Traveller reviews reveal the most welcoming places in Canada & beyond

The results of the 11th annual Booking.com Traveller Review Awards are out, shining a light on the performance of travel providers from across 220 countries and territories based on traveller reviews.

Of a pool of more than 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.

Which destinations came out on top? 

Italy leads the way this year 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 United States (46,839).

Secondly, 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.

Additionally, 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.

Most welcoming places

This year’s “Most Welcoming Places” list has been identified based on the share of accommodation partners receiving a Traveller Review Award 2023.

This year’s “Most Welcoming Cities” in Canada include:

• 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

Welcoming regions

2023’s “Most Welcoming Regions” in Canada include

• Nova Scotia
• Quebec
• Alberta
• British Columbia
• Ontario

Top-rated local properties 

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

Most welcoming on earth

This year’s “Most Welcoming Places on Earth” list spans 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.

This year’s “Most Welcoming Cities On Earth” list includes:

• 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

Most welcoming regions on earth 

Additionally, this year’s “Most Welcoming” Regions On Earth include:

• 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

Newfoundland and Labrador, notably, makes its debut in the top ten Most Welcoming Regions on Earth list. 

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