Travellers name four countries they wouldn’t return to even if the trip were free

A recent survey of travellers gathered first‑hand accounts of trips that turned into major disappointments; respondents named four countries they say they Wouldn’t return to even if offered a free trip.

Among the destinations most frequently mentioned were Bulgaria, Egypt, France and the Dominican Republic. Complaints ranged from dirty beaches and poor hygiene to unfriendly service, persistent attempts to charge for extra items and outright scams.

Several respondents described problems at hotels: one traveller said she arrived with a two‑year‑old child and was initially given a room without a window, and only received a different room after repeated insistence. Another guest recounted seeing chickens walking between tables and pecking at diners’ legs in an open‑air hotel restaurant, and criticised the quality of the food.

Payments, pressure and security concerns

Multiple travellers reported being pressured to pay for services they expected to be included. One family booked a trip advertised with snorkelling but were told on the boat that the mask was not included in the price; they also said staff expected a mandatory tip. Others mentioned pushy street vendors and taxi drivers. One family claimed an employee searched their luggage while they were out of the room. Visitors to Cairo praised the architecture but described the city as dirty and said they encountered frequent scams.

Paris disappointed some respondents not because of the sights but because of the atmosphere: one participant who speaks French fluently said the city looked untidy and crowded and that service workers felt hostile. Another traveller who had visited 18 European countries singled out France as the only country he would not visit again because, in his experience, people there were not especially welcoming.

The Dominican Republic drew some of the harshest criticism. One tourist reported that money disappeared from her hotel pool during her stay, called organised excursions expensive and said the overall tourism system felt closely tied to corruption. She also described an episode in which a taxi driver asked her to bring him bananas from the hotel buffet and said she did not feel safe walking alone through parts of the city.

Respondents said these negative experiences — whether hygiene failures, misleading offers, security incidents or unfriendly service — left them unwilling to revisit the named countries even if a future trip were free. The accounts underline common pitfalls travellers want to avoid and point to issues that tourism providers and local authorities may need to address.

Photo: press material from the event