A new study has revealed the world's most disappointing tourist attractions, with Europe hosting all of the top five. The research, carried out by luggage storage company Radical Storage, analysed 95,352 visitor reviews across 200 landmarks and found that the UK's Alton Towers was the worst offender.
Nearly half (49.4 per cent) of the reviews for the Staffordshire theme park were negative, compared to an average of 10.9 per cent across the study. Visitors complained about poor value for money, misleading ticket information, overpriced extras and subpar customer service. Meanwhile, Budapest's Széchenyi Baths and Pool, the largest medicinal bath in Europe and a wellness tourism destination since 1913, ranked third worst for crowds and accessibility.
Tourists have been sharing their complaints about Europe's top spots, with Siam Park in Spain earning a notorious reputation for impolite staff and poor accessibility. Reports have surfaced of guests feeling body-shamed and highlighting the park's lack of facilities for disabled visitors, with a staggering third of reviews expressing dissatisfaction.
Launched by Time Out Magazine in 2014, Time Out Market in Lisbon has also faced criticism, suffering from complaints about overwhelming crowds and problematic accessibility, leaving over 25 percent of visitors less than impressed, reports The Mirror.
Even the iconic Trevi Fountain in Rome couldn't avoid tourist criticism, as numerous visitors slammed the renowned site for being overly packed. Despite raking in a massive €1 million every year from hopeful coin-tossing tourists, some scathingly refer to it as merely an "ugly" coin pool.
Following Time Out Market Lisbon, the fountain ranks second in terms of mentions about crowd-related issues or lack of accessibility in reviews, with one in four visitors sharing negative feedback.
Notably, the famed monument underwent a spell of renovations last year, which may have fuelled the adverse comments from travellers.
The Express has contaced Alton Towers for comment.
