Destination Dupes for 2025: Eco-Friendly Alternatives to Over-Touristed Hotspots

TikTok has turned “destination dupes” into one of travel’s buzziest trends. The hashtag has generated over 400,000 posts, showcasing alternatives like Paros instead of Santorini or Guatemala instead of Costa Rica. But beyond the social media hype lies something deeper: a push toward sustainability. By redirecting tourism from crowded, fragile hotspots to lesser-known destinations, travelers can enjoy richer experiences while easing pressure on places overwhelmed by overtourism.

In 2025, destination dupes aren’t just about saving money or avoiding lines. They’re about building a more balanced travel future—one that works for locals, ecosystems, and travelers alike.

Why Destination Dupes Matter in 2025

The TikTok trend driving interest in dupes

Gen Z travelers are leading the dupe movement. Viral videos highlight hidden gems that look like Santorini or Amalfi but cost half as much and offer double the peace. Social media has made once-obscure towns like Paros or Oaxaca into rising stars.

Overtourism and its environmental impact

From Barcelona’s crowded Gothic Quarter to Bali’s strained water supply, overtourism threatens both heritage and sustainability. Fragile ecosystems crack under peak demand, and locals often feel displaced in their own cities. Destination dupes spread out demand, reducing concentrated stress. See our Green Travel Guide and Sustainable Travel Tips for practical ways to lessen impact.

How destination dupes create sustainable travel opportunities

When travelers choose a dupe, they bring income to communities often left out of the global tourism map. These are places where €20 spent at a café circulates locally rather than vanishing into multinational hotel chains. Dupes also encourage longer, slower stays, which are inherently more sustainable than quick fly-in weekends.

What Makes a Great Destination Dupe?

Similar beauty, fewer crowds

The best dupes offer a comparable aesthetic—blue-domed churches, dramatic cliffs, or medieval streets—without the tourist crush. Think Ljubljana’s canals instead of Venice’s, or Puglia’s trulli villages instead of Amalfi’s cliff towns.

Accessible by rail, ferry, or low-impact transport

Eco-friendly dupes aren’t just hidden—they’re connected. A destination accessible by night train or ferry fits perfectly into slow-travel itineraries, aligning with Europe’s rail renaissance and Asia’s growing high-speed networks. Related reads: Trip-Chaining Rail Adventures 2025 and Night Trains in Europe 2025.

Supporting local communities and economies

The most meaningful dupes aren’t just “cheaper copies.” They’re destinations with their own identities, cuisines, and traditions. Choosing them keeps money in local ecosystems and ensures tourism doesn’t collapse entire neighborhoods into theme parks.

Europe’s Best Destination Dupes 2025

Paros instead of Santorini (Greece)

Santorini may be iconic, but its cruise ships, luxury resorts, and inflated prices make it exhausting. Paros, just a short ferry ride from Athens, offers Cycladic charm with authentic tavernas and sandy beaches at half the cost. Unlike Santorini, you’ll still find working villages, not just tourist enclaves.

Ljubljana instead of Venice (Slovenia)

Venice groans under mass tourism. Ljubljana, with its emerald-green river, baroque bridges, and thriving café culture, feels like a gentler cousin. The city is rail-connected to Vienna, Zagreb, and Munich, making it a perfect dupe for eco nomads chaining Central European routes.

Ghent instead of Bruges (Belgium)

Bruges’ fairy-tale streets are flooded with day-trippers. Ghent, meanwhile, offers canals, Gothic architecture, and lively student energy—without the selfie-stick chaos. Rail links from Brussels and Antwerp make it an easy swap.

Bilbao instead of Barcelona (Spain)

Barcelona has reached saturation, with residents protesting overtourism. Bilbao, rejuvenated by the Guggenheim and a vibrant food scene, is a culturally rich alternative. Connected by high-speed trains, it anchors northern Spain’s underrated coast.

Puglia instead of Amalfi Coast (Italy)

Amalfi’s cliffside villages are breathtaking, but infrastructure collapses under demand. Puglia’s towns—Ostuni, Alberobello, Polignano a Mare—deliver equally dramatic vistas with whitewashed charm and fewer tour buses. Rail links from Bari and Brindisi keep access simple.

Alentejo instead of Algarve (Portugal)

The Algarve is packed with resorts; Alentejo’s coastline remains wild. Expect sweeping beaches, cork forests, and slow villages. A train from Lisbon brings you into the heart of this quietly luxurious region.

