Is 'Tiny Tourism' the antidote to mass tourism? I went to Dublin to try it out

A new travel philosophy preaches skipping tourist sights and doing everyday things instead. But will it really be a trip to Dublin if I don't visit Temple Bar?

I am strolling through Dublin's city centre when a yellow amphibious vehicle piled with tourists in plastic Viking hats barrels past me. Just as they holler in my direction, I grab my camera and duck into the supermarket on the corner to wander the crisps aisle instead.

Supermarket shopping might seem like an offbeat holiday choice, but that's the essence of "Tiny Tourism", a concept first coined by UK-based creative platform It's Nice That. The counter-trend snubs overcrowded hotspots and "bucket lists" in favour of seeking out small, hyper-local experiences. The principle boils down to one little rule: if it feels like a tourist would do it, don't.

As a travel writer, I'm willing to put the idea to the test on a long weekend in Dublin with my daughter. Instead of hitting Temple Bar and the Guinness Factory, we'll follow the Tiny Tourist mentality and go thrift shopping, take public transport and browse pharmacies. Will swerving Dublin's Big Tourism attractions in favour of micro details really help us understand the city better?

It's the little things

Tiny Tourism might be new, but the desire to experience places like a local isn't. Over 20 years in the industry, I've seen this urge spring from a belief that that mass tourism is increasingly inauthentic. It's now common to find "Disneyfied" versions of cities, with hordes of rowdy visitors and nary a local accent in earshot. No wonder today's travellers crave something more meaningful.

Liz Gorny, lead editor of It's Nice That Insights, conceived Tiny Tourism when she noticed none of her colleagues talked about big sights after their holidays. 

"It felt like people were always talking about this cafe they went to or what they found in a grocery store," she told the BBC. "This is the stuff that feels exciting." As destinations around the world seek ways to combat overtourism, the Tiny Tourist report, released in April 2026, encouraged readers to seek "the beach with no Google maps pin or the unreplicable hot sauce."

Tiny Tourism echoes recent travel trends like visiting foreign pharmacies and buying socks from Japanese convenience stores. Opodo's 2026 Traveller Hacks poll found that visiting supermarkets has become as normal for Brits on holiday as dining at restaurants. 

So how do you do it? "Tiny travel routines", gleaned with input from industry experts and travellers, include asking locals for tips and performing everyday activities, like going running or doing a shop. Avoiding places that have reached viral status on social media is another Tiny Tourist strategy – the report considers viral videos instruction on where not to go.

More ways to be a Tiny Tourist

"Instead of showing panoramic scenery, zoom in on detail," says the Tiny Tourist report. Some further Tiny travel routines below: 

• Go to the local supermarket

• Tour plants at local garden centres

• Take photographs of local dogs

• Try new crisp flavours

• Wander through residential areas, admiring gardens and windowsills

• Note local street signage and pavements

• Visit the local pharmacy

"It's a powerful desire to experience the standard way........

© BBC