The 20 Most Hospitable Places on Earth (You Won’t Believe What Won in the US)

With the world opening up again, there’s nothing better than a warm and friendly welcome when you travel to a new place. Queue Booking.com’s annual report on the world’s most hospitable places, a list of the world’s friendliest places based on data from the 11th Annual Traveler Review Awards.

To rank the world’s friendliest and most welcoming cities and regions, Booking.com drew on more than 240 million verified customer reviews. The list was based on the number of accommodations awarded in each city, excellence in staff, cleanliness, safety and more.

“It’s that personal attention to detail when checking in or sharing helpful recommendations to explore the destination like a local that shows how our partners show up and shine in all sorts of ways for travelers every day,” Arjan Dijk, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Booking.com said in a release.

The list of the most hospitable places on earth is divided into two categories: the 10 most hospitable regions and the 10 most hospitable cities.

At the top of Booking.com’s list of most hospitable cities was Polignano a Mare, Italy, an Adriatic destination with beautiful beaches and white houses. The town is known for its cliff diving, the iconic Grotta Palazzese (a sea cave restaurant) and the singer Domenico Modugno, who wrote the catchy song ‘Volare’.

At the top of Booking.com’s list of the most hospitable regions was La Rioja, Spain. Rioja is located in the north of Spain, surrounded by mountains and known for its rich wine culture. It is also called “the orchard of Spain” thanks to the different microclimates that make it perfect for growing grapes and more.

The only destination in the US to make the list was North Dakota, which was voted one of the most hospitable regions on the planet. With its wide open spaces and many national and state parks, North Dakota is an outdoor lover’s paradise. One of the best places to visit is Theodore Roosevelt National Park, an area loved by the 26th President of the United States.

Read on for Booking.com’s lists of the 10 most hospitable regions on Earth and the 10 most hospitable cities on Earth.

The 10 Most Hospitable Regions on Earth

1. La Rioja, Spain: a rich wine region in northern Spain
2. Epirus, Greece: a mountainous part of mainland Greece between Macedonia and the Ionian Sea
3. Upper Austria, Austria: an area in Upper Austria crossed by the river Danube
4. County Down, United Kingdom: Ireland’s most easterly county; it contains part of Belfast
5. Mures, Romania: a province in the historical region of Transylvania
6. Marlborough, New Zealand: New Zealand’s largest wine-growing region is home to the world-famous Sauvignon Blanc
7. Ninh Binh, Vietnam: an oasis for nature lovers in the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam
8. Limon, Costa Rica: a lush Caribbean province with jungles, mountains and beaches
9. Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada: an Atlantic province consisting of the island of Newfoundland and Labrador on the mainland
10. North Dakota: a Midwestern state dominated by the Great Plains

The 10 Most Hospitable Cities on Earth

1. Polignano a Mare, Italy: a picturesque town perched on a limestone cliff above Italy’s southern Adriatic coast, in the Puglia region
2. Hualien City, Taiwan: a laid-back city with many beautiful parks on the east coast of Taiwan
3. San Sebastián, Spain: a seaside destination for foodies in the Spanish Basque Country
4. Dresden, Germany: the capital of the German state of Saxony, with a lot of culture and history
5. Klaipeda, Lithuania: a historic port city where the Baltic Sea meets the Danė River
6. York, United Kingdom: a city that transports travelers to medieval England
7. Ushuaia, Argentina: the southernmost city in the world and the gateway to Antarctica
8. Porto De Galinhas, Brazil: one of Brazil’s top beach destinations
9. Mexico City, Mexico: a city full of museums, ancient ruins, sprawling parks and art galleries
10. Gold Coast, Australia: a surfing paradise south of Brisbane

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