In this article, we will be taking a look at the 30 friendliest cities in the world. If you wish to see the top ones, then head straight to the 10 Friendliest Cities in the World.
International Tourism Set to Recover Nearly 90% by the End of the Year
Travel and tourism, a major predictor of global economic health, is one of the most important sectors in the world. In 2019, 334 million jobs worldwide were directly or indirectly supported by this sector, which accounted for 10.4% of the global gross domestic product (GDP). The sector was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, leading to the loss of 62 million jobs and $4.5 trillion in GDP in 2020 alone.
Nevertheless, the travel and tourism sector is making a strong recovery. According to the latest insights from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), about 975 million international tourists travelled between January and September 2023, marking a substantial 38% increase compared to the same period last year. Global tourism reached 87% of pre-pandemic levels during this period, and is anticipated to approach 90% by the end of this year.
The data by UNWTO indicates that in the first nine months of this year, arrivals in the Middle East were 20% higher than pre-pandemic levels, making it the only region in the globe to surpass 2019 levels. On the other hand, Europe accounted for 56% of the global total with 550 million international tourists, representing 94% of the pre-pandemic levels.
Moreover, during the same time frame, pre-pandemic visitor numbers in Africa and America recovered by 92% and 88%, respectively. In contrast, Asia and the Pacific reached only 62% of 2019 levels.
Meanwhile, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)’s 2023 Economic Impact Research (EIR) projects a prosperous future for the travel and tourism sector. The sector is expected to contribute $15.5 trillion to the global economy (representing 11.6% of GDP) by 2030, employing 430 million people worldwide, or 12% of the working population.
A Look at Some Travel Trends for 2024
According to a recent global survey conducted by Hilton and Ipsos, the top reason to travel in 2024 for the majority of respondents is to rest and recharge, with a focus on getting quality sleep during their trips.
The survey of 10,000 travelers across nine countries also found that a remarkable 80% of global travelers find it important to be able to book their entire trip online, with 86% of Millennials and 83% of Gen Zers leading the charge. Meanwhile, travel apps that reduce the tension of traveling are valued by 76% of the global travelers.
The survey further highlighted a change in travelers' priorities, with more and more of them placing a higher value on experiences than material possessions. In order to prioritize leisure travel, 64% of global travelers plan to reduce other areas of their personal spending. Additionally, 47% of travelers intend to spend more on exploration and adventure, with Millennials and Gen Zers devoting a bigger percentage of their budget than other generations for these experiences.
Additionally, following the pandemic, there has been a huge change in how people conduct business. Therefore, new trends have emerged, such as blended leisure and business travel. According to the survey, more than one-third of Gen Z and Millennial business travelers intend to prolong their business visits in order to enjoy leisure time either before or after their work responsibilities.
Big Names in the Travel Industry
Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL), Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB), and Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG) are some of the prominent travel companies across the globe.
Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL), an airline company headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, serves over 300 locations across 60 countries. On October 12, Delta Air Lines, Inc. (NYSE:DAL) posted earnings for the third quarter of 2023, reporting a Non-GAAP EPS of $2.03, beating market estimates by $0.08. The revenue over the period was $15.49 billion, up 10.8% compared to the revenue over the same period last year.
Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB), headquartered in San Francisco, California, is a travel and accommodation services provider. Polen Focus Growth Strategy made the following comment about Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) in its Q3 2023 investor letter:
“Airbnb, Inc. (NASDAQ:ABNB) continues to see double-digit growth in nights booked and revenue. Private rentals continue to take market share from hotels globally, and Airbnb continues to take market share within private rentals. We expect many years of robust earnings and cash flow growth, but this quarter’s share price appreciation was more likely tied to Standard & Poor’s decision to add Airbnb to the S&P 500 index.”
Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG), founded in 1996, provides travel and restaurant online reservation and related services worldwide. The company is popular among several hedge funds. At the end of Q3 2023, 81 hedge funds tracked by Insider Monkey owned stakes in Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG), growing from 78 in the preceding quarter. The total value of these stakes is over $8.02 billion.
Here are some of the comments from Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ:BKNG)’s Q3 2023 Earnings Call:
“In the third quarter, our traveler customers booked 276 million, or more than a quarter of a billion room nights, which was an increase of 15% year-over-year, and we had gross bookings of $40 billion, which was an increase of 24% year-over-year. Room night growth versus 2019 was 24% in Q3. Both room nights and gross bookings were record quarterly amounts for the company, and both came in ahead of our previous expectations. Third quarter revenue of $7.3 billion grew 21% and adjusted EBITDA of $3.3 billion increased 24%, both versus Q3 last year, and both exceeded our prior expectations.
Adding to this, each person has a different experience when they travel. If you intend to travel for pleasure or are looking to start a new life abroad, there's no denying that the folks there will leave a lasting impression on you. In today’s piece we have compiled a list of the friendliest cities in the world for our readers. You can also check out our articles The World's 30 Unfriendliest Cities Heading into 2024 and 30 Friendliest Countries in the World.
30 Friendliest Cities in the World
Our Methodology
To determine the friendliest cities in the world, we utilized a consensus opinion-based rankings approach. We gathered information from relevant Reddit threads, where users not only share their experiences but also inquire about various locations where tourists felt welcomed. The subreddits we included in our search were r/AskReddit, r/solotravel, r/digitalnomad, r/TravelHacks, and r/travel among others.
