Times Square is in a time out.
NYC’s Crossroads of The World sits close to the top of a new naughty list that aims to shame the globe’s worst tourist traps — with just two other spots ahead of the infamous intersection.
According to a new poll conducted by Nomad, an eSim provider popular among travelers, the Big Apple’s beating heart is simply too crowded, expensive and underwhelming to actually enjoy.
To compile the list, the data dealer sifted through thousands of online reviews of tourist attractions, filtering for mentions of ‘tourist traps’ by real travelers for the world’s top 50 most visited countries.
Third place isn’t a bad shake for the the buzzy, billboard-laden district — which in the past has found itself at the top of these types of lists.
Apparently, this time around, aggrieved adventurers appeared to hate Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco and Wall Drug Store in South Dakota more.
The allegedly dastardly duo tied for first place, while Hawaii’s Dole Plantation landed in second.
Chief complaints shared among the ‘tacky,’ sourpuss-causing spots included high prices, poorly maintained facilities and unmanaged crowds.
One recent visitor dubbed the iconic Bay Area spot a “washed-up wharf,” while a Wall Drug wanderer said it was “just okay.”
Hundreds of visitors to the country’s most famous pineapple farm, meanwhile, didn’t find it very sweet at all.
One reviewer slammed the locale as Exhibit A of tourist traps, saying: “You are in Hawaii for goodness’ sake. Do something else. Anything else. ANYTHING ELSE.”
Rounding up the terrible top 5 were Chicago’s Navy Pier and Charleston, S.C. restaurant Hyman’s Seafood.
Top tourist traps in the U.S.
- Fisherman’s Wharf — San Francisco, Calif. and Wall Drug — Wall, S.D.
- Dole Plantation — Wahiawa, Hawaii
- Times Square — New York, N.Y.
- Navy Pier — Chicago, Ill.
- Hyman’s Seafood — Charleston, S.C.
The study also examined data from top vacation spots across the world, and it seems Fisherman’s Wharf and Wall Drug were really that bad, because they also snagged the top spot globally.
Fortunately for Times Square, a handful of other spots were hated enough to crowd it out of the top 5 — including Barcelona’s Las Ramblas, the Temple Bar nightlife district in Dublin, and others.
Top tourist traps in the world
- Fisherman’s Wharf — San Francisco, Calif. and Wall Drug — Wall, S.D.
- Las Ramblas — Barcelona, Spain
- Temple Bar — Dublin, Ireland
- Checkpoint Charlie — Berlin, Germany
- Royal Mile — Edinburgh, Scotland
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