Ireland has been named the friendliest country in Europe in the 2026 Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards. Ireland topped its respective pool with a stellar score of 98.39), ahead of Portugal in second place. The result marks Ireland’s third consecutive year in the top three.
The results highlight massive wins for Japan, Ireland, and Melbourne, alongside top-tier rankings for luxury cruise lines, European resorts, and world-class hotels. The awards drew almost 800,000 responses.
In the global standings for the top countries to visit, Japan claimed the top spot, followed closely by Italy and Ireland.
Melbourne, Australia was officially voted the world’s friendliest city, outperforming major destinations like Seoul and Porto.
Royal Caribbean secured the top position in the highly competitive mega-ship category with a score of 91.79, leading ahead of Princess Cruises (90.14) and MSC Cruises (88.47).
