#FIRSTLOOK: 2023 BOOKING.COM TRAVELLER REVIEW AWARDS

BOOKING.COM have just released their Most Welcoming Places lists and Traveller Review Awards recipient. Making huge gains are Newfoundland and Labrador placing in the top 10 most welcoming places on earth! St. John’s was also named the 4th most welcoming city in Canada. Toronto, you better step it up!

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

1. Baie Saint Paul, Quebec
2. Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
3. Golden, British Columbia
4. St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
5. Banff, Alberta
6. Jasper, Alberta
7. Mont-Tremblant, Quebec
8. Quebec City, Quebec
9. Revelstoke, British Columbia
10. Moncton, New Brunswick

2023’s Most Welcoming Regions in Canada

1. Nova Scotia
2. Quebec
3. Alberta
4. British Columbia
5. 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.

1. Alicion Bed & Breakfast, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia
2. L’Ancrage Bed & Breakfast, Saint Louis de Kent, New Brunswick
3. Canyon Ridge Lodge, Golden, British Columbia
4. Beaujolais Boutique B&B, Banff, Alberta
5. A Wave From It All villa, Port Saunders, Newfoundland and Labrador
6. Radium Elk Park B & B, Radium Hot Springs, Alberta
7. Princess and the Pea Hotel, Langley, British Columbia
8. La Maison de Sophie, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
9. Golden Acres Mountain Lodge, Golden, British Columbia
10. 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

1. Polignano a Mare, Italy
2. Hualien City, Taiwan
3. San Sebastián, Spain
4. Dresden, Germany
5. Klaipeda, Lithuania
6. York, UK
7. Ushuaia, Argentina
8. Porto De Galinhas, Brazil
9. Mexico City, Mexico
10. Gold Coast, Australia

2023’s Most Welcoming Regions On Earth

1. La Rioja, Spain
2. Epirus, Greece
3. Oberosterreich, Austria
4. County Down, UK
5. Mures, Romania
6. Marlborough, New Zealand
7. Ninh Binh, Vietnam
8. Limon, Costa Rica
9. Newfoundland & Labrador, Canada
10. 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).

#FIRSTLOOK: BOOKING.COM SPONSORS TIME100 SUMMIT & GALA

BOOKING.COM was an official signature sponsor of the TIME100 Summit and Gala at Lincoln Center in New York, which included stars like Toronto’s own Simu Liu!  The site is one of the largest travel marketplaces for both established brands and entrepreneurs of all sizes, enabling properties all over the world to reach a global audience and grow their businesses.

Booking.com aimed to further support getting important topics the increased attention they need and deserve while also providing travel inspiration for Summit & Gala attendees. The events brought together a cast of past and present TIME100 honorees and other influential figures  from the worlds of art, culture, politics and entertainment with Booking.com polling the influential attendees on their summer travel plans via a survey at the brand’s dedicated activation space at Jazz at Lincoln Center.

Key insights include:

-Sustainability efforts at accommodations play a strong role in TIME100 event attendee’s vacation decisions, with 50% of survey respondents saying they would select one property over another if it had Booking.com’s Travel Sustainable badge.

-TIME100 event respondents said they prefer to stay at vacation rentals over hotels (62%).

-Trips where travelers get to enjoy the outdoors was the preference for TIME100 attendees with 46% of respondents wanting to take a beach vacation this summer and 41% wanting to take any type of nature trip.

-Experiencing local culture is TIME100 event respondents main motivation to travel this summer (37%), with relaxation not far behind at 32%.

-When asked what destination was top of the list this summer, Greece, Italy, Spain, Mexico, Colorado and Puerto Rico were the most popular among TIME100 event attendee survey respondents.

Some of the A-Listers at the affair:

(Photo credit: Booking.com)