The British love of Mediterranean beaches will require more than just a TikTok craze. But latest figures show travellers are increasingly swapping Málaga for North Macedonia Benidorm was chosen for the Balkans in a “destination-dupe” social media trend.
Flights from UK to Bosnia and Herzegovina The number of trips to Montenegro grew by 164%, while the number of trips to Albania increased by 284%. Getaways to Albania – billed by some as “the new Croatia” – rose by 61%, according to an analysis of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data.
Experts say the appetite for lesser-known destinations is being driven by influencers promoting holiday “dupes” – locations that offer the same Insta-friendly scenery for a smaller budget.
Travel blogger Tara Tadlock who has over 15,000 Instagram followers, explained that the trend was a combination of a post-Covid burst for adventure and the current cost of living crisis as people look to find bargains.
“In the summer months accommodation prices spike … some restaurants will change their menus and charge extra,” she said. The cost of living plays a major role. I also believe people are trying to get away from crowds as there are so many places that are crowded now with tourists.
Manchester Airports Group analyzed CAA data and found that flights to Azerbaijan more than doubled from 2023 to 2024. Four African countries – Tunisia, Rwanda, Morocco and Ghana – also made the top 10 largest increases in flights from the UK over the same period.
You can find out more about this by clicking here. TikTokInfluencers with tens or thousands of followers recommend Bansko, Bulgaria instead of the expensive French Alps. Or a city trip to Podgorica, the capital, over crowded Athens or Budapest.
Expedia coined the term “destination duplicates” in 2023. Experts noticed how influencers shared “duplicate destination” videos in a similar fashion to the imitations made of designer clothing.
However, it is not just Gen Z travellers that are broadening their travel horizons. According to CAA statistics, millennials and parents made up most of the Balkans travellers. One in five passengers arriving in Albania were under 25 years old, and 13% of the passengers flying to Montenegro.
Covid-19 has also been credited with the increase in demand for lesser known destinations. Experts believe that Covid-19 changed how people travel. While visits to tourist hotspots have bounced back – in part driven by an urge to tick off bucket list locations – other holidaymakers are avoiding the crowds.
Research by Expedia found that 76% of boomers – born between 1946 and 1964 – prioritise quieter places compared with gen Z (40%). The younger generation is more likely to be inspired by online influencers in their search for adventure (41% vs 5%).
Tadlock predicted that Albania would become the “new Croatia”, as it offers stunning scenery, but without Croatia’s problem of overtourism. “I think the experience is dampened when I have to stand in line for 2 hours,” said Tadlock. “I also believe that consumers are more concerned about sustainability, the effects of tourism, or just the impact of traveling in general.”
Andrew Macmillan is the chief strategy officer of Manchester Airports Group. The group also operates London Stansted Airport and East Midlands Airports.
“We have seen the true power that social media has when it comes to influence where people decide to travel,” he said.
“Since 2019 the popularity of platforms such as TikTok have resulted hidden gem destinations not being so hidden. This has in turn led to a surge in visits to these places.”
While some Britons may be ready to explore, the old habits are hard to break. Tenerife remained the most popular holiday destination from the UK in 2024, with 3 million passengers, followed by Málaga, Mallorca and Alicante. Bosnia and Herzegovina saw 80,000 visitors after a nearly threefold increase. Albania also received just under one million passengers, and Montenegro, more than 210.000.
Visiting Bosnia and Herzegovina
By: Mary Novakovich
British tourists who choose Bosnia and Herzegovina over Benidorm are looking for something more than the typical beach holiday. For a start, Bosnia’s 12-mile sliver of the Adriatic coast at Neum – rather like that of Benidorm – is a concrete strip of sprawling resort hotels and crowded pebbly beaches. But you don’t come to Bosnia for the beaches – why would you when you have the jaw-dropping beauty of the Dinaric Alps, towering waterfalls, dramatic river canyons and some of Europe’s most captivating cities?
Instead of crowding into Neum, drive about 25 miles inland to the tranquility of the idyllic Hutovo Blato Nature ReserveIt is one of the largest wetlands in southern-eastern Europe. Take a boat ride through the waterways and marshes of the reserve, keeping an eye out for the broad range of birdlife – herons, shrikes, cormorants, buntings, terns – before cooling off with a swim in Svitavsko Lake.
It’s a short 40-minute drive from here to reach one of the region’s most beautiful natural attractions. Kravica Falls, whose cascades thunder through rich greenery into the River Trebižat. Swim near the foot of the waterfall, or check out other river swimming spots including the clear waters of Božjak. If you didn’t bring a picnic with you, you can always eat at the restaurants that serve grilled fish and beef.
The drama is set in motion by this. Unable to find out? National The largest of the Bosnian provinces, it runs along the natural border with Croatia formed by the River Una. The Una River has a magical effect on people from both sides of border. It runs 76 square miles and dips, falls and crashes across fertile green fields and thickly-forested slopes. The park is home to a number of stars, including Štrbački BukThere’s more to come at Martin Brod, the largest collection of waterfalls in the park. Martin Brod has the largest collection in the park of waterfalls.
Bosnia’s cities have just as much to offer. SarajevoIn the old Turkish Bascarsija quarter, you will find cobbled lanes of coppersmiths, silversmiths, restaurants, courtyard gardens, an old caravanserai, and Bosnia’s largest mosque, Gazi Husrev-beg. Squeezed into this old Turkish Baščaršija quarter are cobbled lanes of coppersmiths, silversmiths, restaurants, courtyard gardens, an old caravanserai and Bosnia’s largest mosque, Gazi Husrev-beg. The city is celebrating 30 years of peace since the end of 1992-1995 war. It’s a good time to visit both the Museum of Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide and Siege of Sarajevo Museum.
Herzegovina’s chief city, Mostar, is a popular – often too popular – destination for day-trippers from Dubrovnik. It’s difficult to ignore the beauty of the reconstructed Ottoman 16th century bridge, Stari Most. This is the symbol of the city. You can enjoy the old Ottoman Quarter at a relaxed pace once the crowds leave. The 16th-century Sufi Lodge is less than half an hour away. Blagaj TekkeThe gorge was built ingeniously into a limestone canyon by the source River Buna. Benidorm is not the place to find it.
