Booking.com survey lists ‘Most Welcoming Places in India’ for 2023
Puducherry the most welcoming place in India
As travel continues to make its return in most parts of the world, leading digital travel portal Booking.com has announced the recipients of its 11th annual Traveller Review Awards, including 2023’s Most Welcoming Places on Earth and in India.
According to a press statement, the awards are based on a pool of over 240 million verified customer reviews on Booking.com and recognise travel providers from across 220 countries and territories, including India, for their commitment to providing consistently excellent service and hospitality over the course of the year.
For 2023, Booking.com has revealed the Most Welcoming Regions and Cities in India for travellers to experience the best in hospitality and friendliness for a truly memorable travel experience, with Puducherry being right at the top.
Top 5 Most Welcoming Regions in India
- Puducherry
- Kerala
- Rajasthan
- Goa
- Himachal Pradesh
Top 10 Most Welcoming Cities in India in 2023
- Palolem (Goa)
- Agonda (Goa)
- Mararikulam (Kerala)
- Hampi (Karnataka)
- Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh)
- Thekkady (Kerala)
- Jaisalmer (Rajasthan)
- Bir (Himachal Pradesh)
- Munnar (Kerala)
- Varkala (Kerala)
The awards also recognise the best accommodation options across India, where hotels continue to take the top spot as the most-awarded property type in India, with 3,888 partners being recognised for their efforts. Homestays claim the second spot with 1,509 properties being bestowed, followed by guest houses, resorts and apartments.
However, globally, apartments take the top spot for the sixth year in a row as the most-awarded property type, with a grand total of 629,421 partners being recognized for their efforts followed by holiday homes, hotels, guest houses and bed and breakfast rounding out the top five.
In terms of customer preferences when choosing an accommodation, the statement by Booking.com says that when it comes to the different aspects of the stay that Indian travellers valued the most across the properties awarded, warm and friendly staff (8.7), followed by cleanliness (8.6) and comfort (8.6) received the highest score, says the statement.
The statement adds that location (8.5) of the property continued to hold importance in the minds of the travellers, along with services offered (8.3) and value for money (8.2).
Santosh Kumar
‘‘These awards are our way of expressing gratitude to our partner’s hard work in making everyone feel welcomed and going beyond boundaries to make our customers’ experiences extraordinary with a personal touch. Our partners have shown immense trust and have time and again shown up for our visitors in multiple ways by demonstrating personalised attention to detail while checking in or offering our assistance to explore the destination like a local. Every trip is made more memorable by our devoted partners, whether it is a warm welcome from the taxi driver at the airport or a thoughtful note left in the room,” says Santosh Kumar, Country Manager, India, Sri Lanka, Maldives and Indonesia at Booking.com.
