Top 4 in the world honour for Daylesford

Published on 30 January 2024

Lake Daylesford

Booking.com reveals this year’s Most Welcoming Destinations and the Traveller Review Awards 2024 Recipients.

  • Over 22,000 Australian travel partners were recognised for their consistent hospitality with a Traveller Review Award for 2024
  • Holiday homes (7,662) are the most-awarded accommodation type by Australian travellers on Booking.com
  • Daylesford, Victoria has been awarded in the top 10 Most Welcoming Cities on Earth

Booking.com today announced the recipients of its 12th annual Traveller Review Awards, with Daylesford, Victoria, featured in its top 10 ‘Most Welcoming Cities on Earth’ list of award winners. Booking.com’s Traveller Reviews Awards are based on more than 309 million verified customer reviews with 1.48 million accommodations, 449 rental car companies and 129 taxi providers receiving an award, including over 22,000 in Australia.

Most Welcoming Places on Earth

Identified based on the share of accommodation providers receiving a Traveller Review Award 2024*, this year’s lists of the Most Welcoming Places on Earth showcase a vast range of destinations from across the globe. From enchanting coastal towns to alpine retreats and even rustic desert gems, all of these locations are sure to ignite a sense of wanderlust for the year ahead.

2024’s Most Welcoming Cities on Earth*:

1. Arraial d'Ajuda, Brazil

2. Ermoupoli, Greece

3. Viana do Castelo, Portugal

4. Daylesford, Australia

5. Grindelwald, Switzerland

6. Moab, United States

7. Uzès, France

8. Mazatlán, Mexico

9. Jaisalmer, India

10. Fujikawaguchiko, Japan

“What an incredible result for Daylesford to be included in Booking.com’s Most Welcoming Cities on Earth. Daylesford, located in Hepburn Shire is a uniquely beautiful town, known for its striking landscapes no matter the season, award winning eateries and world-famous mineral springs and spa resorts.

“With a distinct village feel, visitors are spoilt for choice with retail outlets, galleries and markets to explore. Daylesford also has an abundance of local festivals throughout the year that showcase its charm and many colours, including ChillOut, Australia’s largest regional LGBTIQA+ pride festival held annually in March.” commented Brian Hood, Hepburn Shire Council Mayor.

“Booking.com believes that the best traveller experiences shouldn’t be kept a secret and we want to take the time to recognise our Australian partners who deliver the very best experiences in the eyes of customers. Behind each score or certificate is a whole year filled with real travellers, real experiences and real reviews, which is a core differentiator for providers to attract their next customers.

“The Traveller Review Awards are our way of thanking and publicly acknowledging the top notch service our Australian partners provide to travellers and the critical role they play in our mission of making it easier for everyone to experience the world. This year, we’re proud to see Daylesford, Victoria featured on our global list as one of the Most Welcoming Cities on Earth.” commented Todd Lacey, Booking.com Regional Manager for Oceania.

Havas Red Contacts:

bookingau@havasred.com

Note to Editors from Bookings.com:

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, 2023. Car rental partners had to have an average review score of 7.5 (out of 10) or higher based on at least 100 reviews, as of 11:59pm (CET) on November 30, 2023. To be recognized with an award, taxi providers had to have an average review score of 4.6 (out of 5) or higher and completed 2,000 rides as of 11:59pm (CET) on November 30, 2023.

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 2024 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 (200 award recipients or higher for cities and regions) and were curated for geographic spread.

** Destinations had to have at least 50 eligible accommodations to be included in this list and were sorted by the highest share of award recipients per destination.