Amsterdam is the most tourist-friendly city in the world. Eight of the top 20 world’s most friendly cities are based in Europe, including London, Berlin and Paris. Copenhagen is the safest city to visit with a score of 85 out of 100.
Leading provider of tailor-made tours, Authentic Vacations, has analysed popular destinations around the world using a number of metrics to reveal the world's most tourist-friendly cities. The cities have been analysed by a series of metrics including tourist to local ratios, airports close to the city, the quality of the local airport, overall happiness of the destination, English proficiency, how much accommodation is available, and safety. You can view the full findings here.
There’s nothing better than heading to a new city for a long weekend, business trip or family holiday and feeling welcome from the offset. A mixture of accessibility, including travelling to and from the city, as well as how welcoming the people who call it home are , all contribute to whether a city feels tourist-friendly or not. But which cities make tourists feel the most at home?
The top ten most tourist-friendly cities are below:
Amsterdam is the most tourist-friendly city in the world
With its brightly coloured, picturesque streets and abundance of history and culture, it’s easy to see why Amsterdam is a favourite for tourists from all over the world. However, the Dutch Capital isn’t just a pretty location but also comes out on top as the most tourist-friendly city, with an overall ‘tourist-friendly’ score of 70/100.
The city is also home to some of the happiest locals with a score of 14.4 out of 20, and arriving into Amsterdam will be as seamless as your stay, as Amsterdam Airport got 4.1 out of five for ‘airport quality.
Europe is home to eight of the most tourist-friendly cities
Eight European destinations are in the top 20 list for the most tourist-friendly cities including Vienna (2nd), London (4th) and Copenhagen (5th), to name a few. London scored 20/20 for accommodation in the city, with over 109,00 places for you to stay in whilst you visit, meaning whether you’re looking for a night stay in Camden, or a long weekend in Chelsea, there’s an abundance of rooms on offer that cater to every need.
Vienna is a favourite for romantic getaways and the locals are accustomed to this with a tourist to local ratio score of 11 out of 20, so if you get lost down one of its many cobbled streets, it’s likely someone will happily point you in the right direction. Similarly to Amsterdam, Copenhagen also scored highly when it comes to the local’s happiness levels with a score of 15 out of 20, so visitors can expect a warm welcome when wondering its beautiful streets. In addition, Copenhagen comes out as the safest tourist-friendly city with a score of 85 out of 100, meaning you can soak up the culture and views with this in mind.
The US is home to three of the most tourist-friendly cities
Tourist-friendly cities are not unique to Europe, as three of the top 20 cities featured are in the US. New York (6th), San Francisco (20th) and Chicago (13th) all placed on the list and have a huge amount to offer to visitors. New York is one of the most famous cities in the world with tourists flocking each year to see the iconic skyline, a show on Broadway or to soak up the bustling city vibe unique to the ‘Big Apple’.
San Francisco is famed for its iconic Golden Gate Bridge and skyline whilst Chicago is known for its deep-dish pizzas and the Chicago Bean, but whichever US city you choose to visit next, you’ll receive a warm welcome as one of their many tourists.
So, which tourist-friendly city will you visit next?
Leslie Intriago, Head of Digital Marketing at Authentic Vacations comments: “Everybody is looking for something different when planning a trip to a city, from wanting some retail therapy, learning about the history and culture, or simply wanting to take in some new sights. However, we all want to feel welcome and safe in the destinations that we’re exploring and it’s great to see so many iconic cities in the top 20 most tourist-friendly cities around the world.”
“It’s often important for tourists, especially when making a long journey, that their end destination is close to the airport, as well as there being lots of places to stay for ease and accessibility. But ultimately, it’s the friendly faces and knowledgeable locals that guide us along the way, that really makes our experiences abroad all the more special."
Vicky is the co-founder of TravelDailyNews Media Network where she is the Editor-in Chief. She is also responsible for the daily operation and the financial policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Tourism Business Administration from the Technical University of Athens and a Master in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wales.
She has many years of both academic and industrial experience within the travel industry. She has written/edited numerous articles in various tourism magazines.
