From Stonehenge to the pyramids of Giza, these are the tourist spots with the highest number of complaints over the years. Let’s take a look at which tourist attractions lead the negative ranking.
There's nothing worse like going to a legendary, world-renowned tourist attraction and being completely disappointed. It can be a disconcerting and frustrating experience, in fact, you may even feel you want to complain. And who doesn't like to complain?
Which world-famous tourist attractions are the most criticized? By analyzing more than 80,000 negative TripAdvisor reviews of famous locations around the world, the company discovered which attractions have received the most complaints over the years.
"Many of us dream of traveling the world and feasting our eyes on the most iconic sights. However, our research revealed that some of the most famous landmarks may not be all they're cracked up to be. In first place, the Hollywood Walk of Fame was revealed as the most complained about tourist attraction with 20% of its reviews receiving only one or two stars, followed by the Palace of Versailles and Stonehenge," the report says.
At the top of the podium sits, unsurprisingly, the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles. After all, it's just a bunch of fancy cobblestone, right? A surprising 20% of all reviews of the most well-known and visited stretch of Hollywood Boulevard give it one or two stars ratings, and most of the complaints are related to its lack of cleanliness.
Next on the list is the Palace of Versailles, just outside Paris, which is often celebrated for being a particularly ornate and magnificent place. The main complaints from guests at Versailles seem to be the level of overcrowding, the expensive entrance fee, and the poor maintenance of the gardens.
In third place there is Stonehenge in the UK, which faces complaints ranging from the high entrance fee to the disappointing simplicity of the attraction itself.
Back in western California, the iconic Hollywood sign has been mentioned in television, movies, songs and more, making it a top visitor attraction. Despite that, out of 7675 online reviews, it received the fourth-highest number of one- or two-star reviews at 6%.
5% reviews of the next three attractions are one or two-star ratings, but the total number of reviews is different. London's Big Ben has 31,783 reviews on TripAdvisor, but 5% of those are one or two stars. The White House has 8,130 reviews and 5% of them are one or two stars ratings, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy has 14,633 reviews of which 5% of them are one or two stars ratings.
The most reviewed tourist attraction was the Empire State Building, with a total of 92,362 reviews on TripAdvisor. But it seems the 102-story landmark isn't all that visitors think it will be, as 4% of visitors left a one- or two-star ratings. The Empire State Building's website says that more than 4 million people visit each year, as many want to visit the decks that dominate the entire city of New York.
Built-in the 26th century BC, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt attract more than 14.7 million visitors a year and were part of the original Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Despite their mysterious history, 4% of the 8,142 reviews left on TripAdvisor are one or two-star ratings.
Rounding out the top 10 most reviewed attractions in the world there is the Buckingham Palace in London, the seat of the British monarchy since 1837 after its original construction in 1703. 3% of the 29,303 reviews were one or two-stars ratings, as more than 50,000 people visit the Palace as guests for events such as banquets, luncheons and dinners, according to the Royal Family website.
Meanwhile, according to the research, the Great Wall of China is the least complained-about tourist attraction with only 114 of its 23,785 reviews rated one or two stars. The Internet has made it easy to share our opinions online, both positive and negative, and with social media at our fingertips, this way of life is unlikely to disappear any time soon.
The list of the most criticized tourist attractions worldwide
- Hollywood Walk of Fame, USA
- Palace of Versailles, France
- Stonehenge, UK
- Hollywood sign, USA
- Big Ben, UK
- The White House, USA
- Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy
- Empire State Building, USA
- Pyramids of Giza, Egypt
- Buckingham Palace, UK