Many tourist spots around the world have certain labels attached to them. For example, many people say that New Yorkers are rude, while others say that Mumbai is overly busy. Are these labels purely myths that have gathered unnecessary momentum over time via whispers, or is there some truth behind them?
A travel forum user has taken to the platform to share his thoughts on popular tourist destinations with certain stereotypes written about them over the years. Let’s hear him out…
Going Against the Grain
The original poster started by saying that while he didn’t consider his views extreme, he thought they went against the “prevailing views” that we often see online. Here is what he said about three of the most popular European Capital Cities:
Brussels
OP says that he can’t fathom why the capital of Belgium gets so much hate from tourists. So many people come back from Brussels feeling underwhelmed and saying that they found it pretty dull. On the other hand, OP says he has always had a good time there. Particular highlights for him included the Ghent football stadium and the Atomium.
Paris
According to OP, the negatives of Paris are “overblown.” The common perception of Paris historically is that it is the “city of love”; however, recently, it has been lumped with a reputation of being dirty. OP says that he doesn’t understand why it has this reputation, which is great for tourists who love art and fashion.
London
OP’s controversial take on London is more about the fact that other places in the UK are neglected by tourists in favor of London. According to him, plenty of other nice places deserve attention, including Manchester, Edinburgh, and Bath, but people from overseas fail to see the beauty of these places because they are so fixated on the capital.
More Controversy in the Comments
The comments section was filled with people offering their own controversial travel opinions. However, the most popular response by far was from a user who tackled the issue that some “edgy” tourists have with those who want to do “touristy” things while traveling.
Their comment read: “It’s okay to do touristy things when you’re a tourist.” This point was backed up by several other users, with one person expanding on this point by saying: “This is what I came here to say. So many people want to be edgy, saying they like stuff “off the beaten path” or “that the locals do.” Locals go to those places to escape us, tourists.”
Other Comments
Other comments which garnered a lot of attention included one user saying that hotels are way better than Airbnb when it comes to vacation accommodation and another who said that they enjoy trying different Mcdonald’s chains wherever they go because the food is different in each one.
What are your thoughts on these controversial travel opinions? Also, if you have rogue opinions about certain travel hotspots, let us know in the comments.
Source: Reddit.
