Booking.com has announced the recipients of its 10th annual Traveller Review Awards, with Denmark and Margaret River recognised as the fourth and fifth most welcoming towns in Australia respectively.
Drawing upon more than 232 million verified reviews from real travelers with over 18,000 awards delivered to deserving Australian partners, the Booking.com Traveller Review Awards include awards such as the 2022 Most Welcoming Places in Australia.
A total of 1,261,273 accommodation providers, car rental locations and pre-booked taxi providers in 220 countries and territories around the world are being recognised with a Traveller Review Award 2022, with 18,663 in Australia.
Four out of the Top Ten Most Welcoming locations are in Queensland.
Victoria and WA destinations also ranked highly, with scenic destinations and renowned beaches receiving a mention in the top ten.
2022 Most Welcoming Towns in Australia
- Maleny, Queensland
- Mount Tamborine, Queensland
- Halls Gap, Victoria
- Denmark, Western Australia
- Margaret River Town, Western Australia
- Healesville, Victoria
- Warrnambool, Victoria
- Hervey Bay, Queensland
- Montville, Queensland
- Albany, Western Australia
Tasmania once again secured a spot in the top 10 most welcoming regions in the world.
Booking.com Area Manager for Australia Melissa Ellison said the awards highlight the unwavering hospitality of Aussies, in the face of another year of the global pandemic.
"As the travel industry has remained vigilant and flexible in light of the continued uncertainty and travel restrictions we've seen over the course of the past year, the passion and dedication of our Australian partners to create safe and welcoming travel experiences for everyone across the nation has continued to shine through," Ms Ellison said.
When looking at individual aspects of stays that guests valued most, staff (9.0) cleanliness (8.9) and location (8.9) received the highest average marks globally.