In 2026, 1.81 million partners from 221 countries received the award, including 1.8 million accommodation providers, 2,000 car rental companies and 137 airport transfer providers. To receive the award, accommodation providers had to have an average rating of at least 8.0 out of 10, car rentals had to have an average rating of at least 8.0 and transfers had to have an average rating of at least 4.6 out of 5.
The absolute winner in terms of the number of awards was Italy: it holds the leadership for the ninth consecutive year with 214 thousand awarded partners. In second place is France (170 thousand), in third place is Spain (152 thousand). Germany (111 thousand), Great Britain (94 thousand), Brazil (81 thousand), USA (78 thousand), Poland (72 thousand), Greece (71 thousand), Croatia (58 thousand) are also in the top 10.
Special attention of analysts is drawn to the countries with dynamic growth in the number of laureates: Bulgaria (+68%), South Korea (+46%), China (+39%), Japan (+29%) and Norway (+19%).
Hotels are losing out to private apartments
Among housing types, apartments traditionally lead the way (901 thousand laureates), followed by vacation homes (287 thousand) and hotels (197 thousand).
The greatest growth in the number of awardees for the year showed camping and villas (+15%), as well as ryokans (+13%). According to Booking.com experts, these data reflect an increase in demand for authentic and unique accommodation options that allow travelers to get a “local experience”.
Award-winning car rental companies have grown to nearly 2,000, a 49% increase from 2025. The US (203 award winners), the UK (174) and Spain (155) lead the way.
Among airport transfer providers, the number of awardees totaled 137 – plus 11% up on last year. The increase in the number of awards in the transportation segment indicates the growing importance of comprehensive services for travelers, including logistics and travel comfort.
Rating of the most hospitable destinations
In 2026, the “most hospitable” regions include: historic towns in Italy, coastal cities in Taiwan and beach resorts in Australia. These destinations are characterized by high quality service and personalized service.
“These awards reflect the partners’ efforts to create quality and memorable experiences for travelers,” said James Waters, chief business officer of Booking.com. – The Traveller Review Awards help highlight companies and services that maintain a high standard of hospitality and promote tourism worldwide.”
World’s Most Hospitable Cities 2026:
- Montepulciano, Italy
- Magong, Taiwan
- San Martin de los Andes, Argentina
- Harrogate, UK
- Fredericksburg, Texas, USA
- Pirenopolis, Brazil
- Swakopmund, Namibia
- Takayama, Japan
- Noosa Heads, Australia
- Klaipeda, Lithuania
The most hospitable regions in the world- 2026:
- Hidalgo, Mexico
- Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
- Navarra, Spain
- Idaho, United States
- Himachal Pradesh, India
- Saxony, Germany
- Phang Nga, Thailand
- Overijssel, Netherlands
- Epirus, Greece
- Chiriqui, Panama
