Six in 10 Americans are searching for “destination dupes” this year to cut down on costs, according to new research.
The survey of 2,000 Americans with upcoming travel plans revealed 61% are interested in a “dupe” — a destination that mimics the allure of a similar, more expensive place.
But just because respondents are open to these alternative destinations doesn’t mean they want everyone else to know.
The survey revealed that, when sharing photos or memories of their trip, 28% would tell people it was the “original” location — not a dupe.
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Conducted by Talker Research on behalf of EconomyBookings.com, the survey asked respondents what destination dupes they’d be interested in, and looked at why people are looking at these alternative destinations.
The top “dupes” that respondents would visit include the U.S. Virgin Islands, instead of the Bahamas (34%); Belfast, Ireland in place of London, England (23%); and Memphis, Tennessee, instead of Nashville (22%).
Respondents would also go to Curaçao instead of St Martin (22%), and they’ll replace their trip to Tuscany, Italy — heading to Napa, California instead (21%).
When respondents were asked about the appeal of these alternative spots: the majority said it was to save money (61%), while others were interested in seeing somewhere new (56%) and wanted to avoid crowds (51%) at the more popular destination.
Four in 10 (41%) were interested in seeing how similar the dupe is to the “real thing,” while 25% said traveling to the dupe would save them time (25%).
“There are so many incredible places to travel,” said Alen Baibekov, CEO at Economybookings.com. “It can be easy to think about summer travel and immediately start planning a trip abroad, or to an exotic destination — but it’s good to remember that there are equally wonderful places to travel that are closer to home. There’s no shame in taking a road trip to see a landmark in your state, or spending a weekend at a national park that’s only a few hours away.”
The survey asked how people prefer to arrive at their destination, and driving edged out flying as respondents’ preferred method (45% vs. 39%) — showing some might choose dupes as it allows them to skip the airport.
Looking across generations, older Americans especially leaned more toward driving than flying. While a third of Gen Z respondents preferred driving, these increased for each subsequent generation — with 50% of baby boomers saying they’d rather drive than fly.
For those who prefer driving, respondents said it’s more affordable (51%) and gives them more control (51%). It also allows them to enjoy the view (48%), gives them more freedom (46%) and a greater ability to choose where they stop (40%).
“Regardless of where you’re going — or how you’re getting there — it’s important to plan a trip you’re going to love,” said Baibekov. “There are so many different ways to travel, but taking a break and exploring somewhere new can be a great way to relax and decrease stress.”
WHAT “DESTINATION DUPES” WOULD RESPONDENTS BE INTERESTED IN VISITING?
U.S. Virgin Islands instead of the Bahamas — 34%Belfast instead of London — 23%Memphis instead of Nashville — 22%Curaçao instead of St Martin — 22%Napa, California instead of Tuscany, Italy — 21%Liverpool instead of London — 18%Lake Maggiore instead of Lake Como — 15%Tarpon Springs, Florida instead of the Greek Islands — 15%Western Colorado instead of Iceland — 14%Letchworth State Park, New York instead of the Grand Canyon — 14%Newport, Rhode Island instead of Nice, France — 14%Fontainebleau instead of Versailles — 13%Girona instead of Barcelona — 13%Krakow instead of Rome — 13%Quebec City instead of Geneva — 12%Perth instead of Sydney — 12%Leavenworth, Washington instead of Bavaria, Germany — 11%Montenegro instead of Croatia — 10%Borobudur, Indonesia instead of Angkor Wat — 10%Palawan, Philippines instead of the Maldives — 10%
Survey methodology:
This random double-opt-in survey of 2,000 Americans (with travel plans) was commissioned by Economybookings.com between May 29 and June 3, 2024. It was conducted by market research company Talker Research, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society (MRS) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).
