Canterbury Claims Top 10 Global ‘Most Welcoming Region On Earth’ Spot For Second Year

Accommodation partners went the extra mile after another whirlwind year, with the tourism industry hit hard. These awards recognise those efforts and highlight their excellence

 Booking.com has today announced the recipients of its 10th annual Traveller Review Awards, where Canterbury has once again secured a spot in the top 10 most welcoming regions in the world, proving New Zealand’s southern charm still reigns supreme.

Drawing upon more than 232 million verified traveller reviews with over 7,000 awards delivered to deserving New Zealand partners, the Booking.com Traveller Review Awards include awards such as the 2022 Most Welcoming Places on Earth. A total of 1,261,273 accommodation providers, car rental locations and pre-booked taxi providers in 220 countries and territories around the world are being recognised with a Traveller Review Award 2022. While Canterbury makes the list of welcoming regions, there are many other corners of the world who have received awards for their warm welcomes. The most welcoming regions on Earth for 2022 consist of the following:

2022 Most Welcoming Regions on Earth

1. Gorenjska (Slovenia)
2. Taitung County (Taiwan)
3. Tasmania (Australia)
4. Burgenland (Austria)
5. Seychelles (Africa)
6. Canterbury (New Zealand)
7. Santa Cruz (Argentina)
8. Nova Scotia (Canada)
9. Limón (Costa Rica)
10. La Rioja (Spain)

Todd Lacey, Area Manager of Booking.com New Zealand, said the country’s award achievements highlight the unwavering hospitality of Kiwis, in the face of yet another year in the global pandemic.

“Having so many Kiwi properties rewarded for their wonderful hospitality is such a pleasure to see after yet another turbulent year for the travel industry. Much of the country has only recently been able to resume domestic travel again, so it’s a positive sign that these places are still being recognised for their excellent services.”

“For Canterbury to be highlighted as one of the most welcoming regions in the world for the second year running, is such an outstanding achievement for our travel industry,” says Lacey.

Most Welcoming Towns & Regions

As well as rewarding thousands of fantastic Kiwi properties, Booking.com has revealed the Most Welcoming Towns in the country based on the share of properties receiving a Traveller Review Award in 2022.

Southern charm is a theme we have seen across the years in New Zealand with Hokitika, Lake Tekapo and Oamaru taking out the top three spots.

Booking.com’s top ten most welcoming towns in NZ

1. Hokitika
2. Lake Tekapo
3. Oamaru
4. Whanganui
5. Cambridge
6. Picton
7. Invercargill
8. Martinborough
9. Kerikeri
10. Palmerston North

Destinations had to have at least 50 eligible accommodations to be included in this list and were sorted by the highest share of winners per destination.

Not only were there awards for the most welcoming towns in NZ, but welcoming regions as a whole are also recognised. It’s no surprise that Canterbury tops the list, followed by Wellington, Northland, Bay of Plenty and Otago.

Most Awarded Cities

From Auckland’s famous SkyTower to the starry skies of Lake Tekapo, this year’s most awarded cities showcase the diversity New Zealand’s cities have to offer. While Tāmaki Makaurau comes out on top, it's unsurprising to see a few of these iconic Kiwi spots in the top 10.

Booking.com’s top ten most awarded cities in NZ

1. Auckland
2. Christchurch
3. Queenstown
4. Taupo
5. Lake Tekapo
6. Wanaka
7. Nelson
8. Rotorua
9. Dunedin
10. Tauranga

The love of the Kiwi bach stays strong

It’s no surprise that holiday homes came in as number one for the number of award recipients for Kiwi properties for the second year in a row. Proving how much Kiwis love a bach once again, a New Zealand holiday seems to be best spent in a holiday home. Coming in second place for most awarded property type were apartments, which for the fifth year in a row were the most-awarded property type across the globe, with 561,843 partners being recognised for their efforts.

Warm and welcoming staff make the difference

When diving into the individual aspects of their stays that guests valued most at the 7,355 properties receiving a Traveller Review Award 2022, location (9.1), staff (9.1) and cleanliness (9.0) received the highest average marks in New Zealand. This is well above other aspects evaluated, such as value for money (8.6) or services (8.7), demonstrating the importance of how close the property is to certain landmarks, welcoming interactions during the stay, and not to forget the importance of health and hygiene in light of the evolving status of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information on the Traveller Reviews Awards, visit https://news.booking.com/en-nz/

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