Who doesn’t love a little bit of Italy? It’s got amazing food, stunning views, amazing weather and it’s steeped in culture.
But it just got even better because one of its towns was just named the friendliest place in the world.
Polignano a Mare was at the top of the list when it came to finding the friendliest place to travel by Booking.com.
The town sits on Italy’s Adriatic coast and is known for its breathtaking clifftop location and white pebble beaches – and it now has the most welcoming hospitality sector out of anywhere in the world.
Coming in second was Hualien City, which sits on the east coast of Taiwan, and is known for its night markets and stunning raw beauty.
San Sebastián in northern Spain, followed close behind in friendliness ranking – a humble beach town-turned-hub of Michelin-starred restaurants.
Dresden, Germany, also made the list after being named as one of the top destinations for travel by Lonely Planet for 2023.
The top ten most welcoming destinations in the world:
- Polignano a Mare, Italy
- Hualien City, Taiwan
- San Sebastián, Spain
- Dresden, Germany
- Klaipeda, Lithuania
- York, UK
- Ushuaia, Argentina
- Porto De Galinhas, Brazil
- Mexico City, Mexico
- Gold Coast, Australia
But Booking.com didn’t stop there. The site also named the most welcoming regions in the world.
La Rioja in Spain topped the list for friendliest region, with its renowned local wine industry. Friendly faces and wine, what’s not to love?
The UK’s County Down in Northern Ireland ranked fourth for friendliest region while Newfoundland & Labrador in Canada also received a mention.
The top ten most welcoming regions in the world:
- La Rioja, Spain
- Epirus, Greece
- Oberosterreich, Austria
- County Down, UK
- Mures, Romania
- Marlborough, New Zealand
- Ninh Binh, Vietnam
- Limon, Costa Rica
- Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
- North Dakota, USA
Epirus, a region of north western Greece, also earned the title of one of the friendliest regions – the area is mountainous but also has some nice beaches and seaside towns.
Ninh Binh and Mures are perhaps lesser-known traveller spots but you can rest easy knowing the populations are ready and willing to welcome you with a smile on their face.
So with this in mind, where will you be travelling next?
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