In this article, we will be covering 20 most overrated cities in the US according to reddit. If you want to skip our detailed analysis of the US travel and tourism market, you can go directly to 5 Most Overrated Cities in the US According to Reddit.
Travelers have unique tastes and perspectives. While some cities may ignite our passions and surpass our hopes, others can disappoint us and leave us feeling underwhelmed. We will be looking at some of the most overrated cities in the US according to reddit. However, it is important to know that the US has a major travel and tourism market, and some of these overrated cities in our list, as voted by redditors, are actually very popular travel destinations.
In one of our articles about the best all-inclusive resorts, we discussed that the global hotel, resorts, and cruise industry is dominated by North America and is expected to experience significant growth in the coming years. The demand for traveling is booming, and the market in the US is growing significantly to reach beyond pre-pandemic levels.
Before we take a look at the most overrated cities in the US according to reddit, let’s take a look at the US travel and tourism market and what some of the key players in the market are up to.
Market in the US to Lead Global Travel & Tourism Rebound
The World Travel & Tourism Council reported, on August 22, new insights into the strong growth of the US travel and tourism sector, which grew by 16.9% in 2022 while also creating about 2.7 million more jobs as compared to the previous year. Moreover, domestic visitor spending has almost reached its pre-pandemic levels in the US travel and tourism sector, and the comeback and growth is also reflected in statistics of US airports, which continue to be some of the world’s most busiest airports.
According to a report by Research And Markets, the US travel and tourism market was valued at around $1.68 trillion in 2022. The market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 5% during 2022-2027, propelling the market to reach above $2.15 trillion by the end of the forecasted period. As lockdowns around the world have cooled down, and travel options are back in full swing, the travel and tourism industry is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. The travel and tourism market includes revenues generated by passenger airlines, hotels, restaurants, casinos, resorts, and the gaming market.
Due to a surge in disposable income, travel and tourism is gaining popularity among the middle class population. Moreover, rising adoption of technology has led to a surge in online bookings as travelers enjoy and prefer the convenience that travel websites, mobile apps, and online booking platforms have to offer. This is expected to further augment market growth during the forecast period.
Major US Travel & Tourism Companies: What Are They Up To?
With a desire to increase profits and their market share, travel and tourism companies are working towards offering travelers more convenient and affordable options in response to the growing demand for travel.
Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) is one of the world’s largest providers of online travel and related services. It's the parent company of several popular travel booking brands, including Booking.com, Priceline, Agoda, Rentalcars.com, and KAYAK. On June 27, Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) announced that its subsidiary Booking.com, one of the world's leading digital travel platforms, will be launching a new AI Trip Planner in beta to a number of US travelers on its app. Powered by large language model (LLM) technology from OpenAI's ChatGPT API, the new trip planner will allow users to easily chat and ask travel-related questions to get help with any stage of their trip planning. Users can check out potential travel destinations and accommodation options, as well as get travel inspiration and create itineraries based on their needs and requirements.
Companies that operate and offer hospitality services, including hotels and resorts, are expected to benefit from the increase in travel demand. On July 17, Reuters reported that Marriott International Inc. (NYSE:MAR) and MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM) are joining hands and getting creative with their loyalty programs to offer benefits and retain customers as the demand for travel, concerts and sporting events surges across the US. The two travel companies launched "MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy," which would make MGM Resorts International’s (NYSE:MGM) 40 million members globally eligible for the Bonvoy loyalty program. On the other hand, members of the Marriott International Inc.’s (NYSE:MAR) Bonvoy rewards program can earn and redeem points to stay at all MGM resorts across the US and Canada.
Here are some comments from Marriott International Inc.’s (NYSE:MAR) Q2 2023 earnings call:
“As we focus on paths for growth, we are adding new offerings and experiences in segments where we believe there is strong consumer interest beyond our current brands. A great example is our recent announcement of an exclusive 20-year strategic license agreement with MGM Resorts International and the creation of MGM Collection with Marriott Bonvoy. The collection, which will launch beginning in October, encompasses 17 resorts with 40,000 rooms. This deal will provide us with significant presence in Las Vegas, one of the most popular destinations in the country with fantastic properties like Bellagio, the MGM Grand, and ARIA, as well as additional distribution in five other key US cities. Beyond just hotels, our strategic agreement with MGM will also give our members access to more sports, music, culinary and entertainment experiences.”
On August 1, Marriott International Inc. (NYSE:MAR) reported strong earnings for the fiscal second quarter of 2023, reflecting strong demand for travel and lodging. The company reported earnings per share of $2.26 and surpassed EPS estimates by $0.09. The company reported a revenue of $6.08 billion and outperformed revenue estimates by $104.2 million.
