According to a recent study by the World Economic Foundation, these 30 countries are the most approving of the tourism industry as well as the most welcoming to foreign visitors. The study ranks countries based on three major component rankings: Tourist Service Infrastructure, International Openness, and Prioritization of Travel & Tourism.
That means that this "welcomeness ranking" has more to say regarding government policies than how pleasant local residents are to foreign visitors. So really, it's a reflection of political and business leaders and not everyday people.
What that means is that, in general, these nation's governmental policies would rather you visit their country than stay at home. One important caveat is that countries weren't ranked at all if they didn't respond or provide adequate documentation of the survey. So that means that some truly welcoming places may have been left out...simply because they didn't respond in time or provide enough information to a third party. And they might not have done so because they were too busy making sure their tourists were having a good time! Who cares about a survey when you're addressing the concerns of real people?!
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Did you know...
- The longest flight in the world is between Singapore and Newark, New Jersey. Depending on which way you're flying, it takes around 18.5 hours to complete the 9,534 miles of the journey. The flight is so long that it doesn't even have an economy class. Only first-class and business-class arrangements are offered.
- Even though it is spread across five time zones, the entire country of China is set to Beijing time. Having a single time zone in the United States would certainly make things easier. Currently, the USA is spread across six, but a single time zone would make things a little wonky in Alaska and Hawai'i.
- The surface area of Pluto is just under 6.5 million square miles. The CIA Factbook lists the area of Russia to be just over 6.6 million square miles. That makes Russia bigger than Pluto (and much closer to visit). Are you still very upset that Pluto isn’t a planet anymore?
- You've heard of the phrase "wanderlust," but do you know the German word "fernweh"? It means "far sickness" or an intensely strong urge to travel. The next time you feel the need to head out on a road trip, you've got a case of fernweh. And the only cure is to travel somewhere new!
- Minnesota might say that it's the "Land of 10,000 Lakes," but Canada has it beat. The country as a whole has over three million lakes. That means Canada has 60% of the world's total number of lakes within its borders. It must seem like paradise for people who like to fish or boat!