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Revealed: The best travel ‘dupes’ for Venice, Lake Como and more

EuroNews · 🇫🇷 public France · · 482 words · By Dianne Apen-Sadler
Budget Travel Overtourism Sustainable Travel
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What to know about Budget Travel

Whether you’re looking for a city break or an island escape, this is where to go to avoid the crowds.

Claims checked 10
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left25%
Center50%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Whether you’re looking for a city break or an island escape, this is where to go to avoid the crowds.

Why it matters

There are certain destinations around the world everyone wants to visit at least once: Venice.

Common ground

But overtourism in many of these top spots is becoming a huge problem, and not everyone has the luxury of being able to travel in shoulder- or off-season to dodge the crowds.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/08/05/these-are-the-best-dupes-for-travel-h…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 10 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 5
check_circle Corroborated 3
help Insufficient Evidence 1
verified Verified By Reference 1
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Claim 1: “The best travel dupe? That would be Ghent in Belgium, which replaces Venice.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Euronews and other travel sites) confirm that Ghent, Belgium is ranked as the top travel dupe for Venice, Italy.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Bruges ( BROOZH, French: [bʁyʒ] ; Dutch: Brugge [ˈbrʏɣə] ; West Flemish: Brugge [ˈbrœɦə]) is the capital and largest city of the province of West Flanders, in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is loc…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruges
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Death in Venice (German: Der Tod in Venedig) is a novella by German author Thomas Mann, drawing in part on his own experience in Venice during the 1911 cholera epidemic. It was published in a limited …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_in_Venice
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Saint Julian the Hospitaller is a saint venerated in the Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church. He is the patron saint of the cities of Ghent, Belgium; Saint Julian's, Malta; and Macerata, Ital…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_the_Hospitaller
+ 3 more evidence sources
help
Claim 2: “For foodies, it’s [Jeonju] also the birthplace of bibimbap.”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was provided in the search results to confirm or deny that Jeonju is the birthplace of bibimbap.
verified
Claim 3: “In Jeonju, you’ll be able to explore traditional architecture in the hanok village, visit Gyeonggijeon Shrine, and learn more about the history of the Three Kingdom period at the Jeonju National Museum.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Wikipedia and multiple travel guides confirm that Jeonju contains the Hanok Village, Gyeonggijeon Shrine, and the National Jeonju Museum.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Tourism in South Korea and its industry caters to both foreign and domestic tourists. The country has 16 World Heritage Sites, including Changdeokgung Palace, Namhansanseong and Hwaseong Fortress. Seo…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourism_in_South_Korea
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jeonju (Korean: 전주; Korean pronunciation: [t͡ɕʌɲ.d͡ʑu], lit. 'Perfect region') is the capital and largest city of the state of Jeonbuk, South Korea. It is both urban and rural due to the closeness of …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeonju
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Jeonju Hanok Village (Korean: 전주한옥마을 Hanja: 全州韓屋마을) is a village in the city of Jeonju, South Korea, and overlaps with the Pungnam-dong and Gyo-dong neighborhoods. The village contains over 800 Korean…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeonju_Hanok_Village
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 4: “Each destination pair was evaluated based on its visual and cultural similarity, accommodation savings based on average peak-season hotel prices, visitor pressure, accessibility, and momentum across social media and online search platforms.”
CORROBORATED
Two independent sources (Euronews and a dedicated travel report) explicitly list the same evaluation criteria: visual/cultural similarity, accommodation savings, visitor pressure, accessibility, and social media/search momentum.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Holafly said international travel dupes are emerging as an alternative to overtourism, enabling visitors to enjoy similar landscapes, architecture and cultural experiences while reducing travel costs …
https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=2590519
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Each destination pair was evaluated based on its visual and cultural similarity, accommodation savings based on average peak-season hotel prices, visitor pressure, accessibility, and momentum across s…
https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/08/05/these-are-the-bes…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Holafly’s first Travel Dupe Index identifies the best international alternatives to some of the world’s most iconic destinations by comparing visual and cultural similarity, accommodation costs, overt…
https://www.thestar.com/globenewswire/the-worlds-best-travel…
info
Claim 5: “All the alternatives offered are in a different country to the original, and there are no more than two substitutes from the same nation.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the existence of the index is confirmed, the provided evidence does not include the full list of destinations or the specific rules regarding country distribution and the limit of two substitutes per nation.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Holafly was an early adopter of eSIM technology and provides unlimited prepaid data and roaming plans to international travelers in over 190 countries. [3][10] The Holafly app, which is available on i…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holafly
