Abu Dhabi and Muscat have been named in a list of the world’s friendliest travel destinations.
The list, compiled by Big 7 Travel, placed the UAE and Omani capital cities 13th and 18th respectively, based on the views of the website’s 1.5 million users.
The list, which was topped by Vancouver in Canada, ranked cities on a number of factors including how easy it is to navigate, how willing strangers are to help you find your way and the potential to make new best friends in a local bar.
Asian cities rated highly overall, with several US and Canada cities also making it into the top 10.
Regarding Abu Dhabi, the website said: “The UAE is a glittering destination with cosmopolitan cities such as Dubai, but Abu Dhabi scoops top spot for friendliness. With a large expat community and a keen focus on tourism, visitors are really looked after here hospitality-wise.”
On Muscat, it added: “Oman’s up-and-coming cosmopolitan city has a hugely positive attitude towards foreigners, making it an ideal place to visit.
It’s not the best for getting around (transport leaves a lot to be desired) but it doesn’t matter – lovely locals will show you the way.”
Big 7 Travel said Vancouver took top spot “thanks to its extraordinarily friendly residents”, adding: “The city has an amazing multicultural community who band together to make visitors feel welcome and safe at all times. Locals are quick to offer assistance to tourists and the community vibe makes socialising in Vancouver simple.”
The 50 friendliest cities in the world:
50th Rome, Italy
49th Casablanca, Morocco
48th Berlin, Germany
47th New York City, New York, USA
46th Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
45th Kiev, Ukraine
44th Colombo, Sri Lanka
43rd Honolulu, Hawaii
42nd Madrid, Spain
41st Sydney, Australia
40th London, England
39th Geneva, Switzerland
38th Guangzhou, China
37th Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
36th Moscow, Russia
35th Jaipur, India
34th Montreal, Canada
33rd Charleston, South Carolina, USA
32nd Manchester, England
31st Budapest, Hungary
30th Amsterdam, Netherlands
29th Lisbon, Portugal
28th Tokyo, Japan
27th Bogota, Colombia
26th Lilongwe, Malawi
25th Stockholm, Sweden
24th Singapore, Singapore
23rd Mexico City, Mexico
22nd Copenhagen, Denmark
21st Nairobi, Kenya
20th Siem Reap, Cambodia
19th Houston, Texas, USA
18th Muscat, Oman
17th Cork, Ireland
16th Adelaide, Australia
15th Athens, Greece
14th Cape Town, South Africa
13th Abu Dhabi, UAE
12th Santa Domingo, Dominican Republic
11th Chiang Mai, Thailand
10th Glasgow, Scotland
9th São Paulo, Brazil
8th Nashville, Tennessee, USA
7th Christchurch, New Zealand
6th Dublin, Ireland
5th Hamburg, Germany
4th Taipei, Taiwan
3rd Bruges, Belgium
2nd Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
1st Vancouver, Canada
By Sam Bridge
Source: arabianbusiness.com