In a recent data analysis conducted by USA Today that involved consideration of 23.2 million Google Reviews, the company sought to determine which attractions around the globe were the biggest ‘tourist traps,’ and a spot that’s – kind of – located in Colorado topped the list.
No attraction is located farther southwest in Colorado than the Four Corners Monument and according to the analysis, reviewers called this spot a tourist trap at the highest frequency of 500 worldwide attractions included in the analysis, resulting in the attraction being dubbed the globe’s top ‘tourist trap.’ That’s a frequency of 1.28 percent and the highest frequency of ‘tourist trap’ claims among destinations included in the report.
Of 10,839 reviews for the Four Corners Monument that were analyzed, 139 were determined to flag this spot where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah are ‘said to meet’ as a tourist trap.
Found far from other tourist popular attractions and essentially consisting of a landmark that pinpoints where the four states touch, it’s easy to understand how some people may feel that a visit to this remote spot is underwhelming. That being said, despite the ‘tourist trap’ claims, Four Corners Monument still holds a 4-star rating on Google Reviews with plenty of positive feedback.
Also included on USA Today’s list of the top 100 ‘tourist traps’ was Colorado’s Pikes Peak, ranking 58th.
Dubbed America’s Mountain, this Colorado Springs-area peak’s inclusion on the list is likely to catch fans of Colorado off-guard. Granted, it was included with a 0.12 percent frequency of ‘tourist trap’ claims – reviews left by five of 4,077 visitors that provided feedback on Google. With visitors able to summit the mountain via road, train, or trail, Pikes Peak has an overall Google Reviews rating of 4.8 stars.
Do you think either of these Colorado attractions should be considered ‘tourist traps?’ Is there another local spot that better fits the bill? Let us know in the comments.
Find the full USA Today report here.
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