cruise Planners, who in late June returned from a 10-day Mediterranean Atlas Ocean Voyages cruise through Greece, Italy and Croatia. “The crowds were in full force. Airports were busy, VIP lounges were full and even many popular tours were sold out.”
To avoid some of the region’s most crowded ports, she suggested advisors steer big-ship clients toward smaller vessels. “By booking a smaller ship, you have more opportunities to visit different, less well-known destinations,” she said.
Scalzitti’s Atlas sailing sold her on Montenegro, which she knew little about when she visited but ended up being one of her favorite ports. The small Adriatic country got a fraction of the roughly 20 million visitors that went to nearby Croatia in 2023, and it has a similarly scenic coastline with seaside towns.
“The landscapes were stunning,” Scalzitti said. “It wasn’t crowded, and we had a beautiful day sailing around on a private boat excursion and swimming in the blue caves. Azamara Pursuit, also a smaller ship, was the only other ship in port with us.”
‘Montenegro’s landscapes are stunning, and it isn’t crowded.’
When passengers do visit popular ports, she suggested they take an excursion outside of it. For example, they could take a tour of Murano and Burano outside of Venice, both of which also have colorful canals.
In Barcelona, overcrowding led the city to restrict cruises from its downtown, and it was recently reported that anti-tourism residents have gone as far as squirting visitors with water guns. Scalzitti suggests Girona as a good dupe; like Barcelona, it offers well-preserved Gothic architecture.
Advisors may also steer clients away from the Med altogether, she said, suggesting the Arctic or itineraries in northern Europe that include Iceland, Ireland, Scotland or Norway. “They are not as popular as your traditional Mediterranean destinations of Italy, France and Spain but are also rich in history, scenery, culture and culinary.”
Even sparsely populated Alaska now has crowding issues in its most popular ports: The state saw a record-breaking 1.7 million cruisers last year, a 30% jump over 2019. In response, Juneau recently capped the daily number of cruise berths for 2026.
Dianna Rom, vice president of sales for Windstar Cruises, suggested Norway as a good Alaska dupe, citing cool temps, scenic mountains, wilderness and wildlife, with puffins, elk and other animals in common.
‘All the reasons people go to Alaska, you get that in Norway.’
“You get more up close and personal than you even do in Alaska,” she said. “We go to these teeny tiny little towns. These are truly fishing villages that really look forward to the ships coming in because they don’t get much traffic. I think it’s a fabulous dupe because all the reasons people go to Alaska, you can get that in Norway and more.”
Andrea Zelinski and Johanna Jainchill contributed to this report.
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