Now that we have taken a look at the US travel and tourism market as well as what some of the key market players are up to, let’s take a look at 20 most overrated cities in the US according to reddit.
20 Most Overrated Cities in the US According to Reddit
Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 20 most overrated cities in the US according to reddit. We went through multiple reddit threads, and used search terms like “most overrated places in the US”, “overrated cities in America”, and “what are the most overrated cities in the United States” to find relevant threads.
To ensure the authenticity and relevance of our research, we focused on cities that were most frequently mentioned by redditors across various threads and discussions. People had discussed both the most underrated as well as the most overrated cities. However, for this article, we only considered the opinions about the most overrated cities, and also excluded locations that did not qualify as cities in the US. We used the number of comments and upvotes on several reddit threads, and tabulated the cities based on the number of times their name came up in a comment, as well as the upvotes on these comments. This approach led to a list of 20 most overrated cities in the US according to reddit, which are listed below.
20 Most Overrated Cities in the US According to Reddit
20. Key West - Florida
First up on our list of 20 most overrated cities in the US according to reddit is Key West, an island city in the US state of Florida. The city can be a little different than it's perceived from the outside, and Key West may not be the right place for you if you're looking for a relaxed beach vacation or a trip to the coast with your family.
Companies that are expected to benefit from the thriving travel and tourism market of the US include Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG), Marriott International Inc. (NYSE:MAR), and MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM).
19. Houston - Texas
Houston is a large metropolis, and the most populated city in the US state of Texas. However, a number of redditors pointed out that the city of Houston ranks among the most overrated cities in the US.
18. Boston - Massachusetts
Boston, the capital city of the US state of Massachusetts, is a cultural and financial hub. However, according to redditors, Boston can be expensive, and the traffic is not that great either.
17. Portland - Oregon
Portland is the most populated city in the US state of Oregon. As a port city, Portland may not be the right spot for you, especially if you’re a person who hates the rain. Some redditors even pointed out that the city of Portland has an aggressive homeless population and the city itself is not very clean.
16. New Orleans - Louisiana
New Orleans, nicknamed the “Big Easy”, is known for its round-the-clock nightlife and vibrant live music scenes. While a number of redditors pointed out that the food in New Orleans was great, some said that the city is now dangerous, dirty, and unmaintained.
15. Atlanta - Georgia
Atlanta is the capital city of the US state of Georgia, which many redditors believe is not a great place to live. The not so glamorous and congested city of Atlanta ranks among the top 15 in our list of most overrated cities in the US according to reddit.
14. Phoenix - Arizona
Phoenix is the capital city of the US state of Arizona. Phoenix is known for its year-round sun and warm temperatures. The city of Phoenix is highly populated, and many redditors say the city is uninteresting and the weather can get too hot.
13. Orlando - Florida
Orlando, a city in the US state of Florida, is home to a number of theme parks. However, because of bad traffic, humidity, and heat many redditors voted Orlando as one of the most overrated cities in the US.
12. Oklahoma City - Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, the capital city of the US state of Oklahoma, is known for its cowboy culture. However, Oklahoma City is a large city and some redditors said they found the place “dead”, quiet, and boring.
11. Nashville - Tennessee
Nashville is the capital city of the US state of Tennessee, which is known as the hometown of country music. Nashville is not very walkable and it is no longer the city it used to be, according to redditors, it is now a place where only younger people may enjoy themselves.
10. Denver - Colorado
Denver is a metropolis and the capital city of Colorado. However, redditors seem to think that Denver is overpriced for no good reason, the traffic is bad, and the city itself can be boring.
9. Dallas - Texas
Dallas, a commercial and cultural hub in Texas, is a modern metropolis. Many redditors find the place boring and don’t see the appeal, and so the city of Dallas ranks among the most overrated cities in the US according to reddit.
8. Austin - Texas
Austin is the state capital of Texas. The city is quickly becoming a major tech hub. However, many redditors seem to believe that Austin is losing its soul while becoming a major tech center, and quickly becoming one of the most overpriced and overrated cities in the US.
7. Chicago - Illinois
Chicago is the most populated city in the US state of Illinois and ranks high among the largest cities in the US. While some argue that Chicago is one of the few US cities that are underrated, many redditors seem to believe that the city is too expensive, overrated, and especially overwhelming when it comes to traffic.
6. Seattle - Washington State
Seattle is a seaport city, and Washington State’s largest city. Seattle is home to a large tech industry and the city itself is surrounded by water, mountains and evergreen forests. However, many redditors pointed out that because of rising public safety concerns as well as housing costs, the city of Seattle is extremely overrated, and so it ranks high among the most overrated cities in the US according to reddit.
Some of the best travel and tourism stocks to consider investing in include Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG), Marriott International Inc. (NYSE:MAR), and MGM Resorts International (NYSE:MGM).
