Best friends Niki Costa, 26, and Tiffany Schiro, 27, have been travelling together since 2018, and are co-founders of the business Went There Loved That, which provides travel guides, itineraries and tips. Their travel schedule involves sometimes forgoing the most popular spots, as the Los Angeles-based duo look at more cost-effective options, including “destination dupes” – places that are similar in look and feel to popular locations but are cheaper and often less busy. One of their favourites is Albania.
“It is a gorgeous country with some of the best beach cities we’ve been to, and is similar to Greece,” says Costa. Although they would never recommend picking one country above the other, “We encourage people to also check out Albania for a more affordable and less touristy experience.” The term “destination dupes” was reportedly first used on social media, as an extension of the “fashion dupes” concept – affordable alternatives to popular clothing items and accessories.
TikTok and Instagram are teeming with posts highlighting travel dupes – such as Zanzibar’s gorgeous beaches, exotic wildlife, and rich culture as a stand-in for popular honeymoon destination Bora Bora, but at half the cost. “A popular spot, especially at prime time, can cost you hundreds of dollars a day to visit. However, a dupe destination will cost you a fraction of the price,” says Schiro, providing the Greek island of Mykonos as an example, where a hotel can cost well.
