worst tourst attractions marineland

Marineland ranked the most disappointing tourist attraction in Canada

"There's a place I know in Ontario" that has earned the sad distinction of being ranked the most disappointing tourist attraction in all of Canada.

A new study from e-learning platform Preply delves into over 130 tourist attractions in Canada with at least 1,000 reviews on Tripadvisor, coming up with a top-ten (or technically, bottom ten) list of the most disappointing destinations visited by travellers.

Next, the destinations' ratios of "disappointing" one-, two-, and three-star reviews were weighed against positive four- and five-star reviews to determine which attractions left visitors feeling underwhelmed.

Perpetually headline-generating theme park and zoo Marineland — known more these days for its dismal animal welfare record than its tired attractions — was ranked the single-most disappointing major tourist attraction in all of Canada.

Most recently, Marineland made headlines when the park was found guilty of animal cruelty charges over the care of three young black bears kept in cramped enclosures with little water for months.

Other local destinations also made the list, including the embattled Ontario Science Centre as the 7th most disappointing attraction, followed by Canada's Wonderland in the 8th position.

Here are the ten most disappointing tourist attractions in Canada according to Preply's study.

  1. Marineland, Niagara Falls
  2. La Ronde, Montreal
  3. Chinatown, Victoria
  4. Colombia Icefield Discovery Centre, Jasper National Park
  5. Olympic Park, Montreal
  6. Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden, Vancouver
  7. Ontario Science Centre, Toronto
  8. Canada's Wonderland, Vaughan
  9. Cave and Basin National Historic Site, Banff
  10. Montreal Biodome, Montreal

The study also highlights some of the most worthwhile tourist attractions in Canada, and Niagara Falls' Horseshoe Falls topped the list with 99 per cent favourable reviews, offering a better-appreciated alternative to a Marineland visit. 

Lead photo by

kolesniks/Shutterstock


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