Booking.com Unveils Canada’s Most Welcoming Places and the Traveller Review Awards 2023 Recipients
- A record 1.36 million travel providers globally are being recognized for their hospitality with a Traveller Review Award 2023, including 6,779 in Canada
- Newfoundland and Labrador makes its debut in the top ten Most Welcoming Regions on Earth, with Nova Scotia claiming the title of Most Welcoming Region in Canada
- Hotels (1,619) are the most-awarded accommodation type in Canada, with apartments coming in second (1,360),and B & Bs third (979)
- Nearly one in ten accommodation award recipients globally have also been recognized with a Travel Sustainable badge for their efforts to operate more sustainably
TORONTO - JANUARY 24, 2023 - As travel continues to make its return in most parts of the world, the 11th annual Booking.com Traveller Review Awards recognize 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).
Hotels and apartments continue to shine
The most awarded property type within Canada is hotels, claiming 1,360 across the country. In second place is apartments with 1,360 awards, then bed & breakfasts with 979, holiday homes with 651, and rounding out the top five is chalets with 429 awards. Globally, apartments take the top spot for the sixth year in a row, with 629,421 partners being recognized for their efforts in the 2023 edition of the Traveller Review Awards.
When it comes to the countries being recognized 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.
A more sustainable traveller experience
Nearly one in ten accommodation award recipients globally (122,095) have also been recognized 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 recognized 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.
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 in Canada and Beyond
This year’s Most Welcoming Places 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 inspiration for their future trips. Here are the most welcoming places across Canada.
2023’s Most Welcoming Cities in Canada
- Baie Saint Paul, Quebec
- Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
- Golden, British Columbia
- St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Banff, Alberta
- Jasper, Alberta
- Mont-Tremblant, Quebec
- Quebec City, Quebec
- Revelstoke, British Columbia
- Moncton, New Brunswick
2023’s Most Welcoming Regions in Canada
- Nova Scotia
- Quebec
- Alberta
- British Columbia
- Ontario
The real stars of the show, the local properties themselves, have earned consistent Booking.com scores of 9.7 or higher across anywhere from 50 to over 400 reviews. Here are ten of the consistently highest rated Traveller Reviews Awards properties in Canada.
- Alicion Bed & Breakfast, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
- L'Ancrage Bed & Breakfast, Saint Louis de Kent, New Brunswick
- Canyon Ridge Lodge, Golden, British Columbia
- Beaujolais Boutique B&B, Banff, Alberta
- A Wave From It All villa, Port Saunders, Newfoundland and Labrador
- Radium Elk Park B & B, Radium Hot Springs, Alberta
- Princess and the Pea Hotel, Langley, British Columbia
- La Maison de Sophie, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
- Golden Acres Mountain Lodge, Golden, British Columbia
- Spirit Lodge at Silverstar, Vernon, British Columbia
This year’s Most Welcoming Places on Earth span five continents and feature hidden coastal gems, rural destinations surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, a bustling Latin American metropolis, and a fan favourite island here in Canada with its own time zone and dialect.
2023’s Most Welcoming Cities 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 Regions On Earth
- La Rioja, Spain
- Epirus, Greece
- Oberosterreich, Austria
- County Down, UK
- Mures, Romania
- Marlborough, New Zealand
- Ninh Binh, Vietnam
- Limon, Costa Rica
- Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
- North Dakota, US
For more about exploring and experiencing all these welcoming cities have to offer, check out this destination guide.
Helping travellers get from A to B
This is the fourth year that Booking.com is recognising on-the-ground 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 recognized with the most 2023 awards (23), followed by Greece (21), France (14), Italy (13) and Portugal (11). 58 airport taxi providers, representing a total of 6,131 drivers from across 120 countries are also being recognized 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).
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Note to Editors:
To be recognized with an award, 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 (CET) 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 (CET) on November 30, 2022. To be recognized 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 (CET) on November 30, 2022.
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.
*Destinations were sorted by the total share of Traveller Review Award 2023 recipients when compared to the total amount of eligible properties in that city or region (accommodation only). Destinations also had to have an above-average amount of winners to be included on this list (500 award recipients or higher for cities and 500 recipients or higher for regions) and were curated for geographic spread.
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.