Peter Greenberg's New Book is Raising a Ruckus

Is your town one of the ones that was blasted by Peter Greenburg in his new book? It might be. And many of the listed towns are none too happy about it. Imagine the fact that your town's infrastructure is supported by tourism, and then imagine someone with a well-known and powerful opinion advising thrill seekers to steer clear of your town? That is exactly what happened with Peter Greenberg's new book, Don't Go There.

Skip the Center of the Universe

Ashland, Virginia is one of those towns. The town is known for its tourist attraction, known as "The Center of the Universe." According to a Virginia paper, this small town was one of 24 places listed to avoid for a vacation. Obviously, the local residents are none too happy with "The Travel Detective" Peter Greenberg.

Don't Go to Egypt

Jaunted, a travel-related site, says that some of his statements are less than helpful. For instance, Peter Greenberg suggests that potential travelers skip seeing the pyramids, because there is too much pollution in Cairo, Egypt. However, that might not be enough of a reason for those that have dreamed of seeing the pyramids with their own eyes.

How the Locations are Rated

There's not a concrete rating system in the book to see how each city fares, because much of the statements Peter Greenberg makes are his own opinions. However, some of the subjective items he rates are pollution, crime rates, disease rates, vehicle accidents, bug-infested hotels, and others. The subjective items are not what are being disputed by the vacation destinations, though. It's the objective opinions described in Don't Go There that are going to cause the damage to the small towns like Ashland that can't afford it at this time.

Why This Hurts

The thing to remember is that Peter Greenberg has a pretty big following already, and those people might take his words in Don't Go There for the absolute truth. Who knows how many people will never experience the hospitality of Anniston, AL (world's largest office chair), the silliness of International Falls, MN (wacky frozen turkey bowling), the streets of Gilroy, CA (Garlic Capital of the World), or any of the other blacklisted towns that the Travel Detective didn't seem to care about?

Still the One

While Peter Greenberg may have lost a few followers by adding the cities to the "do not visit" list, he still is a valuable expert in the travel industry. His tips and tricks for getting around the world are matched by none. His blog is full of great tips for anyone looking for a weekend getaway or a month-long vacation to circumnavigate the globe. His blog post detailing his book, Don't Go There can be found here .