The Human Side of Destination Dupes

Escaping the Selfie Crowds

One of the unspoken truths of travel is that many iconic hotspots have become impossible to experience authentically. Standing shoulder-to-shoulder at Santorini’s sunset or squeezing through Dubrovnik’s alleys feels more like crowd management than discovery. Destination dupes restore intimacy. Watching the same Aegean sun dip below the horizon in Paros means fewer elbows, quieter streets, and the chance to savor the moment without a thousand cameras in your periphery.

Conversations With Locals Instead of Transactions

In overtouristed hubs, locals often survive in “survival mode”—serving endless lines of visitors without time for connection. In dupe destinations, the pressure eases. A café owner in Ljubljana may strike up a genuine conversation about the city’s jazz festivals. A farmer in Alentejo might explain cork harvesting traditions. These moments enrich the journey and are only possible when residents aren’t overwhelmed.

Affordability Without Sacrificing Experience

Overtourism drives up costs—$8 cappuccinos in Venice, €300 a night in Amalfi. Dupes often preserve affordability without sacrificing quality. You can dine on fresh seafood in Bilbao or explore Roman ruins in Puglia at a fraction of the price, freeing up budgets for longer stays or deeper cultural experiences. For digital nomads, this affordability isn’t just a perk—it’s what makes slow travel sustainable.

Cultural Festivals Without the Frenzy

Dupes often host their own festivals, equally rich in tradition but far less commercialized. Instead of pushing through carnival crowds in Rio, travelers can wander Valparaíso’s vibrant street parades. Instead of a wine tour mob in Bordeaux, you can join a harvest celebration in the Douro Valley. These events carry the raw energy of local pride, not mass-market packaging.

Architecture and Atmosphere Without Barriers

Hotspots increasingly impose restrictions—time slots for museums, fees for public squares, bans on street musicians. Dupes often retain a freer, more relaxed vibe. Ghent’s canals are as charming as Bruges’ but come without tourist police or rigid ticketing. Exploring these spaces feels more spontaneous, less curated.

Wellness Through Space and Silence

The wellness angle of dupes is underappreciated. Crowded beaches and packed trains take a physical and mental toll. A dupe destination often offers room to breathe—literally. Empty trails in Puglia, quiet plazas in Oaxaca, or unspoiled waterfalls in Laos create restorative travel moments. These are the kinds of spaces where mindfulness happens naturally.

Supporting Communities Beyond the Spotlight

By choosing a dupe, travelers distribute wealth more fairly. In Amalfi, much of the money funnels into large hotels and international chains. In Alentejo, small family-owned guesthouses and local restaurants thrive. Tourism becomes a tool of empowerment rather than extraction, ensuring communities benefit instead of being hollowed out.

The Emotional Reward of Discovery

Finally, there’s the simple thrill of finding something overlooked. Telling friends you went to Santorini may get nods of recognition. Saying you spent three weeks working in Paros sparks curiosity. Destination dupes offer not just beauty but bragging rights of a different kind—the satisfaction of having discovered something authentic, sustainable, and meaningful before it went viral.

Living the Dupe Lifestyle: A Different Way of Traveling

Rediscovering Wonder Through Slower Rhythms

In hotspots, itineraries often shrink to a checklist—see the cathedral, take the photo, move on. In dupes, the absence of tourist pressure allows space to rediscover wonder. You’re not rushing to beat the queue at the Eiffel Tower; you’re lingering in Ghent’s St. Bavo Cathedral, alone with Van Eyck’s altarpiece. This shift from checklist to curiosity reshapes the very purpose of travel.

Food as the Gateway to Authenticity

Dupes often serve food that is truer to local traditions, unbent by mass tourism. In Oaxaca, mole is prepared with recipes passed down through generations, not watered down for tourist palates. In Bilbao, pintxos bars still cater to locals first, tourists second. Eating in a dupe destination feels less like performance and more like participation in daily life.

Creative Energy and Artistic Communities

Overtourism can squeeze out local art scenes, forcing spaces to cater to international tastes. Dupes often retain more authentic artistic energy. Valparaíso’s graffiti-lined streets and underground poetry nights, or Luang Prabang’s serene blend of Buddhist art and French colonial influences, reveal creativity that breathes free of mass-market curation.

The Luxury of Time

Dupes grant travelers the luxury of stretching out. You can stay in Puglia for weeks at the cost of three days in Positano. Instead of hunting bargains in overpriced souvenir shops, you can spend afternoons wandering markets or practicing the local language. This extended immersion builds memories that don’t just skim the surface.

