As travel continues to make its return in most parts of the world, the eleventh annual Booking.com Traveller Review Awards recognize travel providers from across 220 countries and territories for their commitment to providing consistently excellent service and hospitality over the course of the year. Booking.com has published the 2023 edition of its Most Welcoming Cities on Earth survey.
Beyond further European destinations in Spain, Germany, Lithuania and the UK, the eleventh annual Booking.com Traveller Review Awards also saw entries from cities as diverse as Mexico City, Porto de Galinhas in Brazil and Australia’s Gold Coast.
2023’s Most Welcoming Cities On Earth
- 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
After Matera headed 2022’s list, an Italian destination once again led the honors as Polignano a Mare topped the most recent selection.
As in previous years, the cities were nominated based upon the share of accommodation partners that received a Traveller Review Award. Based on a pool of over 240 million verified customer reviews on Booking.com, 1,364,415 accommodation partners, 230 car rental providers and 58 airport taxi suppliers are receiving a Traveller Review Award 2023.
Italy leads the way again in 2023 with a total of 170,638 accommodation awards, followed by Spain (108,217), France (103,365), Germany (76,479), Croatia (64,206), Poland (60,721), UK (60,697), Greece (54,473), Brazil (53,658) and the US (46,839).
2023’s Most Welcoming Regions On Earth*
This year’s Most Welcoming Places on Earth span five continents and feature hidden coastal gems, rural destinations surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty and even a bustling Latin American metropolis. They have all been identified based on the share of accommodation partners receiving a Traveller Review Award 2023* and provide even the most seasoned traveler with bucket list inspiration for their future trips.
- 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, US
*Destinations were sorted by the total share of Traveller Review Award 2023 recipients when compared to the total amount of eligible properties in that city or region (accommodation only). Destinations also had to have an above-average amount of winners to be included on this list (500 award recipients or higher for cities and 500 recipients or higher for regions) and were curated for geographic spread. For more about exploring and experiencing all these welcoming cities have to offer, check out this destination guide.
Source: Statitsta and Booking.com