Not worth the hype? Study uncovers the most underwhelming cities for tourists

These cities are tourist letdowns

By Amanda Teague Published March 14, 2025 7:00 AM

Sayulita, Cancun — Michelle_Raponi / Pixabay

While many cities around the world are celebrated for their tourist attractions, a recent study has uncovered that not all popular destinations live up to the expectations of travelers. Radical Storage analyzed over 97,409 visitor reviews across 100 of the world’s most-visited cities to identify the most underwhelming spots for tourists.

Inspired by the phenomenon known as ‘Paris syndrome,’ the extreme disappointment some visitors feel when their dream destination doesn’t meet expectations, the study reveals which cities left travelers feeling less than thrilled.

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Taking the top spot is Cancún, Mexico, a renowned beach paradise that has earned a reputation for disappointment. Despite being a popular tourist hotspot designed specifically for vacationers, Cancún had the highest percentage of negative reviews in the study, with 14.2% of reviews referencing words like “disappoint” and “rip-off.”

Following Cancún is Antalya, Turkey’s “capital of tourism,” and Punta Cana, a well-known beach resort in the Dominican Republic. The first U.S. destination to make the list is Orlando, Florida, which had 10.6% of reviews labeled as negative.

The most underwhelming cities for tourists: The full list

Finest Punta Cana pool — Emily Caldwell / The Manual

These are the cities that left tourists feeling less-than-impressed.

Cancún, Mexico
Antalya, Turkey
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
Beijing, China
Orlando, United States
Mumbai, India
Honolulu, Hawaii
Johor Bahru, Malaysia
Kyoto, Japan
Playa Del Carmen, Mexico

Cities that exceed expectations

Lima, Peru — pvdberg / Pixabay

In addition to studying the most underwhelming cities, Radical Storage also analyzed cities that exceeded expectations and impressed visitors. These are the cities that took the top spots.

Guangzhou, China
Lima, Peru
Muscat, Oman
Sapporo, Japan and Zhuhai, China
Vilnius, Lithuania
Santiago, Chile
Tallinn, Estonia
Shenzhen, China
Delhi, India, Mecca, Saudi Arabia, and Guilin, China

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Amanda, an accomplished freelance writer featured in several online publications, is a dedicated explorer of both the world…

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