Fewer Barriers Between Travelers and Locals

When cities reach overtourism saturation, locals retreat—residents leave central districts, conversations turn curt, patience evaporates. Dupes flip this script. Locals in Jeju or Ghent are often curious, welcoming, and proud to share their home. The cultural barrier lowers, and meaningful exchanges become natural rather than forced.

Healing the Relationship Between Travelers and Places

Perhaps most importantly, dupes represent a healing mechanism. They allow travelers to engage with iconic aesthetics—Greek islands, Venetian canals, Caribbean beaches—without feeding the very cycles of extraction that threaten them. Choosing a dupe is not only a personal benefit but also a gesture of solidarity with places struggling under unsustainable demand.

Latin America’s Best Destination Dupes 2025

Guatemala instead of Costa Rica

Costa Rica has become a sustainability success story—but also a victim of its own fame. High prices and crowded eco-lodges make it less accessible. Guatemala offers a compelling dupe: volcanic landscapes around Lake Atitlán, Mayan ruins like Tikal, and rich coffee culture. Bus and shuttle networks connect villages, making slow, surface travel possible. The environmental footprint is lower, and costs are friendlier to long-term nomads.

Oaxaca instead of Tulum (Mexico)

Tulum’s beaches are legendary but now overrun with resorts, waste issues, and inflated prices. Oaxaca, by contrast, balances history, cuisine, and culture. Its colonial center, mezcal traditions, and thriving art scene make it a slower, deeper alternative. Rail links are still limited, but bus routes and affordable flights from Mexico City connect it easily. Crucially, Oaxaca’s focus on community and crafts supports local livelihoods instead of international developers.

Colombia’s Pacific Coast instead of Cancún

Cancún is the archetype of overbuilt mass tourism. For an alternative, Colombia’s Pacific coast—destinations like Nuquí or Bahía Solano—offers raw beaches, whale watching, and Afro-Colombian culture. The infrastructure is lighter, and eco-lodges are designed to preserve rather than exploit. These areas are accessible via internal flights and regional buses, often in combination with ferry links.

Valparaíso instead of Rio de Janeiro (Chile vs Brazil)

Rio dazzles but struggles with safety, crowds, and inflated costs. Valparaíso, Chile’s bohemian port city, channels similar energy: colorful hillside neighborhoods, beaches nearby, and a pulsating nightlife. It’s also UNESCO-listed for its cultural significance. A rail revival in Chile is reconnecting Valparaíso to Santiago, offering a low-impact way to explore.

Asia’s Best Destination Dupes 2025

Luang Prabang instead of Chiang Mai (Laos vs Thailand)

Chiang Mai has become the unofficial digital nomad capital of Southeast Asia, but its infrastructure is buckling under demand. Luang Prabang, with its Buddhist temples, French colonial architecture, and riverside cafés, offers a gentler alternative. Accessible via regional flights and growing rail links with China, it maintains a slower pace and a more authentic cultural balance.

Bohol instead of Boracay (Philippines)

Boracay, once a pristine island, has been forced into closures to repair environmental damage. Bohol, by contrast, balances beaches with eco-attractions like the Chocolate Hills and tarsier sanctuaries. Ferries connect Bohol to Cebu, making it a sustainable extension of larger rail-and-ferry itineraries across the Philippines.

Jeju Island instead of Bali (Korea vs Indonesia)

Bali is a victim of its own beauty—plastic waste, traffic jams, water shortages. Jeju, South Korea’s volcanic island, offers an equally lush alternative with waterfalls, beaches, and a vibrant café culture. It’s accessible by ferry and short domestic flights, and its infrastructure is designed for both locals and visitors. Unlike Bali, Jeju’s focus on sustainable farming and food culture remains intact.

Penang instead of Phuket (Malaysia vs Thailand)

Phuket’s overdevelopment has eroded its charm. Penang, Malaysia’s island of street food and colonial architecture, delivers cultural richness without the excess. George Town’s murals and hawker stalls make it a hub for creative nomads, while ferries and regional trains keep it well-connected to Malaysia’s mainland.

Rail & Ferry Connections: Getting There Sustainably

Europe’s Train-and-Ferry Dupes

Many European dupes are directly accessible by rail and ferry—making them ideal for low-impact travelers. Paros is connected via ferry from Athens’ Piraeus port, itself reachable by night train from major European cities. Ghent sits right on Belgium’s excellent train network, a short hop from Brussels or Antwerp. For Puglia, trains from Bari or Brindisi link you to charming villages without needing a car.

