They’re kitsch-er perfect!
These are the destinations that travellers have been claiming in an online debate are among the tackiest places in the world.
The discussion, on Reddit‘s travel forum, was kick-started by user ‘PerfumedVampire’ writing: ‘I love tacky, touristy kitsch and I’m tired of pretending I don’t.’
The user asked fellow Redditors to name the ‘trashiest, tackiest tourist trap cities worldwide’, as a celebration of all things kitsch.
It sparked a stream of responses, gaining over 2,900 comments at the time of writing, with users debating destinations deserving of the title.
From an American city with ‘tacky, themed hotels’ and ‘cheap attractions’ to a UK seaside resort that takes tacky to a ‘new level’, scroll down to discover tourist destinations where quality control appears to have gone AWOL…
Six of the world’s tackiest tourist spots have been named by Reddit users. Dubai (above) attracts millions of tourists per year, but one Redditor remarked that it ‘makes Vegas look cultured’
Dubai is one of the most luxurious cities in the world, but not everyone is wowed by its glamour.
Redditor ‘Klumber’ dubbed it a ‘soulless place for people that like to show off their wealth’, while user ‘Calif0regonia’ claimed: ‘Dubai makes Vegas look cultured.’
‘AugieFash’ added: [Dubai] sucks. Take Vegas and remove the glam, the lights, the entertainment, all the local culture and history, and (most) of the sin. And you get Dubai. Dubai is a place that feels like nothing, in my opinion.’
Venice, Italy
‘Venice in summer is horrible,’ one Redditor says. The above image shows a crowded walkway at the city’s Piazza San Marco
‘Venice is eternity itself,’ said poet and essayist Joseph Brodsky.
But for Redditor ‘AttarCowboy’, it’s ‘gruesome’.
They continued: ‘You’ll never get the sound of roller luggage clacking across cobblestones out of your head.’
And ‘GrantTheFixer’ wrote: ‘Venice in summer is horrible. Outside of that period, it’s still quite nice.’
User ‘fedenl’ said: ‘Venice is a city which, unfortunately, is not made for the 21st century… [It’s] stunning and sad.’
‘RagingMassif’ added: ‘What it doesn’t have in tacky, it has in tourist entrapment. My father, who was a European tour manager for 30 years, used to say, “The Italians consider it one unit of failure for every euro still in your pocket when you leave.”‘
Orlando, Florida
Home to Universal Orlando Resort (above) and dozens of other theme parks, the U.S city of Orlando has been described as ‘soulless’ by Redditors
Home to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and dozens of other theme parks, Orlando is undoubtedly a tourist magnet. However, some Redditors slammed the American hotspot.
‘SassyPeach1’ wrote: ‘Orlando. All of the tacky-themed hotels and cheap attractions: Gatorland, Medieval Times, cheap and tacky gift shops.’
‘Apprehensive_Clue635’ said: ‘Florida’s cities are some of the most soulless places I’ve ever been to.’ While SassyPeach1′ added: ‘The entire state is soulless. Nice beaches, though.’
User ‘merliahthesiren’ wrote: ‘Orlando seems like an awful place to live. The last time I was there, every old person I encountered was a rude, miserable son of a b****, but I can see why. Orlando is a place you take your kids to once, go to Disney World and Universal, and then leave.’
To which ‘itdumba**’, a self-professed Orlando resident, responded: ‘We’re submerged in this God-forsaken traffic every f****** day, so… yeah.’
Blackpool, UK
Redditors describe Blackpool, a seaside town in the northwest of England, as ‘peak trashy’. Pictured here is the shoreline and famous Blackpool Tower
Known for the Blackpool Pleasure Beach theme park and Blackpool Tower, this northwest seaside resort has ‘gone way past trashy’, according to Redditors.
‘Laylelo’ said: ‘Old British seaside resorts are a particular type of peak trashy, and this is epic by any standards.’
User ‘Head_Attention-6008’, who described themselves as a U.S citizen from the Midwest, said: ‘[I] lived in Northern England for five years, and Blackpool beats our tacky hands down.
‘British tacky goes to new levels. We have the wrong view of the staid, refined, buttoned-up British.’
But, that didn’t stop them from visiting again and again.
The poster added: ‘I brought all my visitors from home to Blackpool, and they loved it, a great counterpoint to all the historical sites and stately homes.’
Niagara Falls, Canada and U.S
Redditors have dubbed both the Canadian and U.S side of Niagara Falls as ‘kitsch’ and ‘tacky’
These famous towering waterfalls straddle the border between Canada and the U.S.
Redditors have dubbed both sides of the tourist attraction as ‘kitsch’ and ‘tacky’.
‘Redditisavirusiknow’ said: ‘Niagara Falls, Canada, is peak kitsch. If you told AI to make a tourist street, it’s Niagara Falls. The most fake plastic place you can imagine.’
‘GrantTheFixer’ added: ‘The U.S side is tacky too. At least you get a better view of the falls from the Canadian side.’ User ‘NeverRespondsToInbox’ agreed: ‘It’s way worse on the U.S side though. Our side has some charm to it. The U.S side is just peak tourist exploitation.’
Some users, however, claimed the attraction’s tackiness goes hand-in-hand with its charm.
‘Delicious_Echo7301’ said: ‘Niagara Falls is so kitschy tacky, but as a Torontonian, I always love taking visitors there.’
User ‘jollyadvocate’ agreed: ‘It’s so over the top it’s actually pretty fun. You go there for a certain experience, and that’s what you get.’
Benidorm, Spain
The Spanish resort of Benidorm (above) has both a ‘nice side’ and a ‘bonkers seedy side’, according to one Redditor
Benidorm, on the eastern coast of Spain, was also mentioned a number of times.
One Redditor, ‘OctapusGoesSquish’, who visited off-season in December, remarked: ‘It was like an 80’s zombie apocalypse movie – all neon and abandoned.’
But, many other users were quick to defend the seaside resort. ‘Prob10m’ said: ‘It’s got the nice side and the bonkers seedy side. Sex shows in bars, hen do’s, bachelor parties. Just a belting place to be. Cheap and cheerful party town.’
User ‘wiggler303’ added: ‘Benidorm is fine if you ignore the small area with the p***** up Brits. Go a few streets away from the strip, and it’s fine.’
