We know we’re biased, but it’s hard to imagine someone visiting our aptly-named Magic City and feeling anything but fulfilled with their stay. I mean, where else can you enjoy coffee served from a ventanita, marvel at world-class art, sip on unlimited piña coladas under the sun, adventure to national parks within proximity and go dancing into the wee morning hours? All in one day, might we add.
According to a study hailing all the way from the UK by market analysis platform King Casino Bonus, tourists visiting Miami might feel a little differently. Based on thousands of ratings posted on travel review portals like TripAdvisor, a team of researchers were able to compile a list of the World’s Most Overrated Cities and which specific destinations in each city are the most disappointing to tourists.
The experts looked at 85 cities globally, analyzing the ratio of 5 and 4 star ratings to 3-2-1 star ratings, in addition to how often certain keywords and phrases such as “very disappointing” or “not as nice as expected” were used in review descriptions.
Unfortunately for those of us who love our city (and fortunately for those wanting travelers to stop coming altogether), Miami is considered the 6th most overrated city in the U.S.
“The city is a hot spot for wealthy people on yacht cruises and highly influenced by Art Deco art style and hispanic culture,” the report reads. But don’t let the stats completely throw you off, as only 13.9% of tourists were disappointed!
As for the most regrettable attraction, we can’t say we’re entirely surprised with the result. Whether you refer to it as 8th Street or simply Calle Ocho, it is Little Havana’s main drag.
“The Havana district with a high concentration of people from neighbouring Cuba left several commentators feeling underwhelmed. Others expressed Little Havana has lost its charm and feels like a big tourist trap,” the study found.
We’ll be the ones to say Calle Ocho isn’t all that bad — the street is lined with Cuban cuisine, cigar shops, murals, free salsa classes and live music. Oh, and giant roosters…. There’s often big celebrations throughout the year like the Calle Ocho Festival and award-winning restaurants like Cafe La Trova that call the strip home.
Considering La Pequeña Habana is often touted as a must-visit spot, we wonder if it’s a matter of the destination being so hyped up that by the time someone experiences it for themselves, their high expectations turn into disappointment.
And yet, Miami isn’t even the most disappointing tourist destination! Our city falls just behind Rimini, Italy and Munich, Germany. Coming in at No. 1 as the most overrated city is Bangkok, Thailand with more than 16% of visitors feeling let down. Khao San Road, a short street located in the center of the capital, was listed as the most disappointing spot.
Check out the list below. The full ranking can also be found here.