Worlds Most Welcoming Travel Countries

You want to see the world? Are you adventurous? Explore the world’s most welcoming travel countries.

Iceland

In a report released earlier this month, the World Economic Forum ranked 140 countries in order of their hospitality towards international travellers. Using data compiled from an annual World Economic Forum survey, a numerical value was assigned to each country, with Iceland claiming the title of most welcoming with a ranking of 6.8 out of 7. Click through to see which other countries made it to the top – some of which may surprise you. (Peerakit JIrachetthakun/Getty)

 

New Zealand

Tourism has become an important part of the country’s economy. Most of the country’s visitors originate from Australia, Japan, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Following the Asian financial crisis in the late 1990s, New Zealand’s tourism suffered a major decline, but it was recovering by the early 21st century.(Britannica)

Morocco

Several million visitors enter Morocco yearly, most of them from Europe. Tourists also arrive from Algeria, the United States, and East Asia, mainly Japan. (Britannica)

(Tuul/Getty)

Macedonia

Tourism centres on the Chalcidice (Chalkidikí) Peninsula and the island of Thasos (Thásos). Mount Olympus (Ólympos) and the monastic site of Mount Athos (Ágio) also lie within the region. (Britannica)

(Walter Bibikow/Getty)

Austria

Indeed, tourism is Austria’s most important invisible asset. With its picturesque landscape, villages, towns, and cities; its highly developed hotel and catering industry; its renowned facilities for skiing and other outdoor sports; its spas and resorts; and its fabled cultural institutions—not to mention its relative ease of access—Austria is to the outsider a tourist destination par excellence. (Britannica)

(Michael Sick/Getty)

Senegal

Tourism, one of the country’s primary sources of foreign exchange, has made Senegal one of the most visited countries in West Africa. Although most of the tourists are Europeans, the government has tried to attract others, especially Americans. Goree Island, site of a former slave warehouse, is a popular attraction, as are Senegal’s national parks. (Britannica)

(Christian Aslund/Getty)

Portugal

The service sector is extremely important to Portugal’s economy, accounting for more than three-fifths of total output. Tourism has surged to become a major industry, and millions of people visit Portugal annually. Notable tourist destinations include Lisbon, the Algarve, and the Douro valley. Visitors from France, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom make up the bulk of tourists. (Britannica)

(Hans-Peter Merten/Getty)

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The service sector accounts for more than half of the country’s GDP, with retail trade and restaurants being an important component. There have been efforts to revive tourism by attracting visitors to the country’s rich cultural heritage sites, gorgeous mountains, and aquamarine rivers. (Britannica)

(Michal Sleczek)

Ireland

Tourism is the largest component of the country’s net invisible earnings. Its value has increased considerably since the 1950s, in large part because of the promotional efforts of the Irish Tourist Board (Bord Fáilte Éireann) and that body’s work in encouraging new hotel construction, developing resort areas, extending sporting facilities, and increasing tourist amenities. The board also has developed joint ventures with the Northern Ireland Tourist Board. (Britannica)

(Mattes Rene/Getty)

Burkina Faso

(Matthew Schoenfelder/Getty)

Excerpts: BBC Travel

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