European destinations are experiencing huge over tourism, with cities like Barcelona, Venice, and Amsterdam implementing visitor caps and facing resident protests against mass tourism.
A new study by influencer marketing platform Heepsy analysed destinations outside Europe to find the best alternatives that can accommodate tourists without the same negative impacts
The research examined destinations using five key factors: safety levels, number of available hotels, tourist activities, climate, and Instagram popularity where each location received a score from 0-100.
The Top 10 alternative destinations
The United Arab Emirates ranks as the best non-European destination for travelers. The Emirates delivers exceptional security levels and maintains a massive accommodation infrastructure with 19,700 hotels. The destination features 8,851 attractions ranging from Dubai’s skyscrapers to Abu Dhabi’s cultural sites. Travelers clearly love sharing their UAE experiences, generating 18.2 million Instagram hashtags. This suggests the UAE offers the infrastructure and safety that travellers may seek in Europe, while potentially offering a less crowded experience
Qatar secures second place, maintaining high safety levels that match the UAE standards. The country offers almost 700 different activities, from world-class museums to desert adventures. Qatar has one of the highest social media footprints with 35.9 million Instagram posts, suggesting exceptional visitor satisfaction.
Taiwan takes the third position, demonstrating excellent safety standards and operates 9,900 accommodation options. Most remarkably, Taiwan generates 38.4 million Instagram posts – the absolute peak among all destinations – suggesting visitors find experiences like night markets, hot springs, and mountain temples highly shareable.
Macao comes in fourth place. It has strong security levels and offers 67 carefully-curated experiences across its small territory, focusing on casino entertainment, Portuguese heritage, and culinary fusion.
Oman captures fifth place as the third representative from the Arabian Peninsula. The Sultanate shows solid safety levels. Oman registers 1,400 hotels and 1,314 diverse attractions, including desert expeditions, mountain adventures, and coastal experiences. Oman’s 19.8 million Instagram shares reflect growing international recognition as travelers discover this alternative.
Hong Kong ranks sixth, combining urban aesthetics with Asian authenticity in a compact package. The city offers 628 accommodation choices alongside 489 unique experiences from dim sum tours to Victoria Peak viewpoints. The city’s 785,000 Instagram posts also showcase its appeal as a concentrated urban adventure.
Japan takes seventh place. The country sustains high safety standards and has the largest accommodation network at 50,500 hotels – more than double China’s capacity. With 8,657 activities spanning temple visits, cherry blossoms, and technological marvels, Japan also features in 3.8 million Instagram posts, indicating steady international interest.
China ranks eighth among European alternatives. China has the highest attraction count at 10,000 activities across the country ranging from the Great Wall, Terracotta Warriors to the Panda Reserve. With high safety metrics, China appears in 1.7 million social media hashtags. This represents a notable figure considering the country’s preference for local apps, suggesting highly memorable experiences worth sharing internationally.
Singapore claims ninth place, maintaining excellent safety standards and providing 544 lodging options. The city-state offers up to 900 experiences, all concentrated in one accessible location. Its 2.3 million Instagram mentions demonstrate consistent visitor satisfaction.
Bahrain completes the top ten as yet another Gulf destination. The island kingdom operates 297 accommodation facilities. Bahrain offers more than 100 activities. Most remarkably, Bahrain generates 32.1 million Instagram hashtags, suggesting that the country boasts numerous shareable attractions despite its compact size.
Photo credit: saiko3p / Shutterstock.com
