Why is it that some people spend so much money going to mediocre places just because it sounds good? We're off to Barbados next week sounds so much more impressive than 'we're off to Peter Island'.

Where's that?

In the Virgin Islands.

Where are they?

Yes, exactly. Whereas if you say 'we're off to Barbados', there's no explaining. Yet Peter Island has better beaches, is great for island-hopping and is more laid back than the more famous island with its big brash Sandy Lane, plasma TV screens, in-room internet and flash golf course.

I was speaking to Ian Pollitt the other day, who runs Cheshire-based luxury tour operator Carrier. He explained how difficult it is to convince travellers to try somewhere new or better than the places their dinner-party friends visit or aspire to.

'Barbados is our biggest seller in the Caribbean and I probably speak for all tour operators when I say that. Yet you can have a fantastic experience in somewhere like Mustique, but trying to convince people to try it is difficult.

'One of our top clients went to the Cotton House in Mustique two years ago and came back asking why he hadn't discovered this before. Now he spends a week in Barbados followed by a week in Mustique every year.'

Having been to Barbados, I have to say, it is OK, but lacks the charm of some of the smaller islands.

It is ridiculous how so many wannabes will opt for a mediocre holiday in a famous place because of the kudos, rather than spending their money on somewhere better they can't brag about. When my brother told me he'd booked his honeymoon to Paradise Island in the Bahamas I felt complete despair that I couldn't convince him to choose somewhere nicer (there are 700 islands of the Bahamas - real castaways, nearly all more romantic than Paradise Island). The so-called Paradise Island is probably the brashest, busiest tourist spot in the Atlantic dominated by casinos, fake waterfalls and hawkers harassing you on the beach. He didn't cancel though. To everybody else Paradise Island sounded great.

So many people get hung up on the image they are going to portray about themselves by the places they tell their friends they are visiting. The places are as vital to their image as the clothes they wear, the area they live in and the car they drive.

In the past week, two separate colleagues have mentioned to me that they are going to 'Palma' for short breaks, instantly reassuring me that they are visiting 'Palma' (tapas bars, windy cobbled streets, tall houses with balconies and a beautiful port and cathedral) as opposed to 'Mallorca' (image: highrises, Sky TV bars and fish 'n' chips).

Despite years of finca converting and media coverage of mountain walking, inland villagey things, new spas and tiny secluded coves, people are still scared of being tarred with the Magaluf brush by mentioning the M word.

Holidays are like any other big brands: the more famous they get, the more competition that creeps up on them.

Behind every Barbados is a Peter Island or a Mustique.