There was a time when choosing a holiday destination was almost a matter of prestige. Paris meant Paris, Venice meant Venice and Santorini meant Santorini. The name on the boarding pass was part of the experience. That is changing now and fast. Travellers are increasingly looking beyond the world's most famous holiday hotspots and choosing destinations that can deliver a similar mood, landscape, architecture or experience, without quite the same crowds or price tag. The phenomenon has picked up a name of its own: destination dupes. The idea is simple. Instead of paying a premium to visit the place everyone else is visiting, travellers are asking a different question: "What if I could get the feeling I want somewhere else?" And in 2026, that question is becoming increasingly relevant as travellers try to make their holiday budgets stretch further. According to RVshare's 2026 Travel Trend Report, 87% of travellers surveyed are actively looking for ways to reduce travel costs. The report identifies destination dupes as one of the strategies people are turning to, alongside off-season travel, shorter getaways, discounted packages and rewards programmes. But saving money is only part of the appeal. It is not really about finding a ‘fake’ version. The word dupe might make a destination sound like a copycat, but that is not really what the trend is about. A good destination dupe does not have to be identical to the original. It simply offers enough of the experience that made the famous destination desirable in the first place. Love Venice for its canals, medieval architecture and walkability? Ghent in Belgium can offer a similar old-world, waterside atmosphere without Venice's enormous tourist crowds. Dreaming of Kyoto's traditional architecture and food culture? Jeonju in South Korea, with its famous hanok village and deep culinary heritage, offers a very different trip that can satisfy some of the same cravings. And if the idea of Bali's tropical landscapes and beach culture appeals but the crowds do not, Siargao in the Philippines has emerged as another alternative worth considering. These pairings feature in Holafly's 2026 Travel Dupe Index, which assesses alternatives using factors including visual and cultural similarity, accommodation costs, visitor pressure, accessibility and online interest. In other words, the destination dupe is less about imitation and more about matching the experience. One reason is obvious: travel is expensive. Airfares, accommodation and everyday holiday spending can quickly turn a dream trip into a financial calculation. Expedia's 2026 Summer Travel Outlook found that travellers are increasingly choosing destination dupes, flexible dates and travel packages as they look for better value. Then there is overtourism. The world's biggest destinations can be spectacular, but being spectacular has consequences. Crowded historic centres, packed beaches and long queues can fundamentally change the experience travellers imagined when they booked the trip. Booking.com's 2026 research found that 29% of travellers are interested in alternative destinations offering a similar experience to well-known places. Among those looking for less-crowded destinations, 44% said avoiding contributing to overtourism was a motivation. That makes the destination dupe a rather clever compromise: see something beautiful, spend less and perhaps enjoy it without thousands of other people doing exactly the same thing. There is another reason destination dupes have caught on: travellers are no longer discovering places only through traditional guidebooks. Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and travel platforms have made it easier to discover a lesser-known town that looks just as photogenic as a famous one. Once one traveller posts a picture of a charming European square or turquoise coastline and reveals that it costs considerably less than its famous counterpart, the idea can travel quickly. GetYourGuide's 2026 research found that up to 60% of respondents would even playfully 'travel dupe' on social media by presenting a lookalike destination as the original. The company's data also points to growing interest in smaller, less conventional cities. That is important because the modern traveller is increasingly chasing a feeling rather than a postcode. However, the smartest dupe may be the one that is not trying to be a dupe. A destination dupe cannot magically reproduce everything about the original. Ghent is not Venice, Jeonju is not Kyoto, and no alternative beach can completely replicate another country's culture, history or landscape. That is actually what makes the trend interesting. The best destination dupe is not necessarily the place that looks most like the famous destination. It is the place that gives travellers the things they actually wanted from that trip, beautiful architecture, great food, beaches, history, nightlife, nature or simply somewhere atmospheric to wander, without forcing them to pay exclusive