Latin America’s Bus & Rail Alternatives

Latin America’s dupes rely more on long-distance buses than trains. Guatemala’s famous “chicken buses” link Lake Atitlán towns, while luxury coaches connect Oaxaca to Mexico City affordably. Colombia’s Pacific coast is less connected, but eco-lodges often arrange shuttle transfers that minimize environmental footprint compared to private cars.

Asia’s Regional Trains and Ferries

Asia’s rail revival makes dupes easier to reach. Luang Prabang is now accessible via the new Laos–China railway, connecting Kunming to Vientiane. In the Philippines, ferries make hopping between Cebu and Bohol simple, while Malaysia’s KTM trains bring travelers close to Penang before transferring to ferry services. Choosing these routes not only lowers carbon impact but often costs less than flights.

Sustainability Angles of Destination Dupes

Reducing Pressure on Fragile Ecosystems

Hotspots like Boracay or Santorini are ecological pressure cookers. Redirecting visitors to dupes helps relieve strain. By spending time in Bohol instead of Boracay, or Alentejo instead of Algarve, travelers allow fragile ecosystems to regenerate while still experiencing cultural and natural beauty.

Supporting Undertourism Economies

Dupes are often in regions historically left out of global tourism flows. Supporting them creates jobs, sustains local businesses, and discourages outmigration. A euro spent in Puglia or a peso spent in Oaxaca circulates locally, amplifying positive economic impact.

Encouraging Longer Stays Over Short Breaks

Because dupes are cheaper and quieter, travelers tend to stay longer. This shift from “fly in, take photos, fly out” to “settle in, live like a local” is the most sustainable form of tourism. Fewer flights, deeper connections, and a healthier balance for both locals and visitors.

Case Studies: Successful Destination Dupe Campaigns

Paros’ Rise as a Dupe for Santorini

Once overlooked, Paros saw rising bookings after being spotlighted on TikTok as a calmer Santorini. Local businesses embraced this trend by promoting traditional culture, not just sunsets and nightlife. The result: tourism that feels sustainable rather than extractive.

Ghent’s Rebranding Away from Bruges

Ghent invested in marketing itself as a “living city” rather than a museum. By highlighting its student culture, food scene, and year-round festivals, it successfully positioned itself as Bruges’ dupe while maintaining authenticity.

Guatemala’s Eco-Tourism Boom

Guatemala leveraged its natural beauty and Mayan heritage to attract eco-conscious travelers who found Costa Rica too crowded and pricey. Community-led tourism initiatives around Lake Atitlán now thrive thanks to this “dupe dynamic.”

Tips for Choosing Your Own Destination Dupe

Look for Similar Climate and Culture

Identify what draws you to the hotspot—sunset views, historic streets, island culture—then seek similar features in lesser-known places. Puglia gives Amalfi’s whitewashed villages; Jeju mirrors Bali’s volcanic lushness.

Research Rail and Ferry Networks First

True eco-friendly dupes are accessible by sustainable transport. Before booking, check train and ferry maps. If the dupe requires multiple flights, its environmental value diminishes. See Train vs Plane Emissions and Low-Impact Travel Habits.

Balance Affordability with Sustainability

A destination may be cheaper, but is it sustainable? Supporting local homestays or eco-lodges keeps your footprint low while ensuring money benefits residents. Avoid dupes becoming new extraction zones.

Challenges of Destination Dupes

Risk of Creating “New Over-Tourism”

The danger is obvious: today’s dupe can become tomorrow’s hotspot. If Paros or Bohol suddenly attract millions, they face the same pressures as their predecessors. Responsible promotion and visitor management are key.

Infrastructure Gaps in Hidden Gems

Many dupes lack the infrastructure to handle sudden growth. Limited medical facilities, poor waste systems, or fragile transport networks can quickly collapse under demand. Travelers must adapt expectations and avoid overloading fragile places.

Ensuring Locals Benefit, Not Just Investors

If dupes are over-commercialized, international developers can swoop in, repeating the mistakes of overtourism. For dupes to succeed, local ownership and community-led tourism must remain central.

The Future of Destination Dupes Beyond 2025

AI-Driven Travel Search Shaping Dupes

AI-powered platforms are already pushing dupes into the spotlight by suggesting “hidden gems” when travelers search for hotspots. This democratization of discovery may accelerate the spread of tourism beyond saturated hubs.

