Warwick Castle has topped the list of the most overrated tourist attractions in the world, according to a new study, and one of Australia’s favourites gets a mention too.
The research by flight booking site Wingie analysed TripAdvisor reviews for the top 50 tourist experiences in every country.
The ranking was based on the number of keywords indicating whether an experience was perceived as overrated relative to the total number of reviews. A list of 40 keywords and phrases was tracked. An overall percentage score was then calculated to determine the ranking.
Warwick Castle, in England, is crowned the most overrated tourist spot in the world.
It received the highest proportion of overrated mentions compared to the number of reviews than any other landmark worldwide.
Of 16,430 reviews, 9430 overrated mentions or approximately three comments to five reviews (57.4 per cent).
The 956-year-old fortification has over 1000 mentions of the terms ‘disappointed’, ‘expensive’ and ‘not worth it’. Over 500 reviewers said it was ‘overpriced’ and there was ‘not much to see’.
Hating on the hill
Sovereign Hill is Australia’s most unimpressive tourist attraction, placing eighth globally. The open-air Gold Rush-era museum received 1442 disappointed comments, a 37.7 per cent score against 3823 reviews. Users slated the prices as too expensive over 500 times.
Kampong Phluk, a floating village in Cambodia, ranks second among the most overrated places to visit. It received over 552 comments from disappointed visitors compared to 1042 reviews (53 per cent). Visitors used the words ‘scam’, ‘expensive’ and ‘not worth it’ in their reviews.
Stonehenge, the UK’s second most overrated landmark, ranks third globally. There were 11,203 related comments compared to 15,118 reviews, a ratio of over two-fifths (42.4 per cent). Tickets, costing £20.90 – A$40 – per adult, were deemed too ‘expensive’ and ‘not worth it’ over 1000 times. The words ‘disappointing’ and ‘avoid’ were used over 300 times.
The fourth most disappointing tourist attraction is Besakih Temple in Bali, Indonesia. It received an overrated score of 39.9 per cent, based on 1488 mentions compared to 2752 reviews. Appearing in over 150 comments were the words ‘scam’ and ‘not worth it’ and warnings to ‘avoid’.
The Jungfraujoch, a glacier saddle in the Swiss Alps, ranks fifth. It received an overrated score of 38.5 per cent, based on 271 related mentions compared to 703 reviews. It is home to one of the highest astronomical observatories in the world. However, almost one in four visitors deemed the snowy getaway expensive and not worth the money.
We’re caught in trap
Graceland, Elvis Presley’s estate in Memphis, Tennessee, is the United States’ most overrated landmark, ranking seventh in the world. Over a third (38.1 per cent) of guests left underwhelmed. Review comments included ‘not worth it’ and ‘expensive’ and remarked there was ‘not much to see’ and it was ‘disappointing’.
Bletchley Park is the United Kingdom’s third most overrated tourist hotspot, ranking ninth worldwide. It received a 37.4 per cent overrated. Comments referred to the country estate as ‘dull’, ‘boring’ and ‘confusing’.
Ngong Ping 360, which the official page claims is one of the “top 10 best cable car experiences in the world”, is the world’s 10th most overrated tourist attraction. The “star attraction” gondola lift in Hong Kong was lambasted by reviewers, with 384 warnings to ‘avoid’, 421 mentions saying it was ‘not worth it’ and 671 saying they ‘queued for hours’.
Falling flat
WEG chief operating officer Nihan Çolak Erol said visitors wanted to feel their attendance was worth the money, especially with the cost-of-living crisis making holidays less affordable.
“By studying traveller sentiment, we can reveal which experiences fell flat for most people,” Ms Erol said.
“The key to creating a good experience is ensuring that expectations meet reality. In most cases, the ticket price didn’t justify the visit. Visitors should understand the value and uniqueness of each experience, so they leave feeling their money was well spent”.
Have you been to any of these attractions? What’s your most disappointing travel experience? We’d love to hear about it in the comments section below.
Also read: Feeling like royalty on one of Cunard’s ‘queens’
Cannot comment on most but Stonehenge just mesmerised me, I could have spent several hours there, my wifes comment was “what a waste of time & money”. Comes back to that old saying “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”.
A lot of underwhelming places now. I think it is mainly due to 3 reasons. 1. There being so many other amazing places now to visit as people travel so much more. 2. The stupid prices that are now charged at well known tourist traps. 3. The ubiquitous marauding hoards and selfie takers.
The gnome is correct, Several times I have been advised NOT to visit an attraction, but have had a great experience there. I was once advised NOT to visit Hobiton in NZ as it was too costly and was just doors in a hillside, But… as a mad Tolkien fan, I found it amazing and well worth it. Stonehenge and other historical sites in the UK are also great if you are a History fan, it all depends on your personal fancies