I am feeling extremely offended. Buyagift.co.uk has unveiled Hatebreaks, a list of the worse travel destinations in the world and my former home is featured in the catalogue of shame.  I lived in the Toxteth district of Liverpool and am shocked to find that it is apparently one of the worst places on the planet to visit but it really isn’t!

Toxteth

Buyagift.co.uk couldn’t even spell the name correctly which shows what they know and the short guide focusses on one street which admittedly does appear to contain only decrepit houses which are all in need of replacement windows, or indeed any windows, and which are lining a road covered in litter and debris. But this street is not representative of Toxteth as a whole which boasts much beautiful Georgian architecture and was a place I very much enjoyed living.

A Holiday Destination?

I am wondering exactly why Toxteth could find itself on a list of travel destinations anyway. What exactly were the researchers expecting to find in a northern inner city area? The Grand Canyon perhaps or an Alpine ski resort! Every city has urban areas which leave a little to be desired and as far as I am aware none of them feature in any travel brochures.

Other Places to Avoid

According to the Hatebreaks hit parade Stolipinovo is the worst destination on the entire planet which frankly matters little because I have never heard anyone announce that it is on their bucket list. In case you are wondering where the hell it is located then you will find it in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Bogotá, Colombia is in second place and would hardly be a top pick for anyone except a drug dealer and the bronze medal goes to the Moscow district of Golyanovo another place that isn’t likely to experience a boom in tourism any time soon.

The Wrong Focus

I know that it is important to inform travellers of danger hotspots and the places which may not live up to their expectations but surely such advise should be confined to highlighting areas that people might actually choose in the first place.  I think it also fair to presume that even the most naïve traveller would not expect any inner city area to be a spectacle of breath-taking scenery. Nobody gets up in the morning and decides that of all the places on the planet the one they really need to see is Plovdiv!

Runners Up

The list also derides the entire cities of Detroit, Baltimore and Kiev and warns against travel to the Moss Side area of Manchester. A gypsy ghetto in Slovakia is to be avoided as is Camden in New Jersey just in case you are on your way to the travel agent.

I have no idea what Plovdiv is really like and my experience of Detroit was confined to the airport but I do know that Toxteth has much to recommend it. None of these locations are tourist destinations but there are many places which actually people do actually go that could have made such a list. Personally I would advise anyone to avoid Gibraltar, Torremolinos and Amsterdam but that’s just me!

I am feeling extremely offended. Buyagift.co.uk has unveiled Hatebreaks, a list of the worse travel destinations in the world and my former home is featured in the catalogue of shame.  I lived in the Toxteth district of Liverpool and am shocked to find that it is apparently one of the worst places on the planet to visit but it really isn’t!

Toxteth

Buyagift.co.uk couldn’t even spell the name correctly which shows what they know and the short guide focusses on one street which admittedly does appear to contain only decrepit houses which are all in need of replacement windows, or indeed any windows, and which are lining a road covered in litter and debris. But this street is not representative of Toxteth as a whole which boasts much beautiful Georgian architecture and was a place I very much enjoyed living.

A Holiday Destination?

I am wondering exactly why Toxteth could find itself on a list of travel destinations anyway. What exactly were the researchers expecting to find in a northern inner city area? The Grand Canyon perhaps or an Alpine ski resort! Every city has urban areas which leave a little to be desired and as far as I am aware none of them feature in any travel brochures.

Other Places to Avoid

According to the Hatebreaks hit parade Stolipinovo is the worst destination on the entire planet which frankly matters little because I have never heard anyone announce that it is on their bucket list. In case you are wondering where the hell it is located then you will find it in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Bogotá, Colombia is in second place and would hardly be a top pick for anyone except a drug dealer and the bronze medal goes to the Moscow district of Golyanovo another place that isn’t likely to experience a boom in tourism any time soon.

The Wrong Focus

I know that it is important to inform travellers of danger hotspots and the places which may not live up to their expectations but surely such advise should be confined to highlighting areas that people might actually choose in the first place.  I think it also fair to presume that even the most naïve traveller would not expect any inner city area to be a spectacle of breath-taking scenery. Nobody gets up in the morning and decides that of all the places on the planet the one they really need to see is Plovdiv!

Runners Up

The list also derides the entire cities of Detroit, Baltimore and Kiev and warns against travel to the Moss Side area of Manchester. A gypsy ghetto in Slovakia is to be avoided as is Camden in New Jersey just in case you are on your way to the travel agent.

I have no idea what Plovdiv is really like and my experience of Detroit was confined to the airport but I do know that Toxteth has much to recommend it. None of these locations are tourist destinations but there are many places which actually people do actually go that could have made such a list. Personally I would advise anyone to avoid Gibraltar, Torremolinos and Amsterdam but that’s just me!

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Article by Sally Stacey