Each city received a score based on the number of mentions, so each time a city was mentioned, it received a score of 1. Consequently, the more mentions and references, the higher the score and rank in our article.
We want our readers to remember that these types of lists of the friendliest cities are always subjective and fail to include cities that ought to be at or near the top of this list. We do, however, hope to produce a more comprehensive list of the 30 friendliest cities in the world by combining the opinions of the aforementioned Reddit threads.
By the way, Insider Monkey is an investing website that tracks the movements of corporate insiders and hedge funds. By using a consensus approach, we identify the best stock picks of more than 900 hedge funds investing in US stocks. The top 10 consensus stock picks of hedge funds outperformed the S&P 500 Index by more than 140 percentage points over the last 10 years (see the details here). Whether you are a beginner investor or a professional looking for the best stocks to buy, you can benefit from the wisdom of hedge funds and corporate insiders.
Friendliest Cities in the World
30. Liverpool, United Kingdom
First up on our list of the friendliest cities in the world is Liverpool, located in North West England, United Kingdom. Many travelers on Reddit expressed their admiration for the friendly residents of the city.
29. Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, a city in Switzerland that lies at the southern tip of expansive Lac Léman, has a low crime rate, and the people are amiable and hospitable.
In 2018, a total of 3,232,871 overnight stays were recorded in the city.
28. Jaipur, India
Jaipur, the Pink City is a popular tourist destination in Rajasthan, India, and has residents who are perceived to be welcoming to visitors.
27. Izmir, Turkey
Izmir, a city on Turkey’s Aegean coast, is welcoming and home to many historical buildings, great fish restaurants, and gorgeous beaches.
As per 2021 Safe Cities Index by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Tokyo, Japan’s busy capital is among the top ten safest cities in the world.
Furthermore, the city enjoys a stellar reputation for welcoming visitors.
25. Seville, Spain
Next up on our list of the friendliest cities in the world is Seville. Located in southern Spain, it is famous for its historic churches and palaces, Moorish buildings, flamenco dancing, and more.
Besides, the residents of Seville are friendly, fun, outgoing.
24. Nairobi, Kenya
Kenya's capital city of Nairobi is known for its friendly and welcoming people, who frequently extend a warm welcome to visitors. Many people on Reddit report having positive experiences in the city.
23. New Orleans, United States
New Orleans, located in the southern US state of Louisiana, is among the friendliest cities in the world on our list. It is known for its spirited nightlife, unique cuisine, and rich cultural heritage.
Also, the kind and inviting people of the city greeted 18.51 million visitors in 2018.
22. Stockholm, Sweden
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is a fantastic city for tourists to visit, with a rich history and wonderful attractions. Many travelers on Reddit expressed their admiration for the city's friendly residents.
21. Muscat, Oman
The people of Muscat, Oman’s port capital, are incredibly friendly and welcoming of visitors. It's common to get a few invitations when visiting the city.
20. Cape Town, South Africa
Cape Town, a coastal city in South Africa, offers a great variety of history, nature, food, and many tourist attractions.
A total of 98,260 tourists arrived in Cape Town via air in January 2023. It is among the friendliest cities in the world on our list.
19. Hanoi, Vietnam
The people of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, are noted for being quite humble and hospitable. In 2022, they extended a warm welcome to around 18.7 million visitors.
18. Edinburgh, United Kingdom
A number of travelers on Reddit have reported that people in Edinburgh, the capital city of Scotland, UK, are always kind, accommodating, and approachable.
17. Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Dubai, a city in United Arab Emirates, is renowned for being amiable, inclusive, and understanding of other cultures. As per the Expat City Ranking 2022 by InterNations, Dubai has been ranked second best city to live and work for expats.
According to our methodology, it is among the friendliest cities in the world.
16. Auckland, New Zealand
Many people on Reddit report having positive experiences in Auckland, a major city in the north of New Zealand’s North Island. The city hosted about 1.8 million foreign visitors in 2019.
15. Mexico City, Mexico
The people of Mexico City, the capital of Mexico, are noted for being quite humble and welcoming to tourists and expats. It is the third best city to work and live as an expat, per the Expat City Ranking 2022 by InterNations.
Moreover, per our methodology, it is one of the friendliest cities in the world.
14. Barcelona, Spain
People of Barcelona, a city located in Northeast Spain, are very welcoming and friendly towards visitors. In 2022, the city's hotels and other lodging facilities hosted 9.7 million visitors.
13. Munich, Germany
Munich, located in the southern German state of Bavaria, is known for its lengthy and intense history, incredible architectural and cultural heritage, stunning natural landscapes, and, above all, its warm and welcoming citizens.
12. Bangkok, Thailand
Most residents of Bangkok, Thailand’s capital, are friendly, respectful, and willing to help. As per a ranking by Mastercard, Bangkok was the most popular travel destination worldwide in 2019, with over 22.7 million foreign visitors.
11. Montreal, Canada
Montreal, located in the province of Quebec in Canada, is safe and open to diversity, making it a perfect place for newcomers to thrive.