British holidaymakers have named their most over-rated destinations, with some seriously big names on the list
Holiday expert Rob Brooks recently took to TikTok to ask his followers about the most overrated holiday destinations.
Dubai, a favourite among influencers, topped the list, with visitors describing it as “flashy, soulless, full of shopping centres and motorways.” However, three Spanish hotspots also received some harsh feedback.
In Rob’s list of “honourable mentions,” Ibiza, Marbella and Tenerife were deemed overrated by 2% of respondents, while Benidorm garnered 3.3% of the votes.
Speaking on his ‘Rob On The Beach‘ TikTok channel, he noted that while some people adore Benidorm, many others view the renowned Costa Blanca resort as “all fried food and stag dos.”
Views on Benidorm varied among commenters on Rob’s video, with some finding it unlovable, while others praised the charming Old Town.
Tenerife also received some negative reviews, with one commenter stating that “anywhere in the Canaries is truly awful.”
Rob advised that for all these destinations, managing expectations is key: “Every destination has its pros and its cons, but when you go somewhere with huge expectations you kind of set yourself up to fail.”
Ibiza, known for its dance music scene, has long been criticised for being overcrowded, dirty and stressful, with an increasing number of illegal holiday rentals. The high demand for tourist accommodation means many locals are forced to live in substandard housing.
In a statement, the Menys Turisme Mes Vida (Less Tourism More Life) pressure group said: “We say enough to the destruction of the territory, to the precariousness, to the housing crisis, to the loss of rights.”
Many of Ibiza’s essential workers, including police officers and doctors, are now living in makeshift encampments, leaving locals increasingly frustrated by tourist pressure.
“I know one person working two different jobs but living in a tent,” one Ibiza local told Sky News.
“Someone else is paying 850 euros for a single room, now possibly having to share it because the landlord wants to put a bunk bed in… People sleeping on balconies, paying 500 euros a month. There are key workers desperate for accommodation, doctors pleading, ‘I work in a hospital saving lives and I have nowhere to live.’”
Meanwhile, Tenerife saw visitor numbers surge by two million last year, with anti-tourism campaigners on the island pledging to return with even greater force this summer.
Protests kicked off in 2024, with thousands of residents taking to the streets across the Canary Islands, warning that the destination was “reaching its limit.”
Throughout Spain, holidaymakers are facing a growing backlash as property firms snap up flats to convert into Airbnbs.
It’s this factor, combined with soaring costs and overcrowding, that’s leading an increasing number of British tourists to view these Spanish hotspots as vastly overrated.
