Booking.com Unveils the Traveller Review Awards 2023 Recipients and This Year’s Most Welcoming Places on Earth

A record 1.36 million travel providers are being recognised for their hospitality with a Traveller Review Award 2023, including 60,697 in the UK
York, UK, has been awarded one of the top 10 most welcoming destinations in the world in 2023, alongside Polignano a Mare, Italy and Mexico City, Mexico
In the UK, the top 10 most welcoming destinations include Kirkwall, Newcastle (County Down), Glastonbury, Stamford and Frome
This year holiday homes (20,179) are the most-awarded accommodation type within the UK, with apartments following shortly behind (19,754)
Nearly one in ten accommodation award recipients globally have also been recognised with a Travel Sustainable badge for their efforts to operate more sustainably

LONDON, 26TH JANUARY 2023 - As travel continues to make its return in most parts of the world, the eleventh annual Booking.com Traveller Review Awards recognise travel providers from across 220 countries and territories for their commitment to providing consistently excellent service and hospitality over the course of the year. Based on a pool of over 240 million verified customer reviews on Booking.com, 1,364,415 accommodation partners, 230 car rental providers and 58 airport taxi suppliers are receiving a Traveller Review Award 2023. Italy leads the way again in 2023 with a total of 170,638 accommodation awards, followed by Spain (108,217), France (103,365), Germany (76,479), Croatia (64,206), Poland (60,721), UK (60,697), Greece (54,473), Brazil (53,658) and the US (46,839).

Apartments and homes continue to shine
As the most-awarded property type globally, holiday homes take the top spot, overtaking apartments for the first time in six years, with a grand total of 20,179 partners being recognised for their efforts in the 2023 edition of the Traveller Review Awards. Apartments have stepped down a position claiming the second spot (19,754) followed by bed and breakfast (5,636), hotels (4,654) and guest houses (3,610) rounding out the top five. When it comes to the countries being recognised with the most awards for homes, apartments and other unique places to stay, Italy (153,895), Spain (98,788), France (94,285), Germany (64,748) and Croatia (63,219) lead the way, with the UK falling in the top 20 (20,179).

A more sustainable traveller experience
Nearly one in ten accommodation award recipients globally (122,095) have also been recognised with a Travel Sustainable badge for their efforts to operate more sustainably. In fact, Travel Sustainable accommodations were three times more likely to receive a Traveller Review Award 2023, compared to those not being recognised with a Travel Sustainable badge. Out of all accommodation types, hotels had the highest share of Travel Sustainable accommodations (15%) receiving a Traveller Review Award 2023.

Helping travellers get from A to B
This is the fourth year that Booking.com is recognising in-trip transport providers for their consistently great service, with 230 car rental companies from across 150 countries picking up a Traveller Review Award 2023. Car rental companies in Spain are being recognised with the most 2023 awards (23), followed by Greece (21), France (14), Italy (13) and Portugal (11). In addition, 58 airport taxi providers, representing a total of 6,131 drivers from across 120 countries are also being recognised with a 2023 award. Companies in Spain are again receiving the most awards (11 providers representing 442 drivers), followed by Greece (7 providers representing 1,196 drivers), Italy (5 providers representing 315 drivers), Poland (3 providers representing 524 drivers) and Portugal (3 providers representing 655 drivers).

Arjan Dijk, SVP and Chief Marketing Officer for Booking.com, commented: “It’s that personal attention to detail when checking in or sharing helpful recommendations to explore the destination like a local that demonstrates how our partners show up and shine for travellers in a multitude of ways each and every day. These awards are our way of thanking them for their dedication to making everyone feel welcome and to going out of their way to create incredible experiences for our customers. Whether it’s a friendly greeting from a taxi driver at the airport, sharing some local driving tips at the car rental counter or a thoughtful note waiting in the room, our passionate partners help make every trip more special.”

2023’s Most Welcoming Places on Earth
This year’s Most Welcoming Places on Earth span five continents and feature hidden coastal gems, rural destinations surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty and even a bustling Latin American metropolis. They have all been identified based on the share of accommodation partners receiving a Traveller Review Award 2023* and provide even the most seasoned traveller with bucket list inspiration for their future trips.

2023’s Most Welcoming Destinations on Earth

Polignano a Mare, Italy
Hualien City, Taiwan
San Sebastián, Spain
Dresden, Germany
Klaipeda, Lithuania
York, UK
Ushuaia, Argentina
Porto De Galinhas, Brazil
Mexico City, Mexico
Gold Coast, Australia

2023’s Most Welcoming Destinations in the UK

Kirkwall, Scotland
Newcastle, County Down
Newry, County Down
Enniskillen, County Fermanagh
Pitlochry, Perthshire
Ballycastle, County Antrim
Glastonbury, Somerset
Stamford, Lincolnshire
Frome, Somerset
Cleethorpes, Lincolnshire

###

Note to Editors:

To be recognised with an award globally, accommodation partners had to have an average review score of 8.0 (out of 10) or higher based on at least 3 reviews, as of 11:59pm (GMT) on November 30, 2022. Car rental partners had to have an average review score of 8.5 (out of 10) or higher based on at least 20 reviews, as of 11:59pm (GMT) on November 30, 2022. To be recognised with an award, taxi providers had to have an average review score of 4.5 (out of 5) or higher and completed 5,000 rides as of 11:59pm (GMT) on November 30, 2022.

To be recognised with an award in the UK, destinations had to have at least 50 eligible accommodations to be included in this list and were sorted by the highest share of award recipients per destination.

Only customers that have actually stayed at an accommodation, rented a car or rode in a taxi can leave a review of their experience on Booking.com. As these reviews are never edited or adjusted in any way, travellers can reference them for an authentic account of what the real traveller experience is like at every place to stay or with every ground transport provider on Booking.com.

*The most welcoming destinations globally include those destinations that have a large number of awarded properties, offering a huge amount of choice to travellers from all over the world. Meanwhile, those recognised at a country level have a high proportion of awarded properties for the size of the town or city, enabling us to celebrate some more off the beaten track/smaller destinations.

About Booking.com:

Part of Booking Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: BKNG), Booking.com’s mission is to make it easier for everyone to experience the world. By investing in the technology that helps take the friction out of travel, Booking.com’s marketplace seamlessly connects millions of travellers with memorable experiences every day. For more information, follow @bookingcom on social media or visit globalnews.booking.com.