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Holafly offers a convenient and cost-effective eSIM solution for travelers. Compared to other eSIM providers, Holafly stands out with its extensive coverage, competitive data plans, and affordable pri…
https://esim.holafly.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Holafly offers the best eSIM for Global, with unlimited data, instant delivery, and easy activation. Whether you’re traveling for work or vacation, our eSIM ensures fast and reliable connectivity in G…
https://esim.holafly.com/esim-global/
info
Claim 6: “the country [Japan] recently increasing its visa fees fivefold in a bid to combat the surge of tourists.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results for Japan provide general information about the government and tourism, but no evidence was found regarding a recent fivefold increase in visa fees to combat overtourism.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Japan is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral legislature known as the National Diet. Widely considered a great power and the only Asian member of the G7, it maintains one of the world's stronge…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The Allies occupied Japan until 1952, during which a new constitution was enacted in 1947 that transformed Japan into a constitutional monarchy and the parliamentary democracy it is today.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Japan
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The official site of Japan National Tourism Organization is your ultimate Japan guide with tourist information for Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Hokkaido and other top Japan holiday destinations. We…
https://www.japan.travel/en/
info
Claim 7: “Next up on the ranking was Banff in Canada, which is a dupe for Aspen in the US.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence confirms Banff is a popular destination in Canada, but none of the search results explicitly confirm its specific rank (second) or its pairing with Aspen in the Holafly Index.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Alberta is a province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, the Northwest …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alberta
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Banff National Park is Canada's first national park, established in 1885 as Rocky Mountains Park. Located in Alberta's Rocky Mountains, 110–180 kilometres (68–112 mi) west of Calgary, Banff encompasse…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banff_National_Park
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — British Columbia is the westernmost province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscape…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia
+ 3 more evidence sources
info
Claim 8: “The top 10 destinations in the Travel Dupe Index: Ghent, Belgium, instead of Venice, Italy; Banff, Canada, instead of Aspen, US; Jeonju, South Korea, instead of Kyoto, Japan; Budva, Montenegro, instead of Ibiza, Spain; Cascais, Portugal, instead of Saint-Tropez, France; Lake Ohrid, North Macedonia, instead of Lake Como, Italy; Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic, instead of Tulum, Mexico; Menton, France, instead of Amalfi Coast, Italy; Ciudad Perdida, Colombia, instead of Machu Picchu, Peru; Siargao, Philippines, instead of Bali, Indonesia”
SINGLE SOURCE
Only the Euronews snippet mentions the top 10 list generally and confirms the Ghent/Venice pair; the full list of 10 pairs is not corroborated by other independent sources in the provided evidence.
info
Claim 9: “Third place went to Jeonju in South Korea, which replaced Kyoto in Japan.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence confirms the existence of Jeonju and Kyoto, but does not explicitly confirm Jeonju's third-place ranking or its pairing with Kyoto in the Holafly Index.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The China–Japan–South Korea trilateral summit is an annual summit meeting attended by China, Japan and South Korea, three major countries in East Asia and the world's second, fourth and 12th largest e…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China–Japan–South_Korea_trilat…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kim Kyu-jong (Korean: 김규종; born February 24, 1987) is a South Korean entertainer, actor, and a member of boyband SS501. He made his musical debut in Goong: Musical, playing the lead role of Lee Shin, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Kyu-jong
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the southern half of the Korean Peninsula and borders North Korea along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, wi…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Korea
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 10: “the team at eSIM provider Holafly have done their homework on this new ranking”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Euronews and other web search results) confirm that Holafly created a 'Travel Dupe Index' ranking destination alternatives.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — The best travel destination dupes. The best travel dupe? That would be Ghent in Belgium, which replaces Venice. All the medieval canals and historic architecture, without having to battle past crowds …
https://www.euronews.com/travel/2026/08/05/these-are-the-bes…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — One eSIM for all your travels. Add new destinations to your existing Saily eSIM — no need to install new eSIMs every time. Just top up and connect! An eSIM with a phone number.
https://saily.com/
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Holafly Esim provides access to a robust international mobile network, offering seamless connectivity in various countries across the globe. With extensive coverage in major urban centers as well as r…
https://holafly-esim.com/
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.