Policy Shifts Toward Distributing Tourism

Cities like Venice are experimenting with tourist caps and entry fees. Simultaneously, governments in Slovenia, Portugal, and Guatemala are promoting alternatives to spread out demand. Destination dupes will increasingly be policy-driven, not just trend-driven. For policy context, see European Commission — Transport and UNESCO’s work on heritage stewardship at UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

Will Dupes Replace Hotspots—or Complement Them?

Dupes won’t replace icons—people will always want Paris, Venice, and Bali. But they will complement them, creating healthier rhythms of visitation. The future traveler might pair one iconic stop with three dupes, balancing the experience and reducing strain.

Living the Spirit of Dupes: Beyond the Trend

Redefining Status in Travel

For decades, travel status was measured by ticking off icons: Santorini sunsets, Machu Picchu selfies, Paris cafés. Dupes flip that script. Suddenly, the story that excites people isn’t that you went where everyone else goes—but that you found the “next place.” Saying you spent a month working from Ghent or hiking Bohol makes you stand out in a sea of sameness. Status now comes from curiosity, not conformity.

Escaping the Tourist Gaze

In hotspots, you’re constantly aware of the “tourist gaze”—standing in lines, following maps, blending into a mass of backpacks and sunhats. Dupes remove that weight. You’re not part of a human tide surging through Dubrovnik’s Old Town; you’re one of a handful sipping coffee on Ljubljana’s riverbanks. The freedom from being “just another tourist” is profoundly liberating.

The Role of Serendipity

Hotspots rarely allow for surprise anymore. Every street corner is documented, every “hidden alley” is already on Instagram. Dupes bring back serendipity. You stumble into a village market in Puglia, where locals invite you to taste fresh olive oil. Or you discover a street mural in Valparaíso that’s not in any guidebook. Travel becomes an act of discovery again, not repetition.

Mental Wellness Through Space

Crowded destinations drain mental energy. Constant noise, lines, and competition for space make trips exhausting. Dupes offer room—literal and emotional. Empty trails, quiet ferries, and uncrowded plazas create restorative environments. Travelers often return from dupes refreshed rather than depleted. For digital nomads balancing work and exploration, this space is not luxury—it’s survival.

The Food Advantage

Hotspots often dilute local cuisine to meet international demand. In Cancun, tacos might cost more than in New York. Dupes preserve authenticity. In Oaxaca, you can eat mole at a family-run comedor for a few dollars. In Penang, hawker stalls serve recipes passed down for generations. Food in dupes isn’t just cheaper—it’s more honest.

Locals as Hosts, Not Gatekeepers

In overtouristed places, locals can grow defensive, even hostile, toward outsiders. In dupes, they often remain curious and welcoming, proud to share culture rather than protect it from encroachment. That human warmth is transformative. Travelers shift from being managed to being hosted, a subtle but powerful difference.

Dupes as Laboratories for Sustainable Tourism

Many dupes are actively experimenting with sustainable tourism models—community-run lodges, eco-certifications, limits on visitor numbers. Because they’re not yet locked into mass-tourism infrastructures, they have flexibility. If hotspots are examples of what went wrong, dupes are proving grounds for how tourism can go right.

A Return to the Soul of Travel

At its core, travel has always been about connection, curiosity, and perspective-shifting. Dupes strip away the noise of over-commercialization and bring us closer to those roots. They remind us that travel isn’t just about seeing—it’s about belonging, if only briefly. And belonging is easier to feel in places still living their own story, not reenacting one for visitors.

Conclusion: A More Balanced Future for Travel

Destination dupes in 2025 are more than a TikTok trend—they’re a blueprint for sustainable travel. By choosing alternatives like Paros over Santorini, Oaxaca over Tulum, or Penang over Phuket, travelers gain authentic experiences while relieving pressure on fragile ecosystems and overwhelmed communities.

For eco nomads and mindful adventurers, dupes represent the future of tourism: affordable, respectful, and low-impact. They allow us to travel not as consumers of bucket-list checkboxes, but as participants in living cultures.

The world doesn’t need fewer travelers—it needs better-distributed ones. Dupes provide that balance, letting hotspots breathe while helping hidden gems thrive. The challenge of the next decade will be ensuring these dupes stay authentic, sustainable, and community-centered.

Travel in 2025 is no longer about where everyone goes. It’s about where you choose to belong—even if only for a short time. And more often than not, that place will be a dupe.